The Belcourt reaches new member milestone as it hits 100
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Movie fans line up ahead of a special event at The Belcourt in 2024. Photo: Brett Carlsen/Getty Images for Searchlight Pictures
At 100 years old, The Belcourt Theatre is still scaling new heights.
Why it matters: The Belcourt's support has surged to record-setting levels since the pandemic.
- A sharp uptick in paid memberships is laying a foundation for the independent movie house's second century.
Flashback: Attendance and membership cratered during the pandemic, when the nonprofit theater's future — and the fate of many local arts venues — was uncertain.
By the numbers: Paid memberships, a key barometer of the theater's financial support, bottomed out at about 5,300 in 2021. But they have since rebounded beyond the pre-COVID benchmark.
- The Belcourt's development director, Brooke Bernard, tells Axios she hopes the tally will top 8,000 by the end of the year.
What they're saying: "People still desire and seek out a type of community," Bernard tells Axios. "Places like The Belcourt really provide that."
Zoom in: Some of Nashville's most famous residents are members, including Nicole Kidman, who has hosted movie premieres and other special events there.
The vibe: Many of The Belcourt's events extend beyond what's on the screen.
- Midnight movies or the annual 12 Hours of Terror series can feel like a slumber party in a friend's living room.
- A recent showing of "Brokeback Mountain" was paired with a cowboy costume contest that recalled a Pride parade.
Between the lines: "People like to be a part of something," Bernard says. "They know that their $50 or $100 membership is supporting something they love in Nashville."
- Contributions and memberships accounted for nearly a quarter of The Belcourt's revenue in the last fiscal year, when total revenue was about $4 million.
The big picture: The Trump administration has slashed public funding this year for arts organizations like The Belcourt. Bernard says those cuts make paid memberships even more significant to the bottom line.
- "We are having to rely a lot more on private foundations and individual donations," she says.
- "Our members truly are what helps keep the lights on."
What's next: The Belcourt is in the midst of a yearlong celebration of its 100th birthday. The next event on the calendar examines seven months when the theater hosted the Grand Ole Opry in the 1930s, when it was known as the Hillsboro Theatre.
- The Nov. 17 seminar will explore the ways the theater "helped professionalize the show and elevate its cultural presence."
- Tickets are $13 for Belcourt members and $16 for nonmembers.