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Cultural Groups Providing Access For All

Charlotte-Mecklenburg cultural organizations are continuing to ensure ticket costs don't prevent residents from stepping through their doors.

Several are providing low-cost admission to their venues and performances for families with EBT or WIC cards.

There's the Charlotte Symphony's "Music For All" program, which allows community members with EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) cards to attend any symphony concert for $1 per ticket, best-available seating, beginning one hour prior to the performance.

Although admission to all mainstage symphony performances begins at $19, "we understand that even that can be prohibitive for many," said Charlotte Symphony President Mary Deissler. "Accessibility is imperative to sustaining our organization and we strive to be relevant to all in our community, not just certain income segments."

The symphony started "Music For All" in 2017 in order to break down perceived financial barriers to experiencing the symphony and expand its audience base.

"We knew that some of our cultural partners Discovery Place in particular offered similar programs and (we) decided to explore the same," Deissler said.

By Bernie Petit

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