Achievements

Supporting the arts means resilience. Robyn Archer - Creative Director of the Centenary of Canberra

 

 

Queensland Ballet: International Gala Photo: David Kelly

Stretching government funding

Total revenue from corporate sponsorship, private giving and net fundraising events within the sector increased 11.9 per cent between 2009 and 2010 to $54.6 million, according to AMPAG’s Tracking Changes in Corporate Sponsorship and Private Donations 2011 survey (based on 2010 data).

In 2001 private giving from individuals made up 25 per cent of total sponsorship and donation revenue but by 2010 this had increased to 46 per cent.

The overall increase in earnings for the sector was largely as a result of private giving. One interesting characteristic of the 2010 data was that this significant increase was largely driven by two companies (making up 89 per cent of the increase) which reflects the importance of building long-term relationships but also the volatility of philanthropic gifts.

AMPAG has been conducting this survey for the past 10 years, with some financial assistance from the Australia Council. It gauges how successful the major performing arts companies have been in leveraging both private sector and government support.

For every $1 the government provides, the companies raise at least another $2 through box office, sponsorship and philanthropy. For some companies government support represents around 10 per cent of their overall turnover and for others, such as orchestras, it’s closer to 50 per cent. For all companies, private sector support is critical to their survival.

Tracking Changes in Corporate Sponsorship and Private Donations 2011 (634 KB)

Enriching school curricula

Young people are a vital audience for AMPAG’s 28 member companies. Through live music, drama, dance and opera young people experience Australian culture and stories, as well as the well-documented benefits of increased literacy, numeracy and creative thinking.

Concerned that the arts would not be included in the development of a new national curriculum, AMPAG and other peak bodies lobbied hard to have this redressed. As a result we are thrilled about the inclusion of the arts in phase two of the implementation. This means that for the first time, nationally, the performing and visual arts will be part of a student’s core curriculum alongside English, maths, history, sciences, geography and languages.

AMPAG companies staged more than 5600 educational performances to audiences of over 570,000 students in 2010, including many in regional and remote areas. Musica Viva alone reaches almost 400,000 children every year with its touring ensemble and learning programs. AMPAG companies use philanthropy, grants and charges to finance education programs.

As the then Minister for the Arts, Peter Garrett, announced on 17 April 2009, “Creativity, interpretation, innovation and cultural understanding are all sought-after skills for new and emerging industries in the 21st century. Arts education provides students with the tools to develop these skills.”

AMPAG looks forward to creating and developing new partnerships with schools as Australia readies itself to develop the talent of its young people.

Find out more at Investing in Education.

AMPAG studies on major theatre companies

AMPAG is now doing quarterly income and cost surveys of all member companies to assess the impact of the recent recession, and to help members in planning and financial forecasting.

These surveys continue the work AMPAG undertook in 2005 and 2008 with the major theatre companies around the country, to assess their viability under their funding arrangements.

The first study found that eight major Australian theatre and circus companies were facing a significant financial squeeze which forced them to cut costs in artistic and production areas, thereby reducing artistic vibrancy and opportunities. At the time of the survey, five were forecasting a cumulative deficit of $1.5 million. Partly as a result of both this study and the Australia Council’s second Funding Model Review of the major performing arts companies, an additional $9.2 million in funding over a three-year period 2008–10 was provided to these companies. The second study assessed the effect of these additional funds. It found that there was a significant impact in artistic vibrancy, marginally increased salaries and improved and extended education programs.

However, despite funding increases, companies are continuing to present smaller productions and there has been an upward trend in co-productions and buy-ins. This is done in order to control costs, which continue to rise at a much faster rate than the levels of earned income or subsidy.