Agenda item

(a)       That having considered the implementation of the Theatr Clwyd Business Plan, the Committee is assured by the progress made; and

(b)       That the Committee is assured that the operational changes and modernisation currently taking place provides a sustainable model for Theatr Clwyd in the foreseeable future.

The Chief Executive introduced a progress report on the implementation of the business plan for Theatr Clwyd.  He spoke about the importance of the theatre which was held in high regard and described the Council’s support as a unique arrangement in Wales, reminding Members that this was a non-statutory service.  Whilst including some risks and challenges, the business plan provided greater independence to the theatre with less reliance on financial support from the County Council and Arts Council of Wales.  The Chief Executive took the opportunity to pay tribute to the level of financial and personal support for the theatre from the Arts Council and also thanked the Board Members and Chief Officers.

The Chief Officer, Organisational Change explained that the key components in achieving the sustainable business model were the creation of the robust business plan, the appointment of Tamara Harvey as Artistic Director, the recruitment of an Executive Director to manage the business side of the theatre, the staffing restructure, the building refurbishment using capital funding and future governance arrangements.  He said that the theatre was in a position to sustain itself with reduced financial support for the current year, and would require flexibility to manage future pressures.

The Artistic Director provided an overview of progress on performance where a more diverse range of work was now available to appeal to wider audiences.  She spoke about the generation of income from touring productions and developing a culture of new writing through different plays.  A measured approach would be taken to the development of an Annual Report to provide guidance on business and artistic elements.  A 3% cut in funding from the Arts Council had been better than predicted and was possibly in recognition of the theatre’s place in arts across Wales.  More creative solutions were being explored to deliver services due to a reduction in the production budget and information was shared on initiatives on working with young people, developing community partnerships and increasing the commerciality of the theatre.  Confirmation on eligibility to claim Theatre Tax Relief was particularly welcomed and had been achieved through close working with Council officers.  The new staff structure met management ambitions whilst resolving a mix of practicalities, financial and artistic concerns, and a draft Housing Agreement was currently under consideration.  The valuable contributions of Trade Union and Council colleagues were noted on this work.  A newly appointed Director of Marketing was due to start imminently and two other key posts would be recruited: a Director of Operations to build the commercial side of the theatre and a Director of Development to explore new revenue streams.  The re-designation of a post had created an Associate role to focus on capital development projects, such as the £60,000 funding from Welsh Government to be used on short-term building refurbishments.  The Artistic Director concluded by referring to her comments included in the theatre’s latest brochure on the unique status of the theatre in Wales and her pride in its offer to communities which she felt was an extraordinary achievement by the Council.

Councillor Paul Shotton commended the excellent work done, in particular the decoration of the tunnel from the car park leading to the theatre with help from local pupils.  In response to questions, the Artistic Director advised that members of the Community Engagement team would be involved in the forthcoming Urdd National Eisteddfod, together with other festivals in Wales.  When asked about the potential impact from the new theatre in Chester, she assumed that there would be some effect however there would also be opportunities for collaboration in supporting arts across the region and sharing marketing initiatives.  In respect of theatre tax relief, it was not possible to claim retrospectively, therefore the first claim would start from the January 2016 season.

The progress made to date was also welcomed by Councillor Ian Dunbar who asked whether the work with young people would provide opportunities for all schools to be involved.  The Artistic Director said that the aim was to build community partnerships by working with different schools and their feeder schools to capture a wider range of young people.  She thanked Members for their positive comments on the progress of the theatre which had been achievable due to the significant contributions made by Terry Hands in his former role.  On further questions, she spoke about advance advertising of productions to help with school planning and the development of a digital marketing strategy alongside the distribution of brochures which were recognised as important to the audience base.

Following a query from Councillor Nigel Steele-Mortimer on funding from the Council, the Chief Officer, Organisational Change explained that the £150K reduction in 2016/17 was the remainder of the two-year saving of £350K.  The total grant for 2016/17 was around £650K, a reduction of £1m from two years ago.  The Chief Executive referred to the 30% reduction targets for all Council services including the theatre, other than education and social care, which were broadly being met.  He spoke about the significant reforms implemented as part of the robust business plan of the theatre, including complex work on staff restructuring with excellent support from Trade Union colleagues.

Councillor Dave Mackie welcomed the positive changes and progress made by the Artistic Director since her appointment, with the support of the Chief Executive and Chief Officers.  The Artistic Director pointed out that whilst significant work had been done to create a more sustainable and efficient model, it was important to acknowledge that this was a challenging period with large-scale cuts to funding and that further achievements were dependent on continued support.

The Chief Executive highlighted the importance of financial support from the Arts Council and spoke about the limitations on capital Council funding over the coming years which would require recognition and support from Welsh Government for supplementary funding.  The Chief Officer, Organisational Change said that the impact from the reduction in funding had been lessened through more innovative ways of working.

Following comments by Councillor Andy Dunbobbin on the role of the theatre in tourism, the Artistic Director referred to partnership initiatives such as the Family for All The Family and work with bodies such as Visit Wales to create opportunities to promote tourism in Wales.

When asked by Councillor Chris Dolphin about plans for the cinema, the Artistic Director said that attendance had increased and that the longer-term aim was to extend the range of the cinema offer to give customers a different experience to that of larger, multiplex cinemas.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That having considered the implementation of the Theatr Clwyd Business Plan, the Committee is assured by the progress made; and

(b)       That the Committee is assured that the operational changes and modernisation currently taking place provides a sustainable model for Theatr Clwyd in the foreseeable future.