Post on 25-Jun-2018
Consulting Process for the
Gravenhurst Opera House
1. An Environment Scan
2. Strategic and Business Plan
3. Marketing Plan
Introduction
• Culture is the fourth pillar of community sustainability. Gravenhurst’s future will depend to a large degree on the municipality’s investment in culture.
• Culture drives social, economic and environmental success.
• Annual subsidies to the Opera House are required for maximum community program impact and to maintain it as a well-preserved, technically up-to-date theatre facility and community resource.
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Key Market Conditions
• FT Population – 12,000
• PT Seasonal Residents – 12,000
• Growth – 5.4% (2006-2011)
• Muskoka – 60,000
• Tourism – 2,400,000 (2012)
• “Mono-Culture”
• 12.6% have a University degree
• Incomes and education lower than
Ontario average
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A subsidized range of popular and educational performing arts programming is warranted
for this community.
History of Gravenhurst
• First settled in 1861
• Now caters to tourists and cottagers
The Gravenhurst Opera House:
• Built in 1901 as a Town Hall Centre
• Municipally designated historic site
• Hosted concerts since 1947
• Restored in 1972
• 1972-1993 – Muskoka Theatre Summer Festival
• Renovated to Ontario Fire Code in 1994
The Opera House is a valuable Town historic asset.
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Muskoka Theatre Market (Supply of Venues)
Venue Driving DistanceSeating Capacity
50-199 200-399 400-799 1,500 +
Studio Theatre,
Orillia Opera House
29 min 108
Trillium Court,
Gravenhurst Opera House
- 150
Port Carling Memorial
Community Centre
25 min 268
Rene M Caisse Memorial
Theatre, Bracebridge
19 min 303
Main Stage,
Gravenhurst Opera House
- 320
Algonquin Theatre,
Huntsville Place
33 min 408
Gordon Lightfoot Aud.,
Orillia Opera House
29 min 700
Casino Rama 29 min 3030
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The GOH has a competitive advantage in its seating categories.
Current User Groups (Licensee Demand)
• Muskoka Concert Association
• Dragonfly Theatre Productions
• Muskoka Fine Films
• Chamber of Commerce
• Town Presents – ie. Youth at Heart,
Smile Theatre, Mayor’s Tea
• High Schools
• Tour Promoters
• Probus
• Rotary
• BIA
Janis A. Barlow & Associates
Audience Survey (Demand)
The GOH box office system is segmenting more audience
information. A 2014 survey resulted in 162 responses.
• In the past year, the majority of respondents attended events at
the Opera House 1-2 times.
• Audiences are most inclined to attend music, theatre and tours
by professional artists.
• Occupational sectors of audience members include Manager,
Administrative staff and Educational Services.
• Cost is one barrier to audience participation.
• There are requests for more children’s programming.
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GRAVENHURST MANDATE - Official Plan
Community Improvement Goals
• To develop a more attractive, safe and efficient
community. . .
• To provide for the continued social and economic viability of
the Town of Gravenhurst.
• To provide an environment that is attractive to new
investment in the Town of Gravenhurst.
• To encourage ongoing maintenance, rehabilitation,
upgrading . . . of the physical environment, and within a
framework of sound fiscal management.
The Opera House is an example of town goals fulfilled.
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The Gravenhurst Economic Development
Strategic Plan – 2014-2019
Expectations of the Gravenhurst Opera House:
Properly supported and leveraged, the Opera House can:
• be an important attraction for the creative classes;
• create jobs & career enhancement, especially in the arts;
• foster an entrepreneurial and creative culture;
• invigorate community pride, and;
• increase the number of visitors and seasonal residents
while improving everyone’s quality of life.
The Opera House is a key strategy in economic plans.
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Municipal Roles in Cultural Practice
• Serve individual citizen needs for expression through
community recreation facilities and programs.
• Support culturally specific space for amateur and pre-
professional development.
• Ensure a professional calibre of facility and presentation
to showcase ideas and serve the public interest.
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Spectrum of Cultural Practice
• Recreation is leisure-time activity pursued for
refreshment of body and mind.
• Amateur status describes individuals and groups who
pursue a particular activity out of love for it.
• Semi or pre-professional are those who have trained
but are not paid practitioners on a full-time basis.
• Professionals are those who have completed training,
are recognized by peers and/or are paid for services.
The Opera House is suited for recreationalists, amateur groups, semi-professional and professional groups.
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A Theatre is:
Labour intensive
Non-polluting
Renewable
Innovative
Equitable
Creative
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Gravenhurst Opera House Values
Supporting the vision, mandate
and principles of the Town’s
Recreation, Arts and Culture
Department with:
• High standards
• Accessibility
• Diversity of Programming
• A Welcoming Attitude and
• A Sense of Historical Place
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Opera House Goals (Integrating Values)
• To provide a consistently high standard of artist and audience
services to ensure an optimum quality of presentation.
• To ensure accessibility to the Opera House for audiences and local
not-for-profit arts groups.
• To attract Gravenhurst’s annual and seasonal residents, the GOH
will seek to program a diversity of arts events and activities.
• As a cultural cornerstone and ambassador of the Town, the GOH
will be welcoming to all guests and visitor to the building,
• To share and celebrate the sense of HISTORICAL PLACE that
comes alive in the Opera House.
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- Cultural
- Heritage
- Social
- Infrastructure
- Economics
Fulfilling Individual and Community Needs:
Benefits of the Performing Arts
• Providing significant economic and community impact.
• Serving as partners in social problem solving.
• Expressing ourselves, our community values, identity,
heritage, local and national culture.
• Improving the quality of community life.
• Encouraging democratic and experiential dialogues
• Hearing the alternative voices and perspectives on our
social, economic and environmental conditions.
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Performing Arts Participation
Can Reduce Drop-Out Rates, Juvenile
Delinquency, Teen Pregnancy, Racism,
Alienation and Loneliness
Arts in Education stimulate:
. . . academic achievement, social and emotional
development, civic engagement, and equitable
opportunity.
Involvement in the arts is associated with gains in math,
reading, cognitive ability, critical thinking, and verbal skill.
Arts learning can also improve motivation, concentration,
confidence, and teamwork.
Edutopia Magazine, 2009
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GOH Mission and Core Business Elements
• Who are you? - A Public Service
• Whom do you serve? - Artists (+ Community Interests)
• What do they need? - Access to Audiences and Resources
• How do you serve? - Provide Resources
• Why? - Community Wellness, Creativity
and Prosperity
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Proposed Lines of Business
Conditions: Performing arts should be offered on a
cost-recovery, sponsored or funded basis.
Primary Lines of Business:
“Rentals” - to provide facilities and resources to arts groups
Presenting – to complement users and enlarge audiences
Producing – to serve community interests with innovation
Exhibiting Film – to engage a larger audience in the GOH
Education Programs – to engage youth and emerging artists
Ancillary Lines of Business:
“Rentals” - to provide event facilities to community groups
Ticketing Services – to serve community ticketing needs
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Programming Strategy
Seek resident companies, rentals and signature series:
• Theatre for Young Audiences
• Popular, Musical and Comic Genres on Tour
• Performance Series for Full-time & Seasonal Residents
• Performances Featuring Local Residents
• Classical Series Sponsored by Local Companies
• Summer Seasonal Programs for Visitors
• Classic Film Series Sponsored by Interest Groups
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Seasonal Program and Business Focus
October – April
Rentals
Focus on resident
company use, local
user groups and tour
promoters for events,
education and
entertainment
May to September
Co-Presenting
Focus on featuring a
unique summer season
produced for all
residents and visitors
and a summer arts
camp for youth
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Functions of the Arts Management Cycle
1. Artist Relations – to serve the
artist and client groups and
enhance their presentations.
2. Audience Relations – to serve
and develop audiences and offer
hospitality to all.
3. Community Relations – to
promote the value of the arts
and develop resources.
4. Resources – to manage and
provide resources for the artists
and arts groups and ensure the
maximum benefit to the
community.Janis A. Barlow & Associates 26
Typical Delivery of Theatre Operational Goals
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Owner
Governance
Executive
Artist Relations
Mgt. & Staff
Audience Relations
Mgt. & Staff
Community Relations
Mgt. & Staff
Resource Management
Mgt. & Staff
GOH 2014: Full-Time Manager and Part-Time Staff
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Theatre Manager
Theatre Operations
Assistants (2)
Box Office Administrative Assistants (3)
Theatre Stage Technician
The 2014 staffing structure was inadequate for fulfilling economic
strategies. Town staff assist with IT, accounts, maintenance and
capital improvements. This structure lacks individuals focussed on
community relations, marketing and income development.
Municipality of Gravenhurst
Department of Recreation, Arts and Culture Services
Arts & Culture Manager
Theatre Manager
Artist/Client Relations
Tech. Director & Facility Services
Client Services Mgr.
Audience/Customer Relations
Box Office and Audience
Communications
Front of House Mgr. & Custodial
Services
CommunityRelations
Marketing & Fundraising Coordinator
ResourceManagement
Finance Mgr.
Accountant
IT Systems
Human Resources
Ownership
Governance
Management
Functions:
Team Members:
New positions – 2 recommended from 2014Existing positions
Functionally Oriented GOH Organizational Hierarchy
Proposed Annual Budget
Expenses % $
Artist & Client Relations / Programming 25% $150,000
Audience Relations / Advertising 8% $48,000
Community Relations / Marketing 2% $12,000
Human Resources 50% $300,000
Facility Occupancy (Utilities, Janitor, etc.) 13% $78,000
Administration 2% $12,000
Total Expenses 100% $600,000
Revenues % $
Earned Revenue
Ticket Sales and Concessions 25% $150,000
Contributed Revenue
Sponsors, Members, Donors 5% $30,000
Government Grants 70% $420,000
Total Revenues 100% $600,000
A $420,000 subsidy for the Opera House is comparable to the Library.
Comparing Municipal Support - 2014
Venue Fly
System
Municipal Grant
/ %
Annual
Budget
50 –
199
200 –
399
400 –
799
Mady Centre, Barrie No $398,900/76% $522,700 120 200
Gravenhurst Opera
House
Yes $405,568/73% $556,939 150 322
Orillia Opera House Yes $539,561/51% $1,054,798 108 700
Stockey Centre, Parry
Sound
No $237,926/50% $477,495 450
Oakville Centre Yes $713,020/35% $2,022,023 485
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Seating capacities, # of venues, # of professionals employed, technology
and activity all affect the need for municipal subsidy and the social and
economic impact.
A larger Municipal investment in the Opera House will improve outcomes and income.
Marketing Priorities
• Ensure audience database technology (CRM) and data collection is adequate and staff are trained in its use.
• Develop and cross reference audience lists.
• Develop audience communications plans.
• Solicit every community group, school or business in
Gravenhurst with 50 or more members for program ideas.
• Communicate new messages and images to audiences and
potential audiences and seek feedback.
• Seek program partnerships with groups that can sell tickets.
• Choose a signature series that will brand the GOH.
• Work to a three to five year plan!
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Summer Market - Theatres Across Ontario
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A summer theatre attraction in Gravenhurst has to be artist-driven, professional, distinctive and compelling.
Group Consensus on Next Steps – Nov. 2014
• Present Plans to Key GOH
Stakeholders and Refine
• Develop and Present Public
Message
• Identify Champions and
Leadership Circle for a Friends
group
• Seek Stable Multi-Year Municipal Funding for Staff, Administration and Facilities
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Proposed Repositioning
Our medium is theatre
Our strengths are people
Our result is a vibrant community
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SUMMARY
• Gravenhurst’s demographics warrant a subsidized theatre.
• The Gravenhurst Opera House is a valuable historic icon.
• The GOH has a competitive edge with its seating capacities.
• The GOH is an example of Town goals fulfilled.
• Properly financed, the GOH is a strategy in economic strategies.
• The GOH is suited for recreational, amateur, pre-professionals and
professional uses under the safe supervision of professionals.
• The GOH has been understaffed and unable to meet economic goals.
• Two new positions are recommended – one has been filled.
• A $420,000 subsidy to the GOH is comparable to the library.
• A larger Municipal investment will improve outcomes and income.
• A summer theatre has to be artist-driven, distinctive and compelling.
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