Paul Vittles’ Post

🎭 New research from the British Arts Festivals Association (BAFA) claims that the UK arts sector is at a critical tipping point. For a sector desperately dependent on corporate sponsors, it has done a pretty lousy job of making itself an attractive sponsorship proposition. There have been many highly publicised cases of long-serving art sponsors experiencing significant and harmful public backlash from art audiences. Baillie Gifford and BMW Group come to mind despite being amongst the more progressive players in their industries. The irony, of course, is that, as this research shows, many of these much-loved art events and institutions would cease to exist without the support of corporate art sponsors. So, should corporate sponsors walk away and leave the arts to their fate? Or is there still a compelling business case for supporting art events despite the challenges? In this latest article from The Sponsor, we hear from several art sponsors as we examine the business case for continued sponsorship of the arts. Follow The Sponsor for more sponsorship insights and practical tips. Michel Driessen Michelle McLeod Helen Chomczuk Oliver Tregoning Prue Thompson Esther Clark Jazz Singh Jessica Tamman Rudy Capildeo Susie Llewellyn-Jones Tamsin Selby Adriano Picinati di Torcello Nick Thomas Louise Willows Association of Independent Festivals BOC Business Consulting @thomasgirst #art #sponsorship #corporatepartnerships #festivals #artbusiness #savethearts #corporatephilanthropy #culture #BAFA #AIF #Fringe #theproms #Edinburghinternationalnookfestival #fossilfreebooks #enviroment #sustainability #oliandgas #financialmarketing https://lnkd.in/eH6U8x3t

As Executive Director of Torito Arts NFP, I spend a lot of time speaking with fellow presenters, agents, managers and artists in the performing arts, something I love because it gives me a broad view of what is happening in our industry. I believe we need to talk to each other A LOT more about the challenges we are facing because I find that often we are not aware of just how challenged our industry is. Speaking with a presenter last week, I mentioned that we are still seeing venues closing their doors due to everything we lost in the pandemic and the slow return of audiences. She had no idea that this was the case. Today, I received an email from another presenter stating that they are cancelling the rest of their 2023/24 season and that they "are disappointed to make this announcement since we were looking forward to delivering an exceptional season for our valued patrons in our state-of-the-art theater. Unfortunately, the insufficient number of ticket sales has made it financially unfeasible to proceed with the events." I won't share the venue's name here in case this is not something they want widely broadcast, but this is one loss of many that should have us all very alarmed. This extreme precarity is a reality for venues and companies large and small, festivals, concert series, etc. Out industry is in a state of crisis, and we need to begin addressing it openly. We cannot continue to believe that what is happening in our industry is evidence of our personal shortcomings as professionals rather than proof that the arts industry framework in the US has always been shaky and unreliable and clearly unable to withstand the pressures of a variable economy let alone a cataclysmic event like the COVID pandemic. The way we have functioned and continue to function is entirely UNSUSTAINABLE, and we need to have honest conversations about what needs to change. As an industry - as a collective of professionals struggling though unending hard times - we need to stop forever looking inward and fighting to protect small bits of turf while our overarching structure crumbles around us. This is without a doubt an inflection point, and simply surviving into the next month or next year is not going to cut it anymore. - Justine Bayod Espoz

We’re delighted to launch Festivals Forward today, the report featuring the results of our Festivals Mean Business sector-wide research. In the report, developed by BOP Consulting, we reflect on a sector that is ‘surviving rather than thriving’, but one that still has much to celebrate.  Some of the key findings include: ☑️ The 101 reporting festivals stage more than 11,000 events the length and breadth of the country. ☑️ They attract a total of more than five million attendances (ticketed and unticketed) to in-person events and more than 100,000 to online events. ☑️ Survey respondents engaged a total of 34,000 artists and ensembles in 2023, programming over 2,700 new works. ☑️ 86% of arts festivals deliver outreach work in schools and other community spaces, often year-round. We’ll be using this report as a vehicle to call for greater investment in arts festivals, supporting our members to go beyond survival and thrive in a challenging climate, in a way that explores and embeds sustainability, diversity and inclusivity. The Festivals Mean Business project has been supported by funding from Arts Council England, Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru | Arts Council of Wales and Creative Scotland. Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/e3he2ETG #BAFA2024

I've written today in the Evening Standard about the difficulty of securing sufficient capital investment for those of us in the performing arts sector who are required to manage important, beautiful, heritage buildings. The issues facing us at the Southbank Centre are big and urgent, but many other heritage performing arts venues are also struggling to keep their venues relevant and fit for purpose. Many of us operate in historically significant and iconic buildings. In our case, the Royal Festival Hall (just one of our venues) is a Grade One listed postmodern masterpiece. It's also the only remaining symbol of the 1951 Festival of Britain and it will be 75 years old in 2026. It hasn't received any capital investment since 2008 and it desperately needs attention. Those performing arts organisations funded by Arts Council England (like us) don't receive any funding for the upkeep of their buildings. The funds we do receive are solely for the production of our artistic programmes: the plays, concerts, gigs and events we present and produce. The first ever Chair of the Arts Council of Great Britain, John Maynard Keynes, made it clear that the body would never be able to afford to contribute to the arts sector’s capital needs on a regular basis. There has never been a consistent, reliable and sensible solution to the issue for performing arts venues that Maynard Keynes identified. We need a coherent investment plan that will help the Arts and Heritage sector across the UK. Many of us are very willing to match fund through fundraising any public funding we receive, so that we maximise the public pound in the sort of public/private partnerships that we're all very well equipped to deliver. We all care very much about the extraordinary buildings we look after and are united in wanting the very best for our heritage and arts sectors. Harnessed, this creative energy could help provide the solutions, if the Government would join us at the table to close the gap that John Maynard Keynes identified all those years ago. 

One of the highlights of my entire year is heading through to Edinburgh to enjoy the city during festival season. Nothing says ‘it’s summer in Scotland’ quite like wandering through the streets of the capital, indulging in the eccentric lineup of performers that come here to celebrate the very best the global arts and culture scene has to offer. However, as the curtain prepares to rise on this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the question looms over whether Scotland’s largest arts festival can maintain its glittering reputation against a backdrop of funding cuts and delays. While being celebrated globally for its vibrant performances and eclectic programme of events, The Fringe is a vital economic driver for not just Edinburgh, but the country as a whole. In fact, according to the latest figures from VisitScotland, the festival – including The Fringe – has contributed a staggering £367million to our economy. Its impact is felt across various sectors too, from hospitality to retail, with the figures showcasing that visitors splash out around 51 per cent of their total spend on accommodation, 25% on food and drink and 19 per cent on shopping. But despite its significant contribution, the road to this year’s festival has been rocky. Last year, the Scottish Government pledged £100million to support the country’s arts and cultural sector in an attempt to reverse the damage caused by historic funding cuts that date back to 2008. The announcement provided a beacon of hope for many in the arts community, signalling a commitment to revitalising a sector that has faced significant financial strain over the last five years. However, the key to ensuring the successful delivery of these funds in a way that will provide tangible support and prolonged benefit to the sector is through a comprehensive plan – and unsurprisingly, that’s something which is yet to be seen. The chief executive of the Edinburgh International Festival, Francis Hegyi, is among those who have voiced concerns, warning that the lack of a strategic delivery plan may force the organisation to take drastic measures. She said that could look like anything from increasing ticket prices to shortening the duration of the festival, or even overhauling its entire business model in order to make ends meet. And it doesn’t take a genius to work out that changes like this could alter the very essence of the festival, making it far less accessible and potentially diminishing its cultural and economic impact. Click to read the full column : https://lnkd.in/eQdkUpa6

The future of The Vancouver Fringe Festival is uncertain. This year we’ve had to make the painful decision to cut back our festival by a third, and with costs increasing and COVID recovery grants drying up, we need to raise $80,000 by May 31st to sustain the festival’s future. Our mission is to continue supporting artists for years to come. But being an artist in Vancouver is tough. Rents are skyrocketing, venues are closing, and opportunities are getting lost. There’s huge competition to get your art in front of an audience, not to mention that it can be prohibitively expensive. As an artist, it’s easy to feel lost. If you want to create your own work, where do you go? That's why artists rely on the Fringe as an affordable way to produce their work. Unlike traditional performing arts presenters, Fringe Festivals return 100% of ticket profits back to the artists. We also cover artists’ costs, such as staging, audience seating, lighting and sound equipment, ticketing services, and marketing. All told, we cover 80% of what it would cost an artist to produce a show on their own. When you buy a ticket at the Fringe, you are directly supporting the artist on the stage, but when you donate to the Fringe Festival, you’re helping that artist get to the stage in the first place. Long-time Fringer Leonard Schein has stepped up to match donations. This means that you can double your impact. New monthly donations will be matched at the value of 12 months of giving, up to a total of $10,000. For us to continue for another 40 years, we need your help. If you care about the Fringe, please donate today to support the festival’s future. Donate to support the future of the Fringe today. https://bit.ly/3VhGKl2

Springtime is the kick-off of the festival season. Check out this interesting read on how the Glastonbury Festival impacts the local economy. How do YOU measure impact? https://lnkd.in/gu4BW2St #festival #article #economicreport

Go behind the scenes of Perth Concert Hall’s lighting system transformation. Generous funding received from the Wolfson Foundation, supported by the Hugh Fraser Foundation and the Forteviot Charitable Trust helped dreams become reality. ‘Lights-Up Perth Concert Hall’ was a project created by the team at Perth Concert Hall aimed at upgrading the lighting system, enriching the community’s cultural amenity, and modernising their facilities. The finished Chauvet Professional lighting upgrade has yielded multiple benefits for the venue: 💡 Environment – the team at Perth Concert Hall are focused on reducing their carbon footprint. This switch to LED allows them to align more closely with modern environmental standards due to the reduction in waste, increase in energy efficiency and lower heat production of LED in comparison to tungsten. 💡 Functionality – With LED lighting rigs the need for coloured gels or filters is eliminated. LEDs allow for instant and precise colour changes, improving flexibility and reducing maintenance. 💡 Aesthetics - LED lights offer smooth dimming without the colour shift that occurs with tungsten lights, allowing for greater control over the mood and atmosphere on stage. 💡 Economics - Though the initial purchase cost of LED fixtures can be higher, the energy savings typically result in a quicker-than-expected payback period. The costs saved by reducing energy consumption make the initial investment worthwhile, especially in venues such as Perth Concert Hall where the lights are used for extended periods for rehearsals and performances. If you want to see a video of this impressive new set up head to Perth Concert Hall’s page To read the full case study, visit the ‘Case Studies’ section on our website. #StageElectrics #wemakeperformancepossible #LightingUpgrade #LEDUpgrade #PerthConcertHall | CHAUVET Professional | Perth Theatre and Concert Hall

How to turn a farm into the world's greatest music festival? Of course, it demands a huge amount of money, people and efforts. But the return is absolutely worthy, for the producers, the sponsors and specially for those who build this event or get the ticket to enjoy it. From the perspective of a music lover, I personally think that a festival is a celebration of life for many reasons, starting from the intense emotions and the life-changing experience that it can be. But also because a festival is also a great opportunity for people who: - Build the infrastructure. - Prepare the food and deliver the drinks. - Provide security for musicians, technicians and festival goers. - Offer transportation and accomodation, among other services. This video shows how the Glastonbury festival ("Glasto") is built in 26 days, and also part of its history, from the first edition in 1970 as the "Pop Folk & Blues" festival with nearly 1000 attendants, until today, with over 400 workers and 210.000 attendants. I have not attended many festivals, but I do follow them and dream with enjoying some ones with my kids. Check the best 9 rock festivals from the link in comments (use your browser's translation tool), Which one have you seen in person or would love to go? #musicfestivals | #musicindustry | #musicbusiness | #musicbiz | #livemusic | #music | #musicmarketing

It's not much of a mystery. The post-Covid media narrative about concerts was that it was a boom-time and concerts were doing great. The reality was different and EVERYONE in the industry knew it. The reality was: * Every band wanted to tour. Because, duh, after a year or more of not touring, they wanted to get back out there and earn. * The economics of touring for many (maybe even most) of them were bad. Costs had increased and the net result was a worse business model. * Yes, there was some pent-up demand. But the supply quickly outran it, and the cancellations started. (Even back in 2022). * But overall, because of the sheer volume of shows out there, Live Nation and the other industry-spanning companies did really well. Pure volume. *And of course, some acts did incredibly well. But most didn't. Now, the tide has gone out a bit more. Not dramatically, I don't think. But enough to expose that a lot more acts were swimming naked. Metaphorically speaking. Maybe literally too. That's unrelated to this. https://lnkd.in/guKPbNwA