Info + Fundraising Soiree at MAGMA     

In support of MAGMA 2.0 – Expansion, Renovation, and Vision
Saturday April 9nd 5:30-6:30pm

MAGMA expansion project

GOAL: To increase facilities space and create better functionality of MAGMA  for performances, residencies, and classes.  

HOW: Build out a 2nd studio and 2nd bathroom. Upgrade room acoustics with sound engineer-informed improvements. Possible additional upgrades include a 3rd studio, a 3rd bathroom, and cosmetic improvements to the entry hall and rear entry.

ESTIMATED COST: $20,000-80,000

March 2022, Call for Donors

Dear members of the community,

MAGMA is embarking on an exciting expansion of its facility to better accommodate performances, residencies, and classes. Our current studio boasts a 50 x 50 historic ballroom at the top of the Brown Building in downtown Gloucester MA. There are adjacent rooms, currently empty, we plan to develop into a second studio space, and additional bathroom/dressing room facilities.

Since our opening in 2017, MAGMA has become a cornerstone of cultural activities on Cape Ann. We have hosted dozens of performances of Theater, Dance, and Music including such highlights as Cape Ann Symphony Unleashed, Jackie O’Riley Irish Dance Company, Betsy Miller Dance Works, North Atlantic Dance Theater, What Time is it Mr. Fox with Seaside Circus, Sarah Hickler Action Theater, and many more. We have hosted summer residencies with acclaimed dance companies Boston Dance Theater, Little House Dance, and VLA Dance. We have hosted community events like the Gloucester Community Council member event, Cape Ann Climate Coalition meetings, youth music events, and more. And of course we offer dance, martial arts, and other movement practice classes to children and adults, including lower income families through our privately funded Scholarship Fund.

As we ready ourselves to reemerge from the pandemic, we are working to improve our functionality as a public gathering space. 

The second studio space will be a great additional studio for our afternoon children’s offerings, especially for our younger aged students who can get overwhelmed in the big studio. This small studio will also serve as a backstage/warm-up room for performers during performance events. With increased business comes increased facilities needs, namely bathroom and dressing-room space. This is where the big costs are coming in, and where there is not immediate “pay-back” in the sense that they are not monetized spaces for the studio.

MAGMA has strived to be an artist-friendly environment, working within the limitations of our operating-costs to bring artists affordable places to rehearse, perform, and host workshops. We are dedicated to being a community center for high-quality, forward thinking performing arts, movement practices, and cultural meet-ups. 

We hope you will join us in our quest to be an even better spot for the Cape Ann cultural community. 

MAGMA is partnering with a non-profit fiscal sponsor, Boston Dance Alliance, to make the possibility of tax-deductible donations! We are grateful for their support of our organization.  DONATE TO MAGMA  

MAGMA is fiscally sponsored by Boston Dance Alliance, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non­profit tax-exempt organization. Contributions in support of MAGMA’s work are greatly appreciated and may be made to Boston Dance Alliance, Inc., earmarked for “MAGMA.” All contributions are fully tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Come hear about MAGMA’s plans in person on April 9th, 5:30pm!  We’ll be serving wine and other refreshments, offering a slideshow presentation, and showing the spaces to be developed in this one hour soiree.

Praise for MAGMA

“MAGMA has given me the opportunity to realize my dance career directly out of college. They have supported me via professional development, teaching adults and children across different dance styles. Sarah carries out the mission of MAGMA with real action being receptive to the ideas of the community and welcomes everyone regardless of experience to learn about movement as an art form. She truly wants as many people involved. Being a part of Magma has also facilitated countless connections with people that otherwise I would not have made. I am continuously learning new things, creating artistic connections, taking on important roles/responsibility while also making a name for myself. This is genuinely the first community in my own home town that I’ve truly felt a part of.” -Jillian Chavez-Oliveira, Gloucester resident

“Cape Ann is incredibly fortunate to count MAGMA as a leading member of its thriving arts community. Director, teacher, choreographer, dancer, and impresario, Sarah Slifer Swift, nurtures and supports everyone who studies and performs at her gorgeous studio. MAGMA is not just where I go to dance; it’s also where I go to learn, grow, meet interesting people, laugh, and find strength and support. It just doesn’t get any better than that!” –June Wulff, Rockport resident 

“I cannot say enough about how grateful I am to have MAGMA’s existence in the North Shore! Since joining the MAGMA community in 2019, I have seen a tremendous impact on my own life and wellbeing. The joy, self-expression, connection and liberation I experience when I attend a MAGMA class is truly priceless and I am forever grateful to Sarah for holding such a compassionate, invitational, inquisitive and non judgmental space for humans of all kinds to move and dance together. Each time I leave MAGMA, I do so with a full heart and with renewed energy. I am hopeful that this beautiful community will only continue to grow and expand.” Anna Kharaz, Salem resident

“I am so grateful to MAGMA for providing me with multiple opportunities to attend high-quality professional dance classes without traveling to the city. It was the perfect venue to premiere my own performance, and I always look forward to attending the wide array of shows, masterclasses, and residencies. MAGMA fosters community and collaboration within a warm, safe, and welcoming environment. It is a rare gem on the North Shore with a place for everyone!” Ann-Marie Ciaraldi, Beverly resident