Visions, plans and soft furnishings...

Building a work of art

It is not “curtains” for Downstage. We don’t use curtains. In fact, the company has never used curtains. Our bespoke venue was built in an era when the vision was to break down the barrier between audience and actor. The flexible space was designed to immerse the spectator with in the performance. It was modern, it was daring and it was ‘state of the art’ in 1974.

As our Production Manager, Simon Rayner, recently commented, “It is a work of art, which is why it is so damn hard to work in!”

Carnival Hound  3-5 Nov 2011

Our theatre has not closed. Maria Dobrowska's Carnival Hound and new music ensemble, Stroma’s Pounamu with Warren Maxwell are scheduled for October and November, as well as another scintillating evening of Pecha Kucha. In addition, the venue is available for meetings, rehearsals, readings and workshop space.

After much speculation in the media and elsewhere, I want to take this opportunity to let you know what’s happening at Downstage and more importantly, what will be happening in the future.

Warren Maxwell with Stroma 6 Oct 

 At Downstage we run four distinct programmes: the Presenting Partners and the Resident Company programmes, plus the Community Access programme and Subsidised Venue Hire (for our strategic partners incl. NZ International Arts Festival and Capital E). Information about these programmes is available on our website.

 The decision to curtail the Presenting Partners programme (where we showcase the work of independent artists and companies) has been forced upon us as a direct result of the economic climate in which we are currently operating. This was not an easy decision. Sadly, it entailed the disestablishment of three positions meaning the loss of three dedicated team members, and two others going onto reduced hours. It also means a loss of income for Presenting Partners and associated personnel affected by the cancellations.

We are also acutely aware of the wider impact on our sponsors, suppliers and other local business; restaurants, bars, taxis. Downstage is a part of Wellington’s regional economy, and what affects one part of the community will always affect others. Our Board are committed to strengthening our financial base and understands the benefit we bring not just to the social and cultural life of Wellington but our economic impact on this community. Their actions were prudent and responsible and were made with the long-term in mind.

The support and goodwill I have received from many of those directly affected and the broader industry has been gratifying.  We appreciate your backing and offer of assistance, especially those of you who live and work in other regions around the country. It means a lot that you are thinking of us.

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As a team, we care deeply about the New Zealand theatre industry, the artists and their work. We believe in the value the Presenting Partnership model and its capacity to deliver in terms of creating futures for our artists, platforms for our stories, and inspirational entertainment for our audience.  Our task now is to strengthen the support structures around this model, to develop a secure and stable base that enables us to weather the inevitable market fluctuations.

Our theatre is undercapitalised. Since 2008 the situation has been made more acute by a significant drop in funding from Creative New Zealand. This year, CNZ has endorsed the Presenting Partners programme and increased both the amount and the duration of its funding commitment. That funding remains, however, 35% below the pre-2008 level, without adjusting for inflation.

What this means is our theatre has leaned more and more on the box office revenue to sustain the overhead costs of the building and staff, which have remained steady since before the funding reduction. For two of the previous three years we managed this, delivering a small budget surplus. This year, however, was a different story.

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There is no question we have work to do in developing a taste and appreciation for locally-produced, contemporary New Zealand theatre works that is the backbone of our programming. We must continue to set ourselves apart in the local market and champion our unique identity.

However, I believe that securing the long-term stability of our theatre, and with it the future of our independent creative artists, lies with our foundations.  That is why the Board and I are tasked with seeking capital investment in the theatre. The Presenting Partners programme carries its own weight; it’s our responsibility to enable the theatre to sustain itself.

This has always been my vision for Downstage, and developing the company’s core financial strength is the smart business solution which will achieve it. This has always been the plan for the post 2011 phase. It’s regrettable that the events of this year have meant we are moving into this phase ahead of schedule, and that people’s livelihoods have been affected. On the positive, the months ahead are a window of opportunity for us to make headway on these strategic changes faster, and more comprehensively, than we may have done otherwise.

Imagine a situation where sponsorship, donations, even core funding was invested as capital, creating a means by which the theatre is a self-sustaining, secure base of operations for the artwork. The programming could then take the full measure of its generated revenue, allowing us to reinvest in developing artwork, creating collaborations, enhancing productions, and taking New Zealand theatre to the world.

All this is possible.

I am very excited about the future.

HB