Fundraising production for Bognor's Regis Centre

University of Chichester students have set themselves an ambitious target '“ to raise £24,000 for their home theatre, the Regis Centre in Bognor Regis
NunsenseNunsense
Nunsense

Students on the university’s musical theatre and arts development course are hoping to find the money to install a new sound system at the venue and help fund various community projects.

The main thrust of their fund-raising will be a production of Nunsense the Megamusical from February 22-24 at the Regis Centre.

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“We are also contacting trusts, potential corporate sponsors and starting a sponsor-a-seat scheme in the centre’s theatre,” says student Chloe Babiy.

“There are several musical theatre courses at Chichester and we combine together and we do different things, but we all regularly work at the Regis Centre where we put productions on, and we knew from research that the Regis Centre is a charity. Last year we studied the Regis Centre as one of our modules. We were looking at trusts and foundations and how it all worked, how to write efficient proposals, and this year, as part of our module where we have to do a charity project, we decided that we would raise funds for the Regis Centre.

“It is such a great venue. It is so versatile. There is the theatre and there is also the cafe and the charity shop and the studios that can be used for various things, and Hazel who runs it is always happy to show people around the theatre, which is great for people that don’t really know what goes on in there. We just really wanted to support.”

Chloe admits it’s an ambitious figure: “But we have got quite a lot of things underway. We are talking to corporate sponsors and we are looking at a sponsor-a-seat scheme as well. It is all a great experience for us.”

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The fundraising comes under the banner of the students’ Raise your Voice campaign. They’re also inviting local companies to show their support for the venue.

Donna Day Lafferty, who leads the degree programme, said: “Last year the students raised £9,276 to help meet the cost of repairing the theatre roof. We’re really proud of them. This is a pioneering degree programme that teaches young performers how to produce amazing musicals, and ultimately how to raise the money needed to bring great art to local communities.

“The students couldn’t have picked a better show for their fundraiser; Nunsense follows a group of nuns whose order is suddenly depleted when 52 members suddenly die. Baking cakes and selling cards raises enough money to bury 48 of them, but with four bodies still in the cook’s freezer, they are left frantically trying to raise funds for their sisters’ funerals by putting on their own musical spectacular before the health inspector finds out. Naturally, hilarity ensues.” 01243 861010