Annual Review Report 2013/14 Clwyd Theatr Cymru Arts Council of Wales May, 2014
About the Annual Review Meeting Venue: Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Mold Date of meeting: 20 February 2014 Present Clwyd Theatr Cymru: Present Arts Council: Terry Hands, Artistic Director Julia Grime, General Manager Sian Tomos, Director, Enterprise and Regeneration Nick Davies, Portfolio Manager Carys Wynne-Williams, Development Officer Date of draft report: 3 April 2014 Date of final report: 28 May 2014 1
1. Organisation Background Clwyd Theatr Cymru (CTC), formerly Theatr Clwyd, was formed in 1976 under Clwyd County Council. After local authority changes, its governing body changed to Flintshire County Council. It is a major Arts Council revenue funded client, recognised for the quality of its theatre, drama and performing arts programme. The company stages an average of eight in-house productions a year, some of which tour, mostly within Wales. In-house production is complemented by a wide-ranging visiting programme of drama, dance, classical music, comedy and family shows, playing across two live stages. Clwyd Theatr Cymru also operates a studio cinema, three galleries, a restaurant and bars and several function rooms. The education department delivers a programme of weekly and holiday workshops, a social inclusion programme, and is a separately funded Theatre for Young Audiences. 2. Programme of activity a. Current year activity and issues 13/14 2013-14 has been a good year for Clwyd Theatr Cymru. Prudent artistic choices have garnered large audiences to see high quality productions in both main theatre spaces. The 2013/14 programme in the Anthony Hopkins Theatre (AHT) opened with The Winslow Boy by Terrence Rattigan, which was directed by Terry Hands. This was an excellent production with high quality production values. However, perhaps surprisingly, this one time staple of the English theatre repertoire failed to raise the interest expected, and audience numbers were a little disappointing. Alan Ayckbourn s Season s Greetings followed. Directed by Tim Baker, this was a very professional and slick production, which proved extremely popular with Clwyd audiences. The 2013 Pantomime, Beauty and the Beast, written and directed by Pete Rowe, was a Clwyd classic - a rock and roll panto at its best, with high production values, a good ensemble of actors/musicians, and strong comedic content which appealed to both young and old alike. 2
In February, Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas opened the 2014 season at the AHT. Directed by Terry Hands - this production has exceeded all set targets with capacity audiences experiencing a very high quality production, which received a 5 star Guardian Review. National Adviser comments also referred to a high quality production. The programme at the Emlyn Williams Theatre (EWT) opened with Salt Root and Roe by Tim Price, directed by Kate Wasserberg. One of our National Advisers commented, The subject matter is very current, with ongoing debates on both issues of Alzheimer s and Euthanasia being central to this piece. This piece added to the debate and presented a clear and concise take. This was followed by Aristocrats by Brian Friel, directed by Kate Wasserberg - a play about the disintegration of the Irish gentry, which again exceeded its targets, and played to full houses. Copenhagen, by Michael Frayn, directed by Emma Lucia was again well regarded by our National Adviser who noted that the piece clearly sat well within the Clwyd season, as the programming tends to cater for a clearly identifiable audience base. The audience there on the night I was there seemed to enjoy it and the questions the piece presented to its audience about the choices we all have and the impact of those choices were indeed profound and interesting. Touring work for 2013-14 consisted of Salt Root and Roe to the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff, and Under Milk Wood to the New Theatre, Cardiff, Swansea Grand followed by a tour of mid-scale venues within Wales. 2013 was the second year of the Celtic Festival, which delivered 139 performances of 37 Celtic originated events to nearly 7,000 audiences, which consisted of a programme of small scale drama in Studio 2, CTC s own Salt Root and Roe and a series of picnic plays which proved very popular indeed. Visiting company highlights for 2013/14 consisted of high quality contemporary dance such as Rambert, National Dance Company of Wales, and Phoenix. Visiting drama included Fences, Daytona and Mansfield Park, along with comedy night and classical music productions. The programme also featured work from Wales based companies such as Music Theatre Wales, Sherman Cymru, and Volcano. There is a very strong programme of work for young people at the theatre, with the Theatre for Young Audiences presenting four productions such as Skyhawk aimed at 7-11 year olds, which was an enchanting production and The Hub - 3
an intensive arts based innovative participatory high schools project, and Justice in a Day workshops. CTC s cinema provides specialist film and live satellite screenings which have proved very popular with audiences. The venue also programmes three gallery spaces which have featured the work of Jan Gardener, Zoe Childerley, Steve Brockett and Fred Langford Davies, and a touring exhibition of Vincent Price posters. The Community Gallery has programmed 14 exhibitions by local artists. This has been a year of box office successes for CTC with Copenhagen achieving 85% audience attendance, Aristocrats 80% audience attendance and Under Milk Wood doing even better than both of these. This is a result of a fine balance of strategies by the organisation, which the theatre team attributes to the Associate Artists Ensemble at CTC, the development and challenge of CTC audiences with an appropriate balance between a populist title and more challenging work, and careful financial management of the programme. Getting this balance right is a reflection of CTC s clear artistic vision and skilful programming a case of the right play, at the right place at the right time. b. Reviewed against Revenue Funding Agreement (RFA) Targets 13/14 Headline targets Attendance and Participation one of the key outcomes of our Investment Review is a desire to see more people enjoying and taking part in the arts. We want to look at development over a three year period. So using the data contained in your 2011/12 RFO Annual Survey, we would like you to set the target that you hope to achieve by the end of 2013/14 for the increased number of people attending and participating in your activities. We will want to monitor progress towards that target during 2013/14. CTC attendances in 2012/13 were 155,818 and in 2013/14 rose to 174,687 an increase from last year of 11.2%. Arts and young people We want to reach a broad range of people through the activities our RFOs and are particularly interested in the targets you set for reaching those people who face barriers to accessing your work these may be identified within your organisation s equalities policy and action plan. You may wish to use the data from your 2011/12 RFO survey 4
to set targets for increasing the number of people engaging in their work who currently face barriers that prevent or limit access. We would like you to set the target that you hope to achieve by the end of 2013/14 for the increased number of people attending and participating in your activities. We will want to monitor progress towards that target during 2013/14. CTC has a strong education and outreach programme of work, which is at similar levels to last year, and is covered, within the Theatre for Young People programme of work, which is separate from the main theatre. Income generation we want to encourage the key organisations that we support to develop their financial resilience. Whilst we recognise absolutely the continuing importance of public funding, we believe that it is right to encourage RFOs to do everything possible to reduce the level of their dependency on Arts Council funding. So using the data contained in your 2011/12 RFO Annual Survey, we would like you to set the target that you hope to achieve by the end of 2013/14 for the decrease in Arts Council income as a % of your overall income. CTC receives 35% funding from the Arts Council, 20% funding from Flintshire County Council and own income is currently at 45%. However, future funding is subject to an ongoing review. Sherman Cymru continue to develop the positive, sharing relationship with Sherman Cymru in terms of Clwyd Theatr Cymru productions playing at the Sherman and Sherman Cymru productions playing in Mold. CTC will continue to work with the Sherman and is keen to offer support as appropriate, and in 2014 will further discuss and develop partnership ideas. c. Coming year s activity and issues 14/15 The Celtic Festival offer has developed consistently over the last few years, and 2014 promises an interesting and varied programme with An Artist as a Young Dog by Dylan Thomas, directed by Tim Baker, featuring as one of the key highlights. The Festival has played a key role in nurturing new talent, providing a platform for new writing and for contemporary productions within CTC. Following the departure of Kate Wasserberg, Director of New Writing, at the end of last year, there is now a need to review and evaluate this provision in order to take it forward. At present CTC receives around two or three new 5
scripts per week for comments, reflecting the need for the continuation of this provision in some form. Under Milk Wood is expected to tour internationally, following a 12 week UK tour by Milk Wood Tour Ltd, a commercial producer. The company also hopes to tour the work to America, Canada and Australia in 2014/15. Following the strong success of the 2013/14 season at CTC, it will be a challenge to replicate this success next year. Details are yet to be finalised, but one key factor to this year s success, was the forward planning needed to take Under Milk Wood on tour, and the possible transfer of work to the Sherman. The fact that the programme for 2013/14 was in place early was undoubtedly a factor. It is important not to lose sight of this fact for the future. There are plans to work collaboratively with Pontio at Bangor, as Pontio prepares to open in the summer of 2014. CTC wishes to take the proposed capital plans to the next development phase, discussions are ongoing with the Arts Council and other stakeholders. From 2015/16, local authority funding is set to reduce, and a review by JOP Consulting Ltd, is currently taking place to explore possible future business models. In the meantime CTC continues to explore ways of increasing earned income from ancillary trading, and is keen to attract more room hires and conferencing. 3. The creation of artistic work Clwyd Theatr Cymru aims are: To achieve and maintain the highest possible standards of presentation and performance To entertain that is to interest, to instruct and occasionally to amuse To break even The Associate Artist system plays a key role in creating a high quality ensemble of actors, directors, designers, composers and writers, most of whom are Welsh and work frequently together. Audience numbers and the testimonies of the actors clearly demonstrate the success of this approach. 6
A range of National Advisers and Arts Council Officers have attended various productions and can attest to the quality of CTC s work across 2013/14. Some of the comments are noted below: Salt, Root and Roe, by Tim Price in the Emlyn Williams Theatre Salt, Root and Roe premièred in a production by the Donmar Warehouse at Trafalgar Studios, London on 10 November 2011. This production is part of the Celtic Festival 2013, a celebration of the best new writing and performance from the Celtic nations and takes place over eight weeks For anyone who has had to watch a parent decline, physically and mentally, this will be a poignant reminder of the mixed feelings one faces when confronted with an inevitable outcome. Colin Towns excellent musical score captures the sense and the moment, and the end, when it comes, feels a powerful and natural conclusion. Not an easy performance at the theatre, but a powerful one which is at times both moving and funny. The Winslow Boy by Terrence Rattigan, in the Anthony Hopkins Theatre This was a sterling production by Terry Hands, with a sumptuous set fit for a West End Stage, and a strong cast from the Clwyd stable. On the evening that I attended there was a good and very appreciative audience, and it was a shame that this production did not attract the audience numbers that it deserved. Season s Greetings by Alan Ayckbourn, in the Anthony Hopkins Theatre Season's Greetings is described as a bittersweet comedy and an uncompromising portrait of a traditional family Christmas, so the culinary disasters, drunkenness and an amorous Santa were all true to form. This production, with a strong cast of Clwyd Associates, delivered a jolly and robust production to a full to capacity theatre. Audiences seemed to thoroughly enjoy the production, which had good audiences throughout, as you would expect for this work. Beauty and the Beast, in the Anthony Hopkins Theatre A jolly rock and roll panto sprinkled with risqué humour, with set designs by Judith Croft and a cast full of actor-musicians who belt out an endless stream of classic songs from the last 50 years of popular music. 7
Under Milk Wood, Dylan Thomas in the Anthony Hopkins Theatre, National Adviser comments: This must be an extremely successful production for the theatre which was 95% sold out on the Friday evening I attended. Under Milk Wood has such a special place in Welsh literature and drama that it is a work that people clearly want to see. It touches people's lives and makes everyday life in a Welsh village real and reinforces a communal sense of national identity. However, it is a work of its time, which was evident from the age of the audience - predominantly over 50s. Under Milk Wood clearly has an appeal to this Dylan Thomas generation; I think it is an indelible part of their history. There were few young people in the audience. This was a described performance and it was evident that there were a number of people with disabilities in the audience, including blind people (with one guide dog who seemed to enjoy licking the ear of the man in front of him) and people with mobility limitations. I am sure that the audience thoroughly enjoyed the performance, much like visiting an old friend for some. Seeing Under Milk Wood is a pilgrimage, an essential experience for anyone interested in Welsh literature. As such it is important that it is presented for each generation to enjoy. The challenge for the future may be developing a younger audience for the piece. Aristocrats, by Brian Friel in the Emlyn Williams Theatre The cast were all excellent, whether it be Brendan Charleson s laidback, bravely underplayed American Tom or Simon Holland Roberts domineering drunk Eamon (and it is ginger-bearded Simon who masters the Irish lilt best of all). The spotlight performance is undoubtedly Christian Patterson as Casimir, swinging from endearing joie de vivre to paternal terror with ease. Casimir is by far the most complex character in the play and Patterson makes sure he remains loveable and not grating. Again this production was very well received by a capacity audience, and numbers throughout its run were very high, a testament to the quality of this production. 8
Copenhagen, by Michael Frayn in the Emlyn Williams Theatre This play has a stellar CV having won several British Best Play Awards, a Paris production picked up a Prix Moliere and it achieved a Tony Award on Broadway. Set in 1941 during the Second World War, it re-imagines a meeting that actually happened between two nuclear physicists - Werner Heisenberg and his mentor Niels Bohr in Copenhagen. They had worked together before the outbreak of war prior to Heisenberg being appointed Chair of Physics at Leipzig University. It was a much pared back production with little in the way of set or props. The three performances were very good - a lot of intense dialogue to learn and interpret. There was a capacity audience in the Emlyn Williams Theatre, and I would not see this as a production that would broaden the audience base. It was more a production for your serious theatre goer with an interest in science and history. The range and quality of these comments by both National Advisers and Officers reflect a very high standard of work by Clwyd Theatr Cymru. 4. Audience and Participation Attendance Figures 2011/12 2012/13 % Change Events Attendances Events Attendances Events Attendances Exhibitions 30 0 29 0-3% 0% Film Screenings 475 23,195 515 25,000 8% 8% Performances by Touring Companies 293 74,820 256 65,253-13% -13% Performances at Presenting Venues 208 49,692 231 43,116 11% -13% Total Attendances 1,006 147,707 1,031 133,369 2% -10% Source: Arts Council of Wales Survey of Revenue Funded Organisations 2011/12 and 2012/13 Participation Figures 2011/12 2012/13 % Change Sessions Attendances Sessions Attendances Sessions Attendances Children & Young People 756 18,290 845 18,720 12% 2% Open Access 0 0 0 0 0% 0% Targeted Sessions (BME, Disabled People) 0 0 28 378 0% 0% Total Participation 756 18,290 873 19,098 15% 4% Source: Arts Council of Wales Survey of Revenue Funded Organisations 2011/12 and 2012/13 9
Attendances for 2012/13 were lower than for 2011/12. However, attendance figures for 2013/14 are higher and demonstrate that audiences appreciate good quality arts in times of difficulty. In 2011/12, Clwyd theatre Cymru accounted for more than a quarter of the total drama audience in Wales with double the percentage of returning customers - reflecting a very local audience. 75% of CTC s audiences live within a 45 minute drive time with 40% coming from Flintshire. Participation figures have increased slightly from 2011/12 to 2012/13 due to the quality of the work offered to young people such as Justice in a Day project, aimed at young people at risk of offending in partnership with PACT, which is proving very popular. CTC s box office system, Spektrix, a cloud based system, installed in 2011, is now fully operational, offering more flexibility and greater marketing opportunities. Online bookings are growing, and the website booking experience is continually being improved to present information and to make buying tickets as easy as possible. The venue is currently working on the functionality of the website for users of mobile computer devices hopefully with the benefits of increased traffic and greater proportion of online booking. As part of the Celtic Festival marketing provision, CTC has partnered with Native HQ to trial new digital ways of working, and it will be interesting to find out how this initiative has developed their digital provision. 5. Business development a. Financial Roundup Financial Year 2011/12 2012/13 Total Incoming Resources ( ) 4,994,492 4,860,862 ACW Revenue Funding ( ) 1,645,000 1,645,000 ACW Project Funding ( ) - 50,000 ACW Revenue and Project Funding as a % of Total Incoming Resources 33% 35% Earned Income ( ) 2,251,344 2,132,672 Earned Income as a % of Total Incoming Resources 45% 44% LA Funding ( ) 1,044,314 1,052,496 LA Funding as % of Total Incoming Resources 21% 22% 10
Total Expenditure ( ) 5,037,616 4,834,417 Total Attendees/Participants 165,997 152,467 Source: Financial Information Supplied by Organisation Notes: Earned sponsorship income included above - 65,000, 2011/12 and 50,000, 2012/13 Total expenditure for 2012/13 above includes recovery of the prior year deficit of 43,000 as the theatre had no accumulated reserves to offset this. b. Employment Figures Employment Figures Full Time Part Time Volunteers Casual/Contract 2011/12 48 33 50 206 2012/13 47 33 50 189 Source: Arts Council of Wales Survey of Revenue Funded Organisations 2011/12 and 2012/13 2012/13 financial figures show a slightly better than break even at the year end. With Arts Council funding at 35%, Local Authority funding at 22% and Own Earned Income at 44%, these are all satisfactory figures, however pressure on public funding will necessitate the theatre to continue to explore additional streams of commercial income. This is likely to include a more commercial approach to Front of House trading with better targeted offers which are more profitable to manage, generating 29% net profit overall. Staff expect to generate 160,000 contribution this year - 30,000 higher than the previous year. Work to attract more room hires and conference bookings in the coming year should also prove financially beneficial. As organisational sustainability becomes more important year on year, we are now encouraging recipients of our funding to sign up to the Welsh Government s Sustainable Development Charter or, as a minimum, have a plan in place to be able to do so in the foreseeable future. 6. Governance, management and finance CTC is a Flintshire County Council owned venue. It has a Board of Governors, mostly made up of Council members, and they meet quarterly. Flintshire s Chief Executive also sits on the Board. Currently there are a few vacancies and more work needs to be done to fill these places, possibly following a skills audit 11
of current Board Members. The relationship between the Executive and Board is good. Thanks to General Manager Julia Grime s excellent business skills, the company has a strong track record of financial control and has endeavoured to break even financially for the last thirteen years. This has been achieved through a process of continual review of the artistic programme to enable a balance to be struck between artistic excellence and financial stability. Last year CTC made a small deficit due to heavy snow in March, leaving no option but to cancel some performances. This has been recovered in 2013-14, and a small surplus is anticipated at year end. The position in relation to reserves has changed, as the Chief Executive of Flintshire County Council has agreed that CTC can accumulate and keep a surplus of up to 50,000 without it being reabsorbed by the local authority at the year end. This will prove very beneficial for the theatre in the coming year. Up until now both Arts Council and Flintshire funding has remained steady. However in 2014-15, there will be a reduction of 5% made to CTC s local authority funding ( 55,000) and the Arts Council funding will be reduced by 2.5% ( 41,000). The need for CTC to identify new ways of generating income will become yet more pressing. For 2015/16 Flintshire has notified the theatre that it cannot continue to fund at the current level. This presents a major challenge for the theatre, and the Arts Council has commissioned JOP Consulting to undertake a Business Review of CTC with a view to identifying some alternative business models. 7. Partnerships CTC has good links with Flintshire County Council s Lifelong Learning Department, with the Department for Economic Development and Regeneration, and, with Flintshire s Chief Executive, who is also on the Board. CTC is targeting efforts to develop links with Communities First groups, particularly with Connah s Quay/Deeside, as this area is densely populated and relatively close to the theatre. The company has fostered relationships with Wales based production companies such as Sherman Cymru, Music Theatre Wales, Theatr 12
Genedlaethol, and Volcano. Digital partnerships are now essential for continued development and links with the Wales Millennium Centre/Theatre Genedlaethol partnership should prove positive. As Pontio at Bangor develops and opens in the autumn of 2014, CTC is keen to work in partnership with the new centre on various new initiatives. Relationships with other venues across Wales are developing as the tour of Under Milk Wood to mid-scale venues reflects. As the Arts Council develops the Venues Forum, CTC will be able to take advantage of the networking opportunities offered at these events and broker new partnership opportunities. 8. Equalities During 2014/15 all revenue organisations are requested to review and, where appropriate, update their Equal Opportunities Policy to ensure the needs of all nine protected characteristic groups, as referred to in the Equality Act 2010, are addressed, and CTC will need to review their Policy in the coming year. Diverse Cymru is working on a pilot tool kit for venues to support this process. Access marketing initiatives include Teen tickets, Student tickets, Pay What You Can and 10 tickets, and all are aimed at attracting young people from lowincome families to come to the theatre on a regular basis as a result of participation in a wider educational outreach programme. 9. Concluding comments Clwyd Theatr Cymru has an excellent reputation for very high quality work, coupled with good business planning. This has resulted in a good year for the company and this winning combination has allowed it to deliver high calibre work. Careful and skilful planning underpinned this year s work, and the same attention to planning detail needs to happen year on year. Good quality digital marketing will be essential in the coming year and evaluation from the Celtic Festival/Native HQ project will be important. Challenges facing the company next year will inevitably be linked to diminishing public funding, and the findings of the JOP Consulting business review are keenly awaited. 13