Belvoir Annual Report 2010
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Belvoir Annual Report 2010 Belvoir Annual Report 2010 25 Belvoir St, Surry Hills NSW 2010 admin +61 (0)2 9698 3344 fax +61 (0)2 9319 3165 box office +61 (0)2 9699 3444 [email protected] belvoir.com.au Toby Schmitz & Robin McLeavy in Measure for Measure. Photo: Heidrun Löhr. Contents The Belvoir Story 02 Core Values, Principles and Mission 03 Chair’s Report 04 Artistic Director’s Report 06 General Manager’s Report 08 New Artistic Director’s Note 11 2010 Season and Tours 12 B Sharp 26 Creative and Artistic Development 28 Awards 29 Education 30 Board and Staff 33 Donors 34 Partners and Government Supporters 36 Financial Statements 37 Key Performance Indicators 38 Directors’ Report 40 Statement of Comprehensive Income 44 Statement of Financial Position 45 Statements of Cash Flows and Changes in Equity 46 Notes to the Financial Statements 47 Auditor’s Independence Declaration and Report 56 01 The Belvoir Story Core Values and Principles One building. • Belief in the primacy of the Six hundred people. artistic process Thousands of stories. • Clarity and playfulness in One dream. storytelling • A sense of community within the theatrical environment When the Nimrod Theatre building in Belvoir Belvoir’s position as one of Australia’s most • Responsiveness to current Street, Surry Hills, was threatened with innovative and acclaimed theatre companies demolition in 1984, more than 600 people has been determined by such landmark social and political issues – ardent theatre lovers together with arts, productions as The Diary of a Madman, The • Equality, ethical standards and entertainment and media professionals – Blind Giant is Dancing, Cloudstreet, Measure shared ownership of artistic formed a syndicate to buy the building and for Measure, Keating!, Parramatta Girls, Exit and company achievements save this unique performance space in the King, The Alchemist, Hamlet, Waiting inner-city Sydney. for Godot, The Sapphires, Who’s Afraid of • Development of our Virginia Woolf? and Stuff Happens. Over 25 years later, this space, known as performers, artists and staff Belvoir St Theatre, continues to be the home Belvoir receives government support for of one of Australia’s most celebrated theatre its activities from the Federal Government companies – Belvoir. Under the artistic through the Major Performing Arts Board leadership of Ralph Myers and General of the Australia Council and the State Manager Brenna Hobson, Belvoir engages Government through Arts NSW. Australia’s most prominent and promising Mission playwrights, directors, actors and designers to realise an annual season of work that is dynamic, challenging and visionary. As well To produce theatrical works as performing at home, Belvoir regularly from a shared vision that takes to the road, touring to major arts centres and festivals both nationally and question and affirm our culture, internationally. extend and develop our artists and provide audiences with Both the Upstairs and Downstairs stages at Belvoir St Theatre have nurtured the talents experiences of imaginative of many renowned Australian artists: actors daring and emotional depth. including Geoffrey Rush, Cate Blanchett, Catherine McClements, Deb Mailman and Richard Roxburgh; writers such as Tommy Murphy, Jonathan Gavin, Lally Katz and Kate Mulvany; directors including Benedict Andrews, Wesley Enoch, Rachael Maza Long and former Belvoir Artistic Director Neil Armfield. 02 Susie Porter in That Face. Photo: Brett Boardman. Chair’s Report Louise Herron Continuum has a lovely with the company, including Simon Stone definition: a gradual (Resident Director), Eamon Flack (Associate transition from one Director – New Projects) and Anthea Williams condition to a different (Literary Manager). The gardening analogy he condition, without any used at the launch seemed particularly apt: abrupt changes. he feels he has been handed a well-cared-for garden that he is going to tend, fertilise and It would have been harvest for our collective pleasure. I have hard to imagine, even every confidence he will. five years ago, a post- Neil Belvoir. But as the 2010 was not without challenges, the most number of plays directed by people other notable has been planning the move away than Neil increased, as our education and from the parity system under which all artists Indigenous work flourished, as we changed and administrative staff at Belvoir are paid the Ralph, Neil and Belvoir artists gather for the Season 2011 media call. Photo: Heidrun Löhr. to Brenna Hobson as General Manager, same hourly rate. As I reported last year, the as our Board evolved and our physical NSW Government has committed to funding There were a number of changes to the I would also like to thank the other very home and theatre were made secure, we half of the cost of the move away from Board in 2010. We were sad to see Mary active and expert members of the board: got the sense that a post-Neil Belvoir was parity ($320,000 per year) for five years. The Vallentine’s six-year term end. Mary brought Michael Coleman who chairs the Finance achievable. Commonwealth Government was able to a deep understanding of arts administration, sub-committee; Andrew Cameron for his commit to one year’s funding for the shift; we Neil has been endlessly gracious and caring as well as her discipline and incisive candour. endless ideas and generosity; Peter Carroll are continuing to work with them and expect about Belvoir and the transition to Ralph, We wish her every success in her role as for his representation of artists; Gail Hambly to secure additional ongoing funding for which has been a three-year process: CEO of the Melbourne Recital Centre. In who has worked intensely with Brenna on this purpose. More on this issue in Brenna’s determining the most appropriate people to the move away from parity and the Belvoir • In the first year, 2009, we came to terms report, along with our significant decision to be nominated for Board positions, we look at staff representative whose input is always with Neil’s decision and selected Ralph replace B Sharp with Belvoir-produced work the skills required on the Board. As a result welcome. Myers as Neil’s successor. Ralph’s in our Downstairs Theatre. we made four appointments in 2010: appointment was universally well received Artistically, it was a most successful year, We were delighted by The Balnaves as bold, exciting and generation-changing. • Rob Brookman (previously General as described in more detail in Brenna’s Foundation’s three-year commitment to us. Manager of the Sydney Theatre Company) report. It is enormously satisfying to think • 2010 was Neil’s last season. Meanwhile Their significant donation will be used to and Rachel Healy (previously Director of what was achieved: new works, new Ralph planned and launched his 2011 present Indigenous theatre in both theatres. of Performing Arts at the Sydney Opera directors and co-productions staged, season. We ended the year with a cracking We are ever grateful to our corporate partner House) for their arts administration skills touring (including to South Korea!) and the party at the Town Hall to thank Neil. It Optus and our major sponsors including and knowledge of theatre in particular; crescendo of The Diary of a Madman. What is hard to imagine how our collective Baker & McKenzie, UXC and Ernst & Young. a triumph. It is with pleasure that we present appreciation could have been more Our government partners are also very • Anne Britton (Administrative Appeals the resulting accounts, showing a modest appropriately and deeply expressed. important. Tribunal) boosts our government relations surplus for 2010. and, together with Gail Hambly, assisted • Now in 2011, Ralph has assumed the role Special thanks to our growing number of Brenna on the parity negotiations with the My sincere thanks to Brenna, Ralph, Neil, of Artistic Director and it feels as if we are loyal donors, including an unexpected and Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance; Richard Drysdale (Finance), Katy Wood achieving the continuum. most welcome bequest. The donors to the (Development) and all other members of staff Creative Development Fund and the Chair’s • Frank Macindoe (JB Were) will help the Ralph’s season launch was full of his unique and artists that made 2010 such a success. Group, as well as all our other donors, allow company with new sponsorships, through energy and freshness. No abrupt change We are well pleased with the continuum us to give Ralph freedom to shape Belvoir’s his corporate contacts. but without missing a beat, we adopted which, without you, would not have been theatrical works. These donations provide the new chair logo and returned, from possible. We are in good shape. Company B Belvoir, to the name ‘Belvoir’. financial support for activities that we could Ralph has gathered a stunningly able group not fund from our normal operating budget. Louise of associates, some new and some already 04 05 Two years ago Scott Rankin and Trevor Outside of our main Upstairs season we Artistic Director’s Report Jamieson brought their beautiful also produced a few ‘add-ons’. Downstairs Neil Armfield Big hArt Ngapartji Ngapartji to Belvoir. To Eamon Flack directed Robert Menzies commemorate the 50th anniversary of the in a beautifully sculpted performance of death of the great Australian painter, they Beckett’s short story The End. Then Wesley returned in 2010 with Namatjira. Co-directed Enoch directed a new production (Belvoir/ by Scott and Wayne Blair, Trevor was at Black Swan State Theatre Company) of his So now I face the balloons, Amber McMahon and a marvellous the centre, supported in a brilliant debut sensational 2004/5 hit The Sapphires by bitter-sweet duty of ensemble of men made Hare’s demanding performance by Derek Lynch (for which he Tony Briggs, with the irrepressible Casey delivering my final narrative explicit, vivid and funny.