Community Update – November 2022
Editorial
The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are those of the author and don’t necessarily reflect those of Highwire Improv. We hope you enjoy reading!
Hello Highwire Community!
This month, in addition to our live community meetings, we’re trying a short and sweet blog update for folks who can’t make the live event or who don’t want to watch a longform video! This is just the key info – as always, comment or email us if you have questions!
COVID and Show Status
As of November 2nd, Baltimore City remains in low status according to the CDC Community Risk levels, with a slightly lower case load compared to October 2022. At this time, in-person events remain ON, and are recommended for vaccinated individuals only. Two key resources for anyone attending an event:
- Our regularly updated in-person event status, including local and national COVID data.
- Our venue guide, which includes information about the the location, physical space, and policies of our in-person venues.
Additionally, we have started tracking Monkeypox data in the same link above, though at this time have no further adjustments to our plans above and beyond those COVID-related procedures. Given the downward trend in these cases, we will cease review of Monkeypox data after December 2022 (should the trend continue).
Season 9 Programming
Season 9 brings our most ambitious slate of programming yet!
- 62 teams performing across in-person and online shows.
- 8 in-person venues, including 4 first-time venues
- 11 in-person shows!
Formalizing the Highwire Hive
After reviewing feedback from the community, we’ve decided to make the Highwire Hive an official program, rather than just a mashup team that ‘happens’. Solo improvisers are encouraged to sign up for lottery selection placement into online and in-person shows! Signup form here!
Update on Teacher Training Program
We are excited to kick off the Teacher Training Program! We had an abundance of interest, both inside and outside of Baltimore, and that means we’ll be able to immediately plan two cohorts:
- Cohort 1 with in-person training will run November-February
- Cohort 2 with online training only will run February-April
All cohort members will collaborate and share insights and resources through a dedicated instructor Slack instance!
Finances and Growth
| Month | Income | Expenses | Net Income |
| August 2022 | $222.97 | $1,364.70 | -$1,141.73 |
| September 2022 | $2,145.52 | $382.76 | $1,762.76 |
| October 2022 | $2,464.21 | $1,697.63 | $766.58 |
October was a fairly typical month for us with a mix of good ticket sales, workshops, and applied improv payments as income (along with continued modest monthly donations), and expenses going where we want them to – primarily to artists in the form of performer fees ($883.19) and instructor fees ($702.00).
Growth Metrics
| August | September | October | November | |
| Facebook Followers | 1,034 | 1,058 | 1,065 | 1,065 |
| Instagram Follows | 917 | 947 | 974 | 985 |
| YouTube views | 37,059 | 38,022 | 38,826 | 39,517 |
| Unique YouTube viewers | 3,900 | 2,200 | 2,200 | 2,200 |
| YouTube subscriptions | 632 | 641 | 647 | 656 |
| Workshops scheduled | 65 | 65 | 68 | 70 |
As we often say – the numbers are going up and to the right, with no major surprises.
