STUDENTS LOVE CAROLINA PERFORMING ARTS
I think Carolina Performing Arts is one of the most special organizations on UNC's Campus. I love the performances that come through Memorial Hall. Patti LuPone changed my life! Emily Marsland, ‘09 |
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Carolina students can fill their time easily with classes, clubs, sports, meetings and friends.
Over the last four years, thousands of students in growing numbers have added excitement and meaning to their campus lives through the performing arts at Memorial Hall.
Since its creation in 2005, Carolina Performing Arts has provided over 59,000 deeply discounted tickets to Carolina students and another 1,340 free tickets to Carolina Covenant Scholars. This represents over $2.5 million in subsidized tickets in four short years.
“I have been to so many great performances -- from musical favorites to ensembles I'd never previously heard of -- that I never would have been able to attend if paying regular ticket prices. Carolina Performing Arts has been a huge part of my cultural education and something I will cherish in my memories of UNC -- student access made my experience possible.” Megan Johnson, graduate student

Each year, student fees provide funding for the Office of Executive Director for the Arts in order to maintain the $10 student ticket price. This arrangement dates to the reopening of Memorial Hall in 2005 when no one anticipated the surprisingly large number of tickets that would be sold to students for Carolina Performing Arts performances. In 2009-10, our student ticket subsidy was over $500,000, and with $285,000 coming from student fees,
the gap between student fee revenue and our actual ticket subsidy was over $215,000 in 2008-09 alone.
“It’s AWESOME. This year I got tickets to see Ravi Shankar, the London Philharmonic, and the Bruckner Orchestra for a total of $30. That would normally cost me probably more than $100. I feel so lucky to have access to so many great performances every year.
One of my favorite parts about Carolina.” Chessa Rich, ‘10
We do not want to limit student access to subsidized tickets, but with shrinking state budgets and pressures to maximize revenue, we need private gifts to ensure the student ticket subsidy program is well supported.
Our goal for 2009-10 is to begin to close that gap by securing gifts totaling $200,000.