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Google up some Pew Research tying either art education or extended adult education to a decrease in community poverty, or crime rate. Start with a fact, something that takes your belief in the project out of the realm of wishful thinking, and converts it to common sense. Build on that fact. Find some way to demonstrate that thought has been applied to the correct use of an extra half-million dollars.
Identify the process for selecting candidates -- who picks, and how?
What are the reporting requirements, documentation, record-keeping procedures?
Find some historical examples of this kind of funding that made a masterpiece. Provide dramatic visual samples of the work.
Conclude with a brief summary, and a restatement of or reference to the opening remarks.
You might want to think about doing something a little scary. New Music, or lighting, a costume, something. A Trick. I'll give an example:
I went to see a production of Durang's Baby With The Bathwater. My professor, Percival Grainger, was tapped to give a speech about the importance of theater to a large group of tuxedoed and evening-gowned people of great wealth and influence. Percy started off normally, talking about the ways in which theater was different than television or film, and that anything could happen -- he slowly grew wobbly, and appeared faint -- and then collapsed on the floor.
Screams. Gasps. People surged to help him -- and he hopped up, and spread his arms. "See? It became real. Film cannot do that."
He made a lot of people angry for a little while -- but then he was the toast of the after-party. And everyone tells that story to this day.
Presentation. A little shock and awe never hurt. If it's done right, everyone loves it. Spectacle.
All right. That's my shot.
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