DOWNEY - Defending its support of arts and culture in Downey, the City Council on Tuesday agreed to issue $25,000 in annual Downey Civic Theatre rental credits to ease the financial burden on local performing arts organizations.The Downey Symphony, which puts on three concerts per season, will receive $10,000 in rental credits, which cannot be applied to hard costs such as equipment, deposits and box office fees. The Downey Rose Float Association was granted $5,000 to help offset the cost of its Miss Downey Pageant, held every spring and the organization's principal fundraiser. The remaining $10,000 subsidy will be divided among eligible local arts groups. To qualify, non-profit organizations must be based in Downey and in good standing with the Secretary of State. They must also have a board of directors, liability insurance, and records of current and previous years financial statements, including the current year's operating budget. The Downey Theatre costs about $400,000 in General Fund money to operate annually. City officials said they subsidized the Downey Symphony and Downey Civic Light Opera last year a total of $110,704 in rental expenses and reduced facility rental rates. A workshop will be held Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the Downey Theatre green room for organizations interested in applying for credits. For more details, call (562) 904-7238.

********** Published: Sept. 26, 2013 - Volume 12 - Issue 24