Soul Oyster & Etc. Blog

Web Design Gallery: The Sad Cafe, Plaistow New Hampshire (NH)

The Sad Cafe is a non-profit organization located in Plaistow New Hampshire that provides unique venue where aspiring amateur actors and musicians of all ages have the opportunity to perform on stage in front of a live audience. They provide after-school programming for Middle School students and offer a resolution for the ever-shrinking art and music school programs.

In addition to the usual musical and theatrical productions, they also offer a resource for school functions, dances, community service events, a mini-conference center, pageants, work shops, music lessons, comedy, talent shows, poetry readings, youth groups, and private parties.

All services toward this organization's web site are being donated free of charge by Soul Oyster Web Studios.

To view the entire site, visit http://www.thesadcafe.com.

*Story featured in the Rockingham News June 24, 2005:

Sad Café hits the Internet

PLAISTOW - The Sad Café has a new Web Site for its organization.

The Web Site was designed and will be maintained as a pro bono service of Soul Oyster Web Studios of Portsmouth, under the creative direction of Jennifer Marcelais.

"We contacted Jennifer after viewing Soul Oyster online and seeing their commitment to community action. After writing a proposal for Jennifer she agreed to do our Web site pro bono", said Andrea Bonner, executive director of the Sad Café.

"The Sad Café offers kids in the area an outlet to be creative in a very cool way that they’re lacking in local school systems," said Marcelais, owner of Soul Oyster Web Studios. "The more arts and music classes get cut out of school budgets, the more places like this are needed by kids and need to be supported by the community. I offered my services to the Sad Café because I believe in supporting unique art and music programs like theirs."

The Sad Café, a local nonprofit since 1998, offers after-school and out-of-school-time activities for youth.

The organization has more than 10,000 visitors a year to its evening popular music venue, which hosts teen bands both local and from all over New England. More than 400 bands a year play at The Sad Café, which is open three nights a week during the school year and six nights during the summer.

"A contemporary Web Site with lots of color and action is important for our organization. We needed something that would appeal to youth and give them information about us, as well as information for their parents about what we are trying to do. Jennifer and Soul Oyster Studios have given us a wonderful Web site that will appeal to both youth and adults and assist us in our mission of providing youth and families with safe healthy alternative options and services for their discretionary time," says Bonner.

Soul Oyster Web Studios is based in Portsmouth, N.H., and provides Web design, development, SEO Internet marketing, Flash development, custom graphic design and logo design services. Visit www.souloyster.com for information.

"This collaboration of a local business assisting a nonprofit represents the best of community spirit. Without assistance from businesses such as Soul Oyster we could not provide the services that we do to the community," said Bonner.

The Sad Café has experienced funding difficulties, most recently this past winter. However, with community support the organization raised almost $15,000 of the $16,000 necessary to pay back debt.

"With support from businesses like Soul Oyster Web Studios we will be here for a long time," Bonner said.

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*Story featured in the Portsmouth Herald March 25, 2005:

New Web site for The Sad Café

PLAISTOW - Soul Oyster Web Studios, a Web design and development firm located in Portsmouth, recently launched a new Web site for The Sad Café, a nonprofit organization offering after-school youth music programs and entertainment, located in Plaistow.

The Sad Café, named for an Eagles song, was founded in 1997 as a safe, drug-free venue for young amateur musicians to gather and play before an audience. Since then The Sad Café has remained open as a nonprofit with after-school programs, weekend evening entertainment featuring teen bands, teen dances, music lessons, parenting programs and other events. Additionally, The Sad Café has become a lead agency for the Timberlane School District Safe and Drug Free Community.

Teens from all over southeastern New Hampshire flood to the Sad Café to hear bands in an environment among their peers that they know to be safe and substance-free. e Sad Café has remained open as a nonprofit with after-school programs, weekend evening entertainment featuring teen bands, teen dances, music lessons, parenting programs and other events. Additionally, The Sad Café has become a lead agency for the Timberlane School District Safe and Drug Free Community.

For information, call 382-8893 or visit www.thesadcafe.com.

Soul Oyster Web Studios is a full service Web design and development company located in Portsmouth. In addition to Web design and development services, it also offers graphic design, flash development, Internet marketing, search engine optimization and Web promotion services.

As part of the company philosophy, Web design and development services were donated to the Sad Café as well as other deserving nonprofit organizations that contribute in unique and interesting ways to the arts community. Visit www.souloyster.com for information.services.

Seacoast Online is owned and operated by Seacoast Newspapers.
Copyright © 2005 Seacoast Online. All rights reserved. Please read our
Copyright Notice and Terms of Use. Seacoast Newspapers is a subsidiary of
Ottaway Newspapers, Inc., a Dow Jones Company.

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