How It All Started
Our History
2016
The Spark
- Development of Abomination On Bolt Mountain begins in March 2016
- AOBM Opens at The Raleigh Playhouse in June of 2016, starring WV Collective co-founder Jamie Smith.
2017
Get Fracked
- WV Collective co-founders Jamie Smith and Jason Lockart help develop and produce FRACK!! The Mountain Music Comedy Spectacular!
2017
A Mountain Music Comedy Spectacular
- FRACK!! Opens Jun. 9, 2017 at the Tamarack Appalachian Music & Arts Festival, followed by a 3-week run at The Raleigh Playhouse & Theatre.
2018
Building A Foundation
- Beckley Artistic Endeavors is founded, with the DBA WV Collective in Oct. 2017
- In early 2018 Development begins on WV Collective's first theatrical production: Little Shop Of Horrors
2018
It Takes A Village
- Gov. Justice cuts funding to WV Public Broadcasting in 2017. In response WV Collective organizes WVPubFest & raises $5k for WVPB.
2018
From Broadway to Beckley, WV
- Little Shop of Horrors (the Musical) debuts on Oct. 31 to sold-out crowds, establishing that a Broadway-level musical can be fully realized with a team of 20+ people from right here in the Mountain State.
2018
An All-Star WV Lineup
- WV Collective helps organize over 20 WV musicians for The West By God Waltz. WV's finest came together on Nov. 21, 2018 to pay tribute to The Band's iconic event.
2019
Art In Action
- Municipalities across WV voted to secure the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals in their homes and jobs.
- WV Collective, in support of Beckley's ordinance, produced Hedwig & The Angry Inch - raising $1300 for Fairness WV.
2019
WVPubFest 2019
- 20+ WV Musical Acts return to Weathered Ground Brewery in Cool Ridge WV for the 2nd Annual WVPubFest. The event helps raise $5,000.00 for WV Public Broadcasting, and $1,200.00 for WVC.
2019
Beckley WV's First Craft Beer Festival
- WV Collective organizes The Great Beckley Beer Festival, bringing brewers from across the globe (and WV) together in Downtown Beckley, WV
2019
Frack!! To The Future
- WV Collective produces FRACK!! The Musical with an all new cast of actors / band members from right here in the Mountain State.
2020
COVID Ruins Everything
- WV Collective organizes WVPubFest 2020 for May 2020, but the event cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic.
- WV Collective released a collection of video performances for Virtual PubFest 2020.
2020
All Shows Cancelled
- Alongside most performance art based Non-Profits, WV Collective cancels all upcoming productions for 2020 - 2021 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
2021
WV Collective Returns
- WV Collective organizes the second annual Great Beckley Beer Festival - the organizations first event since the pandemic.
2022
Return To The Stage
- WV Collective produces a run of Sam Shepard's TRUE WEST. The organization's first straight-play opens on March 31, 2022 - and is a rousing success.
2022
WVPubFest Is BACK!
- WV Collective returns to Weathered Ground Brewery for the first WVPubFest since 2019. Over 20 musical acts from the Mountain State joined together on May 20, 2022 in Cool Ridge WV to raise funds for WVPB and WV Collective.
2022
What A Way To Make A Living
- WV Collective's production of Dolly Parton's '9 To 5 - The Musical' opens in November of 2022 to sold out houses every single night!
2023
First Annual 1-Act Play Festival
- WV Collective in partnership with Beckley Art Center proudly presents our first annual 1-act play festival: 3 Short Stories!