Belvoir Annual Report 2014 A Contents This Is Our Company 02 Core Values, Principles and Mission 03 Chair’s Report 04 Artistic Director’s Report 06 Executive Director’s Report 08 2014 Season and Tours 10 Co-producer Season 24 Education 33 Artistic and Programming 36 Marketing 38 Development 40 Donors 42 Board and Staff 44 Financial Statements 48 Key Performance Indicators 50 Directors’ Report 52 Directors’ Meetings 56 Auditor’s Independence Declaration 56 Statement of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income 57 Statement of Financial Position 58 Statements of Changes in Equity and Cash Flows 59 Notes to the Financial Statements 60 Directors’ Declaration 70 Auditor’s Report 71 Partners, Sponsors and Supporters 72 B Rarriwuy Hick in Brothers Wreck. Photo: Brett Boardman. This Is Our Company Core Values and Principles One building. • Belief in the primacy of the artistic process Six hundred people. • Clarity and playfulness in storytelling Thousands of stories. • A sense of community within the theatrical environment When the theatre in an old tomato sauce Belvoir’s position as one of Australia’s most factory at 25 Belvoir Street was threatened innovative and acclaimed theatre companies • Responsiveness to current social and political issues with redevelopment in 1984, more than 600 has been determined by such landmark • Equality, ethical standards and shared ownership of people – passionate lovers and makers of productions as The Glass Menagerie, Angels theatre – formed a syndicate to buy the in America, The Wild Duck, The Diary of artistic and company achievements building and save it. a Madman, The Blind Giant is Dancing, • Development of our performers, artists and staff The Book of Everything, Cloudstreet, It was an act of love, to theatre and to Keating!, Parramatta Girls, Exit the King, The our city. Alchemist, Hamlet, Waiting for Godot, The Thirty years later, Belvoir is still going strong Sapphires, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, – producing fresh, dynamic and challenging Stuff Happens and Medea. work here in Surry Hills. Belvoir has nurtured We love playing at our home in Surry Hills but Mission the finest theatrical talents in this country – our work also goes further afield to regional actors, writers, directors, designers and arts Australia, other capital cities and to overseas workers. We fill our two beautiful theatres To produce theatrical works from a shared festivals and venues. Australian artists are year-round with performances that are vision that question and affirm our culture, fantastic cultural ambassadors and we are visionary, bold and risky. extend and develop our artists, and provide pleased to play our part. We believe in the Both the Upstairs and Downstairs stages intrinsic value of theatre and in its power to audiences with experiences of imaginative have nurtured the talents of many renowned change our society for the better. daring and emotional depth. Australian artists: actors including Geoffrey Belvoir receives government support for Rush, Cate Blanchett, Toby Schmitz, its activities from the federal government Robyn Nevin, Deb Mailman and Richard through the Major Performing Arts Board Roxburgh; writers such as Tommy Murphy, of the Australia Council and the state Rita Kalnejais, Lally Katz and Kate Mulvany; government through Arts NSW. directors including Simon Stone, Anne- Louise Sarks, Benedict Andrews, Wesley Enoch, Rachael Maza and former Belvoir Artistic Director Neil Armfield. Acknowledgement We show our respect and acknowledge the Traditional owners of the land on which Belvoir St Theatre is built: the Gadigal tribe of the Eora Nation. We pay respect to their Ancestors and Elders past, present and future. Matthew Whittet & Mandy McElhinney in Cinderella rehearsals. 02 Photo: Brett Boardman. Chair’s Report Awards Andrew Cameron AM Belvoir garnered fi ve industry awards in 2014. 2014 was another career with great interest. He has made an Each year the program supports one 2014 Helpmann Awards ambitious year for enormous contribution to Belvoir. production in the Downstairs Theatre Best Play Belvoir. Again this (this year it was Cinderella) and, in Following a detailed search, in late 2014 we Angels in America year we presented collaboration with Playwriting Australia, were thrilled to announce the appointment Best Female Actor in a Supporting 13 productions in supports one resident playwright – this of Eamon Flack as the new Artistic Director Role in a Play total – nine in the year, Jada Alberts. of Belvoir – responsible for the 2016 season Robyn Nevin (Angels in America) Upstairs and four in the onwards. Eamon is on staff at Belvoir Financially we are pleased to report a Downstairs Theatre. Of 2014 Sydney Theatre Awards already, as Associate Director – New break-even result in very demanding these, eight were new Best Newcomer Projects, and knows the company well. We trading conditions. Belvoir is not afraid writing commissions. Hunter Page-Lochard are confi dent the transition will go smoothly. to take risks in programming, and while This has created a some of our brave artistic choices are Best Ensemble Cast large amount of work for young Australian During the year we further developed the very important for the development of Is This Thing On? theatre-makers – actors, writers, directors, range and breadth of our international theatre practice in Australia and for the designers and production teams. We are touring. Our production of The Wild Best Lighting Design of company, they do not always sell out. proud of the quality and quantity of work we Duck played to great acclaim as part a Mainstage Production We remain committed to taking our continue to make in our two theatres, and of the Barbican Centre’s International Benjamin Cistern (A Christmas Carol) work to the world, but this touring often the opportunities we create in the industry. Ibsen Season in London. The Guardian requires subsidies from our ongoing newspaper ranked it one of the Top Ten 2014 also represented a signifi cant operations. As an organisation and theatre productions of the year. We also milestone for the company. It had been 30 at Board level, we have had to make toured shows to Mexico, Scotland and years since Belvoir St Theatre had been some tough choices and I would like to Europe, with Thyestes enjoying seasons in saved in 1984 from redevelopment by the thank all the hardworking members of Germany and at the Holland Festival. tenacity of two theatre workers – Chris the Belvoir Board for their commitment, Westwood and Sue Hill – and a group of Once again, we were delighted to be able to skill and fi nancial support. committed, theatre-loving individuals who present productions at Belvoir using funds None of what we have achieved bought shares in the building. We celebrated from the Creative Development Fund and in 2014 would have been possible this anniversary with a lively, joyous the Chair’s Group. These are two of our without the outstanding Belvoir team afternoon in the theatre, which brought valued donor groups that raise funds for and the leadership of Executive together many of the original shareholders Belvoir projects and productions, and both Director, Brenna Hobson. Brenna has who had saved Belvoir three decades ago. ensure that we can extend our reach and worked tirelessly and with great skill to ambition. We are grateful for this support. Towards the end of 2014, Ralph Myers strengthen the company internally and decided to step down as Artistic Director We are again extremely grateful to The broaden Belvoir’s activities and profi le after fi ve years with the company and Balnaves Foundation for their ongoing in the community. Finally, without the having programmed fi ve Belvoir seasons commitment to Belvoir towards supporting artistic leadership provided by Ralph (2011–2015). He leaves us at the end our Indigenous productions. In 2014, The Myers and the talented creative teams of 2015. Ralph’s tenure at Belvoir has Balnaves Foundation supported the staging who have worked at Belvoir during been transformative. He has overseen of Brothers Wreck and 20 Questions. 2014 we would not have the many generational change at the company – The third annual Balnaves Foundation productions that have sustained, artistically and within our audience. With Indigenous Playwright’s Award was intrigued and delighted us this year. great panache Ralph stepped into Neil awarded to writer/director/performer Leah They have played to great acclaim in Armfi eld’s shoes, and immediately threw Purcell for her ambitious proposed work – a our beloved Belvoir St Theatre, around himself into the artistic role with vision and radical adaptation of Henry Lawson’s The Australia and overseas. On behalf of determination. While respecting the Belvoir Drover’s Wife. the Board, I thank and congratulate all tradition he has nurtured and developed The Hive, our group of young, enthusiastic of the staff and artists. the careers of a whole new generation supporters, continued to gather momentum, Andrew of Australian theatre-makers. We all wish and has yielded some exciting outcomes. Ralph well for his future and will watch his Actors and original shareholders Keith Robinson & Barry Otto at our 30th Anniversary Shareholders Party. Photo: Patrick Boland. 04 Artistic Director’s Report Ralph Myers Being an Artistic I also delivered the Philip Parsons Memorial – The moment that Greg Stone found his – Peter Carroll – one of the legends of the Director is a great Lecture in November. I might have ruffled trousers onstage in The Government Australian stage – giving ‘the performance pleasure. I know I’m a few feathers (I got called a ‘borderline Inspector, having just played the whole of his lifetime’ (to quote The Australian) in just being wistful and racist’ in the SMH for poking other white third act in his undies (and Rob Menzies’ Adena Jacobs’ eviscerating re-dreaming romantic because I’m men!) but it was a great opportunity to distil face when he noticed that, despite having of Oedipus Rex.