The Music Hall’s decision to cancel Lovering Health Center’s rental contract — just six days before the healthcare provider’s annual fundraiser and documentary screening about abortion — has deeply shaken the Seacoast community.

In our public statement on October 9, we urged The Music Hall to “make it right.” We are grateful to the many community members who spoke out against this injustice and who stood in solidarity with Lovering. As the statewide women’s foundation investing in organizations serving women and girls, we are especially thankful for the many people who donated to Lovering in the aftermath of this unjust decision.

Rebuilding trust requires honesty and transparency. While we believe the Board of Trustees of The Music Hall (TMH) wishes to move forward and heal, the actions of its CEO continue to be troubling and contradictory. For that reason, we feel compelled to share a full and factual account of what transpired.

What Happened

In the immediate aftermath of the cancellation, we worked behind the scenes to understand the facts and seek a resolution — first by communicating with both Lovering and The Music Hall. TMH CEO Tina Sawtelle has repeatedly said that her decision was based on safety concerns following reports of a potential protest. However, she never reached out to Lovering’s leadership to discuss those concerns. When Lovering’s Executive Director asked to speak to Ms. Sawtelle after being notified of the event cancellation, she was told the decision was final and that Ms. Sawtelle “wasn’t going to speak to anyone.”

Ms. Sawtelle did speak with the New Hampshire Women’s Foundation on October 6. That conversation was deeply concerning. We were told that abortion was “too polarizing,” that “half of The Music Hall community” did not support abortion, and that the topic was a “lightning rod issue” on which The Music Hall must remain “neutral.” We were further told that other arts organizations “rooted in the contemporary arts” were better suited to take on “controversial subjects.”

We left that conversation with the clear understanding that The Music Hall was censoring a film about abortion and as we stated publicly on October 9, censorship of an abortion film perpetuates abortion stigma.

The Public Safety Claim

In its subsequent statement, The Music Hall again cited “public safety” concerns as the reason for cancellation. Yet the facts tell a different story. The information about the planned protest was shared with all event partners — including The Music Hall, the Portsmouth Police Department, the NH Peacekeepers, and the private security firm hired by Lovering at The Music Hall’s own recommendation.

The activist organizing the protest had requested participants bring chalk to write messages on the sidewalk before the screening. She asked people to RSVP and explicitly stated that the protest was not coordinated with New Hampshire Right to Life or any other national or state organization.

Despite knowing this, Ms. Sawtelle has continued to claim that a large-scale protest was expected. The Portsmouth Police Department refuted this directly in a Portsmouth Herald article published the same day as The Music Hall’s public statement. Deputy Police Chief Michael Maloney confirmed:

“Neither the chief nor I spoke to anyone at The Music Hall at any point. I would underscore that at no point in time was the police department tracking any kind of large-scale protest that we had safety concerns about.”

In the end, three peaceful protesters stood outside the new location of the Lovering fundraiser.

The Aftermath

Following our communication to The Music Hall Board of Trustees outlining these discrepancies, Lovering’s Executive Director received an email apology from the CEO and Board Chair for not better supporting them after cancellation. A similar apology was released publicly the following day.

While we welcomed this acknowledgment, progress toward accountability quickly unraveled. That same day, Ms. Sawtelle sent an email to local nonprofit leaders alleging a “digital civil war” of “cancel culture” against herself and The Music Hall staff — repeating the false claim that a “widespread invitation from New Hampshire Right to Life” had driven her decision. She also suggested she would have reconsidered her decision “had she received direct feedback from Lovering” — despite having declined to speak with them immediately after canceling.

The Path Forward

This continued doubling down and revision of events is profoundly disappointing. There have been numerous opportunities to take responsibility and begin to rebuild trust. Mistakes happen, and intent can differ from impact — but progress requires truth.

The New Hampshire Women’s Foundation, along with many in the Seacoast community, wants to see The Music Hall emerge from this moment as a stronger, more inclusive institution that truly values diverse perspectives. But genuine healing cannot occur without accountability, transparency, and a shared commitment to the truth.

We remain hopeful that The Music Hall Board will act decisively to restore trust and reaffirm the organization’s place as a cultural center that welcomes all voices — including those advocating for women’s health and reproductive freedom.

The New Hampshire Women’s Foundation invests in opportunity and equality for women and girls in the Granite State through research, advocacy, education, grantmaking and philanthropy.

The post NHWF Statement on Developments Since The Music Hall’s Decision to Cancel Lovering Health Center’s Event appeared first on New Hampshire Women's Foundation.

I write to share the Women’s Foundation’s shock and disappointment with The Music Hall’s decision to cancel Lovering Health Center’s rental of the Historic Theater just six days before its annual fundraiser and the highly anticipated showing of a documentary film about abortion. We are deeply concerned by the timing of the cancellation, the purported reason for the cancellation, and the subsequent explanation that abortion is “too political” for The Music Hall. This decision furthers abortion stigma and harms the Seacoast community, including the Health Center and people who provide, seek, and support access to abortion. 

We implore The Music Hall to make this right.  

Lovering Health Center, the region’s independent sexual and reproductive healthcare provider, contracted with The Music Hall for its annual “Cheers for Choice” event, its biggest fundraiser of the year, to be held on October 9, 2025. The event program was to show No One Asked You, a documentary film about fighting abortion stigma and activating people in local communities. The contract was finalized with The Music Hall months ago and the event and the film have been advertised for nearly as long. 

Last Friday, October 3, Lovering was made aware of an anti-abortion activist who was planning to protest outside of The Music Hall on the afternoon of the event. The activist encouraged her followers to arrive early to write on the sidewalk with chalk. Lovering staff immediately notified event partners, including the Portsmouth Police Department, the volunteer peacekeepers, and the event company who shared this information with The Music Hall. Later that day, and without any conversation or follow up, The Music Hall notified Lovering that it was canceling the rental—six days before the event.  

Initially, The Music Hall said it was canceling the rental contract for safety reasons. To be clear, there was no known threat to public safety. A protest and threats to public safety are very different considerations. Portsmouth is known for having protests, rallies, and actions in the downtown area with great frequency. Portsmouth Police, skilled in crowd management and protests, were already involved with the planning of the event. After sharing this information, Lovering had expected to collaborate on additional safety measures, as needed, but instead The Music Hall made an unequivocal decision to cancel the contract.

Unfortunately, it has become clear that the threat of a peaceful protest was simply a catalyst to the much larger and more concerning reason for the cancellation: The Music Hall believes abortion is “too polarizing.” The Music Hall leadership now claims the issue is a “lightning rod” and that The Music Hall has to “remain neutral.” To be clear, canceling an event for a documentary about abortion is not neutral. It is a political decision that is clearly anti-abortion.

Canceling this contract has a larger chilling effect. It suggests that cultural institutions should avoid people who provide, have, and support access to abortion. This is how abortion stigma is perpetuated. Ironically, The Music Hall’s decision has only further elevated the need for showing this timely film about fighting abortion stigma.

The Music Hall has a long history of showcasing artists, writers, comedians, and films that spark dialogue and debate, including, on several occasions, with the Women’s Foundation. In 2017, as part of the New Hampshire Film Festival, we co-hosted It’s Criminal, a documentary film about incarcerated women in the Granite State. In 2023, we co-hosted She Said, a film about the Me Too movement. Would these documentaries be deemed too controversial now? It is unfathomable that The Music Hall would cancel an event for a documentary film about abortion just one week before hosting the New Hampshire Film Festival.

The decision to cancel Lovering’s rental contract sets a dangerous precedent. Should we expect additional censorship or selective partnerships in the future from The Music Hall? What about events supporting LGBTQ+ youth? Or BIPOC programming? Or hosting historical films about women’s suffrage? Just how far will The Music Hall go to be “neutral?” 

Canceling the rental contract for a small nonprofit’s biggest fundraiser of the year—just days before the event—placed an enormous burden on Lovering, who had to scramble to find a new location for their 200 guests. It may have seemed like a small decision, but it has ripple effects across the Seacoast. Small nonprofits like the Lovering have tight budgets and a single fundraiser can significantly impact their ability to pay their bills and subsidize care for our neighbors in the community. 

The Music Hall has made a mistake. But this moment offers the opportunity to reflect, learn, and take accountability. The Music Hall can send a message to the community that it will not be deterred by a protester; that it is still committed to its values of “trust, inclusivity, accountability and courageous leadership.” You can continue to be a venue that builds “civic capacity for public discourse around controversial issues,” topics such as abortion.

We implore The Music Hall to make this right.

With urgency,

Tanna Clews

CEO

New Hampshire Women’s Foundation

Join us to demand The Music Hall make this right by emailing them at info@themusichall.org.

And please take this opportunity to donate to Lovering Health Center and its critical work providing essential healthcare including abortion.

The post Letter to The Music Hall about Canceling Lovering Health Center Event Rental appeared first on New Hampshire Women's Foundation.