PEORIA, Ill. – A new fund aims to bring a more diverse lineup of shows to the Peoria Civic Center.
The Audience Building Fund was announced Thursday by the Peoria Civic Center Authority. It has a goal of expanding, building, and diversifying programming to attract a wider spectrum of audience members.
The $500,000 seed investment into the fund was made possible by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and State Representative Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria).
The fund will be used to attract acts and make purposeful risks in bringing in well-known and up and coming acts to Peoria in a wide-range of genres. Those genres include R&B, Hip-Hop, Dance, Spoken Word, and Classic Arts.
“This funding allows us opportunities not previously available to the Peoria marketplace,” says Civic Center General Manager Rik Edgar.
Gordon-Booth says the impact of bringing diverse shows to Peoria is encouraging visitors to the area and supporting local businesses.
