Since 2007, Kyte has been developing Tompkinsville, a play about the co-operative and credit union movement and the first co-operative housing project in North America, created in her hometown of Reserve Mines. Kyte’s writing this play has been the subject of a CBC Radio documentary (Journey to Tompkinsville), a TV documentary (You Can DO It!) and was developed by the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts in England, founded by Paul McCartney. Tompkinsville is the story of Father Jimmy Tompkins, Father Moses Coady, Mary Arnold and Kyte’s own great aunt and uncle, Mary and Joe Laben.
The writing of Tompkinsville has led Kyte on an incredible journey of miracles, coincidences and shaking the hand of a Beatle. And, to top it all off, 2012 was declared by the UN to be the “International Year of Co-operatives”. Consequently, Kyte, and her manager Sarah Kim Turnbull, have been swamped by requests for Tompkinsville and have worked feverishly to set up a Canada-wide tour to accommodate. Tompkinsville’s cast and crew will include some of the East Coast’s finest. Kyte herself will be singing the music of Tompkinsville.
But when a rehearsal period planned for early this September fell through due to being unable to secure the necessary sponsorship, it looked like Tompkinsville may not see the stage after all.
Yet, the words of Father Jimmy Tompkins sear and inspire: “Live dangerously and pray furiously, for the people can do ten times what they think they can.” So, after re-grouping and re-lighting the fire, Kyte has decided to take matters into her own hands and cast her nets wide to find this sponsorship.
Kyte and her team have launched an online funding campaign to seek rehearsal sponsorship via the website rockethub. The goal is to raise $10,000. They think they can do it. They know they can do it. They have to do it.
Once Kyte’s team has secured the rehearsal sponsorship, they will fly into action – rehearsing, singing and booking shows. Tompkinsville will finally come to life.
The Tompkinsville online sponsorship campaign is at rockethub.com. Those interested in sponsoring can do so in amounts ranging from $20 to $10,000. And, Kyte warns, a $10,000 sponsor had better be prepared for a huge hug from a little redheaded Cape Bretoner. Sponsors simply click the red button at the top and can pay right online. Rockethub is a very well-known, very secure funding website and all funds directly go to Tompkinsville’s team.
