How I raised £1,650 for charity with a sold-out cabaret event, in six months, from zero budget
EVENT PRODUCER : Trixi's Grindhouse (08/06/2024)
In late 2023, I set out to produce a memorial fundraiser for Trixi Tassels, a beloved burlesque performer and close friend who passed away from aggressive bowel cancer in August 2023. Trixi and I shared a birthday (June 7th) and the event was conceived as her birthday party : a chance for her community to celebrate her the way she would have wanted, while raising a meaningful sum for Cabaret vs Cancer. Starting with no budget and a six-month runway to the June 8th, 2024 date, the challenge was to coordinate a volunteer lineup of seven performers with complex technical requirements, including live fire, at a venue I still needed to find and hire.
January 2024 : venue scouted and secured. Identified Signature Brew (Haggerston) as a partner venue with 120+ capacity, full accessibility, and a licence for fire performances. Negotiated a charitable hire rate to maximise funds raised.
March 2024 : finalised a seven-performer lineup and established artist communication channels and contracts. Received digital promotional assets and wrote a promotion strategy plan for myself and the performers.
April 2024 : announcement and opening of ticket sales early to accommodate out-of-city travel and counter slow early-bird booking patterns in the current London economy.
May 2024 : high-intensity promotional push with regular social media reels and posts and physical poster and flyers placement across key subculture venues.
June 7th, 2024 : Sold out. Every paying ticket claimed the evening before the show, on what would have been Trixi's birthday.
Technical direction & health & safety
Drafted full technical cues and risk assessments for each performer, including live fire performances in a pub environment, a non-standard combination requiring specific precautions. Supervised the complete sound and light rehearsal, ensuring the venue's house tech was aligned with each artist's individual requirements. No technical or safety incidents on the night.
Artist & volunteer management
Managed a 100% volunteer cast of seven performers from initial booking through to backstage on the night. Built a detailed running order that kept a two-hour production running to cue, coordinating Green Room hospitality and performer flow, while simultaneously compering the show from the stage.
Venue & operations
Oversaw end-to-end logistics : accessibility compliance checks during venue scouting, P&L tracking throughout, and coordination of all external suppliers. Maintained professional production values with zero starting capital.
Revenue & sponsorship
Pitched to local sponsors to curate a high-value charity raffle. Integrated the Cabaret vs Cancer on-site team into the event's flow, coordinating merchandise and raffle sales to increase average spend per head. Total revenue split between ticket sales, raffle and on-the-night donations.
THE RESULTS :
100 paying guests in a 120-capacity venue (planned allocation of 20 places reserved for performers and staff)
£1,650 raised for Cabaret vs Cancer (exceeding the original £1000 target by 65%)
Two-hour show ran perfectly to cue with zero technical or safety incidents
Delivered in full on a zero starting budget through negotiated partnerships and volunteer coordination
