ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: May 12, 1997
C.C. File: 2055-1
TO: Vancouver City Council
FROM: Director of Cultural Affairs
SUBJECT: Grants Equal to Theatre Rent - Spring Update
RECOMMENDATIONS
THAT Council confirm its previous approval of 10 rental grants for
uses of the Civic Theatres in Spring 1997, including a reduction in
the Vancouver Symphony's grant, for a total of $882,650, as listed
in Table I; source of funds to be the 1997 Cultural Grants budget.
GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Community Services submits the foregoing 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 on a regular basis and have been assigned an
annual "base level" of theatre rental uses by Council.
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 and Spring. However, since the City's
budget is based on the calendar year, grants approved for the Spring
(Jan. 1 to Aug. 31) have to be reconfirmed by Council in the following
year, after the annual Cultural Grants budget is established.
Approval of grant recommendations requires eight affirmative votes.
PURPOSE
In accordance with the process Council established in 1995, this is the
first of two annual reports on Grants Equal to Theatre Rent. It
recommends that Council confirm the Spring 1997 rental grants that were
approved in principle on July 25, 1996, and notes that the recommended
amount has been decreased to reflect changes in activity.
BACKGROUND
On March 13, 1997, Council approved a Grants Equal to Theatre Rent
budget of $1,436,620 for calendar year 1997. This represents a decrease,
reflecting reductions recommended for four major organizations included
in the 1997 budget reduction process: the Vancouver Symphony, Vancouver
Opera, Vancouver Playhouse and Ballet B.C. Since rental grant
recommendations for Spring 1997 have already been approved in principle,
staff are proposing to address the proportional decreases to the four
organizations' grants in the July report on Fall uses.
DISCUSSION
After reviewing the 10 grants that Council approved in principle last
July, staff are recommending that nine of these grants be approved as
originally allocated, and that the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra's grant
be reduced by $8,050 to reflect reduced need in the Spring season. The
VSO's revised rental grant would amount to $364,000.
CONCLUSION
As indicated in Table I, following, approval of the 10 recommendations
would reduce the total grant allocation for Spring 1997 from $890,700 to
$882,650, leaving an unallocated balance of $553,970 in the 1997 rental
grants budget.
TABLE I
Spring 1997 Grant Equal to Rent
Organization Originally Final
Approved Recommendation
Academy of Music $19,250 $19,250
Ballet B.C. 28,000 28,000
Coastal Jazz & Blues Society 7,000 7,000
Friends of Chamber Music 5,700 5,700
Van. Bach Choir 8,400 8,400
Van. Chamber Choir 10,500 10,500
Van. Opera 175,000 175,000
Van. Playhouse 243,200 243,200
Van. Recital Society 21,600 21,600
Van. Symphony 372,050 364,000
TOTAL $890,700 $882,650
Approval of the recommendations in this report will complete the rental
grant process for the 1996/97 season. The next report on Grants Equal to
Rent, which will review applicants' requests for 1997/98, is scheduled
for July 1997, which should allow applicants time to complete their
plans for the season.
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