If you’re curious about the impact the Trust is making in the Cultural District and across communities, check out our 2024 Annual Report—hot off the press!
Last year, more schools than ever experienced the magic of Cultural Trust shows, 200 kites flew in trees across the Cultural District, zombies stormed the Harris Theater, and so much more. It was a busy year for us.
Here are just 10 highlights from our 2024 Annual Report—a piece that commemorates our 40 years of impact in the community!:
1. 34,985 – the number of students who the Trust engaged through arts education programs.
This number contributed to our 150% overall increase in students and teachers who attended Cultural Trust performances. A big part of that increase was thanks to the Student Day Matinee Series. Here’s what one student had to say about that program:
“Attending this performance has changed my opinion about theater and/or other performing arts in a very beneficial way. Now that I have seen the performance, I really want to enjoy and see many more.”
2. 8,000 – the number of interactions people had with the Cultural Trust’s ofrenda during the Día de los Muertos Celebration.
Individuals left a variety of offerings—including personal photos, song lyrics, handwritten notes, and monarch butterflies. This celebration was the first of its kind for us.
3. 371, 650 – the number of individuals who attended Trust programs
From Broadway to dance and everything in between, our 2023-2024 season was a strong one. Take a peek at how Trust programming brought live theater to hundreds of thousands of people:
4. 50,000 – the number of visitors to the Trust four free and public galleries.
From casual drop-ins and various events to Gallery Crawls, visitors took many opportunities to visit our 12 exhibitions and 75 public programs.
5. 1 – the number of Trust venues that received an award
We call our venues iconic; and they earn it. The Greer Cabaret Theater—which reopened to the public in 2023—received The Electric League 2024 Lighting Award for Interior Artistry.
6. 60,450 – the number of hours contributed by Trust volunteers.
It’s not an overstatement to say that we could not operate without volunteers. Last year, 440 volunteers dedicated their time to keep the Trust running.
7. 2 – the number of new lactation spaces & quiet rooms in Trust theaters.
We added a new lactation space in the Byham Theater (and by the way, there’s a lactation space in the Benedum Center too!). The new addition of a Quiet Room in the Benedum Center offers another space for comfort and privacy.
8. ~125,000 – the estimate of people who attended the Trust’s free festivals.
Once again, visitors filled the Cultural District for the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival, the EQT Children’s Festival, and Highmark First Night Pittsburgh.
9. 1 – the number of civic spaces in progress at the Trust.
In 2024, we announced our ambitious plans to transform the 8th Street Block into a 4-acre civic space, which you now know as Arts Landing.
10. 400 – the number of users who benefited from the Trust’s Customer Management Software upgrades
These upgrades provided enhanced analytics on patron interactions, created a new framework for memberships, and improved tracking of member benefits—all of which benefits the 11 organizations in the Pittsburgh Tessitura Consortium.