For Immediate Release
New Era for New Freedom
Contact:
Sandra Norris Haughton 215 765 2793/267 639 8049, shaughtonfreedom@aol.com
Maida Odom 267 974 8502, writerexploits@aol.com
The Board of Directors of New Freedom Theatre is proud to announce that Sandra Norris Haughton, noted arts and preservation administrator, has taken over the newly created post of Executive Director. Haughton, who is a graduate of the Wharton School and in the arts administration field for more than twenty five years, has led the theater’s successful reorganization for the last four years as a consultant and the board is proud to announce that as a result of negotiations with creditors and continued support from long-time backers including our devoted and talented alumni, Freedom is nearly debt-free.
“I’m so pleased and excited about the future of New Freedom Theatre, noted Haughton. “I consider us the “Miracle on North Broad Street”, retiring our debt, providing quality arts education for our youth and making our beautiful facilities available to the public during this trying time speaks to the tenacity and loyalty of our dedicated staff, board of directors and many, many supporters. Our future plans for dynamic and artistically excellent productions which address the multi-faceted tapestry that is the African American experience in all of its manifestations will reestablish the theatre within the artistic community not only locally but nationally and internationally. I look forward to the challenges and successes we will certainly face in the future.”
Programming at the theater, of course, never stopped during the difficult years. This past fall and spring, Freedom’s Performing Arts Training Program, had more than 140 students enrolled – including pre-teens, teenagers and adults. This program featured seven well-received student performances – including one act -plays, concerts, and showcases for advanced students. Participating seniors had a 100 percent graduation rate and all of our seniors are accepted at quality schools of higher education. Some 120 students are expected during the summer and auditions will soon be underway for “Safety Street,” a funky, bring-the –noise musical, in cooperation with the Police and Fire Departments, that teaches young people important safety tips and how to handle emergencies. Patricia Scott Hobbs, who has served as interim managing director for the last four years, will now serve as Managing Director of the Performing Arts Training Program. “I’m really proud of our students, our graduation rate, and our new expanded music department.” noted Hobbs. She added, ”I’m really looking forward to this new production, it’s kind of like Stomp and Noise Funk; we have hip-hop, stepping, drumming, tap-dancers and rap music as well as the fine acting we’ve always been known for.”
The 299-seat state-of –art John E. Allen Theater, the 100 seat Black Box Theater and adjacent meeting rooms at the historic Edwin Forrest Mansion in which Freedom is housed, continues to provide attractive, affordable rental space for the community and is booked year round by cultural and community organizations. Gail E. Leslie, Director of Facilities and Event Management, remains in charge of those operations.
Sandra Norris Haughton, Executive Director
Sandra Norris Haughton, our newly appointed Executive Director has been an arts and historic preservation administrator for more than twenty five years. She is a graduate of the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania and has attended many arts administration and development courses over the years. She is the founder and president of Legacy/Landmarks, a cultural consulting firm since 1984, and founder and president of The Heritage Collaborative, a historic preservation non profit based in Camden, New Jersey. Ms. Haughton has experience in arts administration and development most recently with The Philadelphia Dance Company under the leadership of Joan Myers Brown. While there Ms. Haughton created many new opportunities for support for the company including capital and artistic projects. She served as administrator for Philadanco’s funding projects for large foundations including the William Penn Foundation, Dance Advance, New England Foundation for the Arts and many government funders including the National Endowment for the Arts, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the City of Philadelphia. She also managed capital projects for Philadanco through the City of Philadelphia’s Cultural Corridor program. While at Philadanco, Ms. Haughton assisted in the founding and management of the International Conference of Blacks in Dance and just recently served as organizer of the 22nd annual conference in 2010 in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Philadanco. Ms. Haughton has also worked as consultant for New Freedom Theatre creating a renewal program which resulted in the retirement of more than 4,000,000 in long term debt, created a new management structure and reengaged funders and community support. Her experience includes artistic director at The South Jersey Performing Arts Center creating seasons and identifying and stewarding the awarding of $1,000,000 in new funding. She also served as Manager of Bailey Concert Hall in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where she served as producer for such artists as Vinnette Carroll and assisted professional theatre, music and dance artists with their productions. She is the creator of cultural and historic programming including the Walt Whitman Preservation Forum now in its 10th year. She has received awards for her work from the Arts and Business Partnership of South Jersey, Kiwanis Club, Boy Scouts of America, and Broward County Board of Freeholders. She is Vice President of the Camden County Historical Society, Board member of the Shipbuilding Museum and is the chair of the Restoration Committee of Bensalem A.M.E. Church. She is a proficient, resilient arts administrator with creative and dynamic approaches to the challenges of the artistic enterprise. Her motto is, “Better well done than well said”. (Benjamin Franklin).