SUPPORTS ITEM NO. 2
CS&B COMMITTEE AGENDA
JULY 25, 1996
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: July 9, 1996
TO: Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets
FROM: Director of Cultural Affairs
SUBJECT: Grants Equal to Theatre Rent: 1996/97 Season
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT Council approve an increase of $13,815 to the 1996
Grants Equal to Theatre Rent budget to offset the rental
rate increases approved on June 11, 1996; source of funds to
be Contingency Reserve.
B. THAT Council approve 11 rental grants within base levels and
totalling $608,025, for uses of the Civic Theatres in Fall
1996, as listed in Table 2; source of funds to be the 1996
Grants Equal to Theatre Rent budget, increased as
recommended above.
C. THAT Council approve, in principle, and subject to the 1997
Operating Budget Review process, the 10 rental grants listed
in Table 2 and totalling $890,700, for uses of the Civic
Theatres in Spring 1997, as follows:
(1) grants within base level uses totalling $869,700; and
(2) grants covering three uses over base level to the
Vancouver Opera amounting to $21,000.
GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Community Services submits A, B, and C for
CONSIDERATION.
COUNCIL POLICY
In 1979 and again in 1983, City Council affirmed the principle that
Grants Equal to Theatre Rent are provided to cultural organizations
that use the Civic Theatres regularly and have been assigned annual
"base level uses" of the theatres by Council (as described in Appendix
B).
Council approved the current process for Grants Equal to Rent on July
27, 1995. This provides for seasonally based grants allocated in July
of each year for the coming Fall (January 1 to August 31) and Spring
(September 1 to December 31.)
Approval of grant recommendations requires eight affirmative votes.
PURPOSE
In accordance with the process Council established last year, this is
the second of two annual reports on Grants Equal to Theatre Rent. It
makes grant recommendations for the 1996/97 season (Fall 1996 and
Spring 1997).
BACKGROUND
Budget Level
On February 1, 1996, Council approved a Grants Equal to Theatre Rent
budget of $1,463,805 for the calendar year 1996. On March 12, 1996,
Council confirmed 11 rental grant uses totalling $909,775 for Spring
1996, leaving an unallocated balance of $554,030 in the 1996 Grants
Equal to Rent budget.
Reductions in the schedules of several rental grant recipients this
Spring have left an additional $40,180 in the budget. As a result,
the total amount available for Fall 1996 is $594,210, not including
the adjustment that Council approved in principle on June 11, 1996 to
offset Civic Theatre rental rate increases for the coming season.
The amount required to offset the rate increase for base level
requests is $13,815, and the Director of Cultural Affairs recommends
that the budget be increased by this amount, bringing the total
available for Fall 1996 to $608,025.
Rental grant recommendations for Spring 1997 are approved in principle
and subject to the 1997 Operating Budget Review process.
DISCUSSION
Requests
For the 1996/97 season, 11 applicants have requested rental grants
totalling $1,580,975, including 16 uses over base level amounting to
$98,000, as summarized in Table 1. A detailed discussion of
applicants' base levels and grant requests for 1996/97 is provided in
Appendix A.
TABLE 1
1996/97 Grants Equal to Rent Requests
Fall Spring Over
1996 1997 $ Total (Uses) Base
Academy of Music 7,000 19,250 26,250 ( 4) -
Ballet B.C. 24,500 52,500 77,000 ( 13) 24,500 (4)
Coastal Jazz Society 0 7,000 7,000 ( 1) -
Friends of Chamber Music 7,600 5,700 13,300 ( 7) -
Music in the Morning 3,500 0 3,500 ( 1) -
Vanc. Bach Choir 30,800 8,400 39,200 ( 9) -
Vanc. Chamber Choir 28,000 10,500 38,500 ( 7) -
Vanc. Opera 112,000 213,500 325,500 ( 60) 66,500(11)
Vanc. Playhouse 132,525 243,200 375,725 (223) -
Vanc. Recital Society 17,800 21,600 39,400 ( 10) 7,000 (1)
Vanc. Symphony 218,050 372,050 590,100 ( 96) -
Joint Ballet/VSO 45,500 0 45,500 ( 7) -
TOTAL $627,275 $953,700 $1,580,975 (438)
Recommendations
As summarized in Table 2, the Director of Cultural Affairs recommends
grants amounting to $1,498,725 for the 1996/97 season. This consists
of $608,025 for the Fall, all within base levels, and $890,700 for the
Spring, including three uses over base level to the Vancouver Opera.
A detailed discussion of these recommendations is presented in
Appendix A.
TABLE 2
1996/97 Grants Equal to Rent Recommendations
Fall
Spring Over
1996 1997 $ Total (Uses) Base
Academy of Music 7,000 19,250 26,250 ( 4) -
Ballet B.C. 24,500 28,000 52,500 ( 9) -
Coastal Jazz Society 0 7,000 7,000 ( 1) -
Friends of Chamber Music 7,600 5,700 13,300 ( 7) -
Music in the Morning 3,500 0 3,500 ( 1) -
Vanc. Bach Choir 30,800 8,400 39,200 ( 9) -
Vanc. Chamber Choir 28,000 10,500 38,500 ( 7) -
Vanc. Opera 105,000 175,000 280,000 ( 52) 21,000(3)
Vanc. Playhouse 132,525 243,200 375,725 (223) -
Vanc. Recital Society 10,800 21,600 32,400 ( 9) -
Vanc. Symphony 218,050 372,050 590,100 ( 96) -
Joint Ballet/VSO 40,250 0 40,250 ( 6) -
TOTAL $608,025 $890,700 $1,498,725 (424)
CONCLUSION
The budget available for Fall 1996, after the adjustment for rental
rate increases, has not allowed for any grants over the base level
guidelines that were approved last year (as summarized in Appendix B).
One use within base levels (a $5,250 matinee use for the joint
VSO/Ballet B.C. "Nutcracker") cannot be accommodated within the
available budget and is not recommended. Approval of the grant
recommendations for Fall 1996 will leave no unallocated funds in the
1996 Grants Equal to Rent budget.
Since the City's budget operates on the calendar year, grants approved
for Spring 1997 will have to be reconfirmed by Council next year,
after the annual Cultural Grants budget is established. Staff
estimate that the recommended three uses over base level can be
accommodated by next year's budget.
* * * * *
APPENDIX A
1 of 3
1996/97 RENTAL GRANT REQUESTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Academy of Music
The Academy rents the Orpheum four times a year to present its student
orchestral concerts; its current base covers these uses. Staff are
recommending approval of the Academy's request for a grant of $26,250
towards one use in Fall 1996 and three uses in Spring 1997.
Ballet B.C.
Ballet B.C. has asked for a grant of 13 uses totalling $77,000, which
includes four uses for a Dance Alive! presentation of the "Ballet
Stars of the USA". The company has also applied jointly with the
Vancouver Symphony for a rental grant of $45,500 (which staff are
partly recommending, as discussed in the VSO section). The company's
1996 civic operating grant was $80,000.
In 1995, when Ballet B.C.'s base level was increased to 10 uses for
its own productions, Council did not assign additional base level uses
for Dance Alive! presentations, given the limits of the Grants Equal
to Rent budget. For 1996/97 staff recommend a rental grant of
$52,500, covering the nine uses the company needs for its own
productions, but not the four uses for Dance Alive.
Coastal Jazz and Blues Society
The society, which organizes Vancouver's Jazz Festival, has a base
level of one use for its annual opening night concert at the Orpheum
or Queen Elizabeth Theatre, and received a 1996 operating grant of
$10,000. Approval of its request for a grant of $7,000 to cover a
June 1997 concert is recommended.
Friends of Chamber Music
This organization presents a series of 10 evening concerts at the
Playhouse, and has a base level of seven theatre uses. It has
requested and is recommended for a grant of $13,300 to cover seven
uses, four in the Fall and three in the Spring.
APPENDIX A
2 OF 3
Music in the Morning
The Society, which primarily presents morning concerts, received an
operating grant of $6,500 for 1996. It has been assigned a base level
of one morning use of the Orpheum or Queen Elizabeth Theatre, and has
requested a grant of $3,500 for a matinee at the QET in November 1996,
co-presented with Ballet British Columbia. Staff recommend approval
of the rental grant request.
Vancouver Bach Choir
The Bach Choir has applied for a grant of $39,200, covering four
performances and five rehearsals in the Orpheum Theatre. These nine
uses are within the Choir's base level of 11, and are recommended.
Vancouver Chamber Choir
The Chamber Choir's $38,500 grant request is equal to its base level
of seven uses of the Orpheum and includes two performances of
"Messiah" in December 1996. Staff recommend approval of the request.
Vancouver Opera
For 1996/97 the VOA has requested a grant of $325,500 covering 60
theatre uses, 11 uses ($66,500) over base level. This represents one
additional performance in Fall 1996 (not including the joint concert
with the Vancouver Recital Society), and 10 additional uses in Spring
1997.
Despite significant increases over the past few years, the Grants
Equal to Rent budget has not been able to keep pace with the VOA's
increased use of the Civic Theatres. Last year the Opera's base level
was raised from 41 to 49 uses of the QET/Orpheum, which does not cover
the current level of use.
Given budget limitations, staff recommend a grant of $280,000
representing 52 uses. This provides for no additional uses for the
Fall and three additional uses over base level, totalling $21,000, for
evening performances of "Turandot" and "The Mikado" in the Spring.
APPENDIX A
3 OF 3
Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company
The company is the main user of the Playhouse Theatre and produces a
season of six plays. It has asked for a grant of $375,725,
representing 223 theatre uses, 17 fewer than its base of 240. Staff
recommend approval of the request.
Vancouver Recital Society
VRS has a base level of seven uses of the Playhouse Theatre and three
uses of the Orpheum, for a total of 10. The Society received a 1996
operating grant of $8,500 for its summer Chamber Music Festival, which
does not take place in the Civic Theatres.
For its 1996/97 concert series the Society has applied for a $39,400
rental grant to cover six Playhouse uses and four Orpheum uses,
including one use for a joint concert with the Vancouver Opera. Since
there are insufficient funds in the 1996 Grants Equal to Rent budget
to cover the extra Orpheum use, a grant of $32,400, representing nine
uses, is recommended.
Vancouver Symphony and Joint VSO/Ballet B.C.Request
For its 1996/97 season the Vancouver Symphony is asking for $590,100
to cover 96 Orpheum uses, which are within the Society's base level of
108. In addition, the Symphony and Ballet B.C. are requesting $45,500
toward seven jointly presented performances of "The Nutcracker". Scheduled for the Queen Elizabeth Theatre this fall, these
performances are also within the VSO's base level. The VSO has
received a civic operating grant of $50,000 and office space valued at
$100,000 for 1996.
Staff recommend approval of the 96 uses for the Symphony's 1996/97
season. In addition, noting that there are insufficient funds in the
Grants Equal to Rent budget to cover the entire joint request, staff
are recommending a grant of $40,250 for "The Nutcracker", leaving one
matinee use ($5,250) unfunded.
* * * * *
APPENDIX B
CURRENT BASE LEVEL GUIDELINES
GRANTS EQUAL TO THEATRE RENT
Base
Level Guidelines
Vancouver Playhouse:
Friends of Chamber Music 7
Vancouver Playhouse Theatre 240 200 perform./40 rehearsals
Vancouver Recital Society 7 (see also Orpheum uses)
Orpheum/QET:
Academy of Music 4
Ballet B.C. 10 7 perform./3 rehearsals
Coastal Jazz & Blues Society 1
"Messiah" 2
Music in the Morning 1 morning performance
Vancouver Bach Choir 11 5 perform./6 rehearsals
Vancouver Chamber Choir 7 4 perform./3 rehearsals
Vancouver Opera 49 28 perform./21 rehearsals
Vancouver Recital Society 3 (see also Playhouse uses)
Vancouver Symphony 108 95 perform./13 rehearsals
TOTAL USES 450
* * * * *