Meet our Donors: Amanda Blair
Our valued donors allow us to create exciting, new work for young audiences, traverse the globe and dream big for the future. Meet a family who has been instrumental in supporting this mission.
Amanda Blair knows Windmill’s playbills inside out. Not just because she has been a generous supporter of the company but she has seen her four children – Ginger, Nancy, Frank and Sidney – enjoy the shows first hand.
‘I think [Windmill] were probably the first introduction to large theatre for all four of them. I just loved what they did. I continue to love what they do,’ Amanda says.
To Amanda and her children, children’s theatre isn’t just about engaging audiences but changing perspectives.
‘They don’t dumb it down for kids,’ she adds. ‘They’re really smart in the way they communicate with children.’
It’s this sophistication which has kept Amanda coming back. She says Windmill shows have appeal for adults as well as kids: ‘I know that as a parent I’ve been subjected to seeing a whole raft of boring things! I can go and see a Windmill show and I’m happy to be there. I’m enjoying it myself.’
“Windmill is the benchmark of what children’s theatre should be.” Amanda Blair
As for favourites? Amanda has ‘never seen anything [she doesn’t] like’ but with four young children the shows can mix together. She remembers Ted Prior’s haystack-lookalike well: ‘Grug was great. I loved the set.’
Amanda, well known for her own contribution to media as a former radio broadcaster and journalist, decided to become a donor after seeing her children’s love for Windmill unfold.
‘I cost what I give on the value of returns. What I get back is great theatre,’ she adds. ‘I just want them to continue. I feel quite happy to give them money because I think they’ve given me so much pleasure.’
It is the generous support of people like Amanda that empowers Windmill to continue creating great work for future generations to enjoy.
Amanda doesn’t only support the company financially; she loves to encourage other parents of young children to see a show. ‘I’m very happy to recommend,’ she says. ‘I always say to people, whenever they’re looking at taking their kids to see their first foray into live performance, to go and see a Windmill show because I just know they can be relied upon to nail it.’
It’s this quality that has kept Amanda and her family as regular patrons.
‘When you go and see a Windmill show, for me, I know it’s going to be a certain quality. For me, they are the benchmark of what children’s theatre should be.’
To learn how you can play your part in the Windmill story, visit windmill.org.au/donate
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