Curve, a Fintech that offers a popular smart card and app, has joined with Theatre Support Fund+ to auction off five NFTs (non-fungible tokens) in support of London theatre.
The NFT auction is scheduled to end on Friday, April 9, 2021, and Curve is encouraging bids from around the world. According to Curve, all proceeds will go to support the struggling theatre community in London, which has been impacted by Covid-19. Curve note that nearly 40% of theatre and art workers in the UK’s capital have been made redundant since the start of the pandemic a year ago.
Curve has listed digital images of their in-app characters for the auction on the crypto marketplace Rarible.com.
Curve’s founder and CEO, Shachar Bialick said the theatre community is part of what gives London its vibrancy and diversity:
“I am proud that Curve is working with Theatre Support Fund+ on one of the first examples of using digital art to make a tangible difference to society. NFTs hold genuine promise to change how we think about art ownership and enjoyment as a purely physical experience.”
Damien Stanton and Chris Marcus, co-founders of Theatre Support Fund+ said they are excited to be partnering with Curve in the online auction to support the UK’s theatre industry.
“In 10 months, and since the UK’s first lockdown, the Theatre Support Fund+ has helped thousands of workers in the industry who have had no, or limited work, since theatres shut over a year ago. This World Theatre Day it is important to look forward to what the future holds, but also to take a moment to look back and note the effect the last year has had on those who call the theatre home. Through partnerships such as this, we will be able to support those artists further, until the industry can be back making theatre again.”
The Theatre Support Fund+ was set up in May 2020 by theatre industry workers Marcus and Stanton to help those who have been affected by the pandemic. In 10 months the team has taken over 70,000 orders and raised £800,000 to help thousands of workers who have had no or limited work since theatres shut a year ago.
