ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: April 4, 2000
Author/Local: ANiwinski/6007
RTS No:01340

CC File No. 2055

Council: April 18, 2000

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	Director, Office of Cultural Affairs
SUBJECT:	1999/2000 Theatre Rental Grants - Spring Update

RECOMMENDATION

THAT Council confirm its previous approval of rental grants to 10 organizations for uses of the Civic Theatres in Spring 2000 in the amount of $880,150, including an adjustment in the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra's grant, as listed in Table 1; source of funds to be the 2000 Theatre Rental Grants budget.

COMMENTS

The General Manager of Community services RECOMMENDS approval of the foregoing.

POLICY

In 1979 and again in 1983, City Council affirmed the principle that Theatre Rental Grants are available to cultural organizations that use the Civic Theatres on a regular basis and have been assigned an annual "base level" of theatre rent uses by Council.

Council approved the current process for Theatre Rental Grants on July 27, 1995. This provided for seasonally based grants allocated in July of each year for the coming Fall (September 1 to December 31) and Spring (January 1 to August 31). Rental grant recommendations for the Spring are approved in principle, and 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 keeping with the process Council established in 1995, this is the first of two annual reports on Theatre Rental Grants. It recommends confirmation of the Spring 2000 rental grants that Council approved in principle on July 29, 1999, with a $2,720 increase in the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) grant, in response to schedule changes.

DISCUSSION

On July 29, 1999, Council approved Theatre Rental grants totalling $877,430 for 10 regular users of the Civic Theatres. On February 17, 2000, Council approved a Theatre Rental Grants budget of $1,558,000 for calendar year 2000, not including the $100,000 allocated in that budget for the VSO's rental of office space in the Orpheum Theatre.

After reviewing the 10 Theatre Rental Grants for Spring 2000 that Council approved in principle last July, staff are recommending no adjustments, except for the VSO.

The VSO's grant was originally $401,980, covering 64 uses. Following schedule changes involving fewer matinees and more evening performances, the VSO's Spring activities consist of 62 uses totalling $404,700. Given that these uses are within base levels, staff recommend that Council approve a $404,700 grant to accommodate the schedule changes. Recommendations for all 10 applicants are listed in Table 1.

Table 1
Spring 2000 Theatre Rental Grants

Organization	Approved in Principle	Final Recommended
Academy of Music	$20,900	$20,900
Ballet British Columbia	$22,800	$22,800
Coastal Jazz & Blues Society	$7,600	$7,600
Friends of Chamber Music	$6,150	$6,150
Van. Bach Choir	$30,400	$30,400
Van. Chamber Choir	$11,400	$11,400
Van. Opera Assoc.	$129,200	$129,200
Van. Playhouse Theatre	$231,200	$231,200
Van. Recital Society	$15,800	$15,800
Van. Symphony	$401,980	$404,700
TOTAL	$877,430	$880,150

CONCLUSION

Approval of these grants will leave an unallocated balance of $677,850 in the Theatre Rental Grants budget to address requests to the end of 2000. The next report on this grant category, which will review applicants' requests for 2000/2001, is scheduled for July 2000, following the establishment of Civic Theatre rental rates for the coming season.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver