“At the Hippodrome, we get into people’s heads and shake them up. We get outrageous. Hilarious. Dramatic. Weird. Creative. Our audiences laugh, scream and occasionally squirm, but they always react because we’re showing them a different view of themselves and the world they live in.”
– 160over90 Hippodrome Brand Unveil, October 2014
In May, the Hippodrome and 160over90 began a six-month process of discovery, brand strategy, concept and rollout. 160over90 worked with Hippodrome stakeholders including volunteers, donors, sponsors, subscribers, employees and artists to best define the core messaging for the Hippodrome’s new brand identity, which had not been updated in twenty years.
The outcome of the process is a new brand identity that reflects the Hipp’s core values, history, strengths and future vision.
“The new Hippodrome ‘brand’ is a perfect mix of the past and the present, with a firm focus on the future. I want to offer a very enthusiastic thank you to 160over90 for applying their considerable time and talent and capturing the heart of who the Hippodrome is and what it does,” said Hippodrome Board of Trustees President Michael Curry.
During the process, the Hippodrome continued moving in a forward-thinking direction, as each division worked to increase and diversify programming, expand core engagement with the community and collaborate with peer nonprofit organizations.
Since the launch of the Keep Gainesville Hipp campaign in February 2014, the community’s investment in the Hippodrome has enabled us to invest right back into outreach to thousands of audience members, children and peer nonprofits. We take this investment very seriously, and we would like to share some of the ways that your generosity has been strategized to provide the very best to the people of Gainesville and beyond:
Hippodrome Mainstage: Announced a Company of Actors for the 2014-15 season. Partnered with the University of Florida School of Theatre + Dance on the critically acclaimed production of “Clybourne Park.” Received the rights for the world premiere of “The Two Musketeers,” written by Jon Jory, the artistic director of the Tony Award-winning Actors Theatre of Louisville.
Hippodrome Education: Provided full scholarships to 12 economically disadvantaged students for the Hippodrome summer camp. Supervised 10 high school students as they completed hundreds of hours of volunteer time as part of the Florida-mandated graduation requirements. Created and produced an original play in partnership with the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding about restorative justice. Taught at Loften High School and brought the highly acclaimed Hipp Improvisational Teen Theatre (HITT) to at-risk youth.
Hippodrome Cinema: Increased the selection of art-house and limited release films the Hippodrome has been able to acquire because of the cinema’s new 2K digital system. Received recognition in The Wall Street Journal for The Hipp Goes Digital Kickstarter campaign and accepted five awards at the local and state level for the campaign. Collaborated with the Gainesville Latino Film Festival, the Gainesville Jewish Film Festival, the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art and the Pride Community Center of North Central Florida as well as other organizations.
Hippodrome Art Gallery: Collaborated with the Matheson Museum, Sequential Artists Workshop, UF School of Art and Art History, Gainesville Fine Arts Association and The Repurpose Project.
Hippodrome Events: Hosted special events for the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce, including the Innovation Gainesville (iG) Economic Forum with Doc Waller on the Mainstage, a Chamber After-Hours to promote Rethink GNV in the basement and the Frank International Journalism Conference on the Mainstage.
As responsible and accountable stewards, the Hippodrome management team has:
Grown the Hippodrome Board of Trustees to 10 members from the business and philanthropic community. Scored the highest out of 26 professional theatres statewide on the Division of Cultural Affairs General Program Support Grant. Presented at the Gainesville-Alachua County Cultural Affairs Board. Streamlined and updated corporate sponsorship contracts to reflect our business practices and conservative fiscal management. Introduced a new marketing partnership program for companies to support the Hipp through advertising initiatives. Worked with the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding and Peaceful Paths on a March and Rally Against Bullying. Been nominated for the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Nonprofit Business of the Year.
As our stories have unfolded over the years, we have created, shared and enjoyed countless memories together. The Hippodrome calls upon you, our thriving community, to join us in building the bridge into the next 40 years of professional theatre, art-house cinema, education and community outreach. It is only through your continued investment that we are able to create new opportunities for future generations.
Holiday Shows: This holiday season, we bring you a brand-new musical offering on the Hippodrome Mainstage: the “Winter Wonderettes.” Like you, we feel the holidays are meant for music and singing, so in 2014, the Hipp will feature a toe-tapping, heartwarming holiday celebration! “Winter Wonderettes” will feature beloved holiday classics including “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” “Run, Rudolph, Run” and “Winter Wonderland.” This production will be, of course, marvelous, and the energetic and glittering holiday package is guaranteed to delight audiences of all ages.
On behalf of our company of staff, actors, artists and educators, I would like to thank you for Keeping Gainesville Hipp! Because of you, we are #AlwaysHipp!