Q1]Y OF CALGARY • RECEIVED IN COUNCIL CHAMBER MAY 1 ~ 2018 ITEM: ~ · \ CfS.2.0lj· C)6'1'l Q't ~-\r.'fou, :n Ab CITY,.., [:'QV'S l)FPI\ATMF.NT Arts Commons Message from the Chair Henry Sykes Chair ofthe Board- 2012 -2017 It has been almost ten years since notwithstanding the very difficult I joined the Board of Arts Commons, economic times we have endured over the last five of which I have served as the last many years. It is when the going Chair of the Board. I initially joined the gets tough that Calgarians excel. and board because it was, and remains, my Arts Commons is a perfect example. passionate belief that a great city is more The Board of Arts Commons has a than an accumulation of buildings and robust succession planning process. businesses. For a city to be truly great, and as a result. I have complete it needs, among other things, a vibrant confidence in the leadership of our and thriving cultural and arts community. new chair, Scott Hutcheson. I want to It needs people who want to be there thank him, and all of the members of because it's a city in which they want our Board. for their support, their to spend their lives, and raise families, wisdom. and their guidance over so and connect with other people on many many years. I also want to thank our different levels. Just as a house is not CEO, Johann Zietsman, who has built always a home. a city is not always a an exceptional team of committed and community. Reflecting on the years I have extraordinarily competent leaders. spent on the Board of Arts Commons. We are very fortunate to have such I am enormously proud of the role Arts a group of people in our City. Commons has played - and continues to I leave my position knowing that play - in making our city a community. Arts Commons is not only in good Our reach - whether through our hands. but it is in the best hands. programming, our education outreach It has been a privilege. or our community events - continues to grow. and our impact continues to deepen. I am especially pleased that we have accomplished this, and so much more, while balancing our books and creating a sustainable business. Henry W. Sykes, Q.C. Chair, Board of Directors Report to the Community 2016-17 Arts Commons National Geographic Live Explorer and Photographer Anand Varma, meets with patrons to sign autographs. © Will Young Table of Contents This Is YOUR Arts Commons Arts Commons Presents ... Message from the President PG 3 creates connections PG 12 inspires learning PG 14 Our Mandate is ... uplifts and energizes PG 16 to foster, present, and promote the arts PG 4 is for you PG 18 to provide and care for our assets PG 6 to ensure optimal access and utilization Arts Commons of our assets PG 8 Demonstrates sustainability PG 20 Thank you benefactors PG 22 Our Vision: A creative and compassionate society, inspired through the arts. Our Mission: To bring the arts ... to life. Report to the Community 2016-17 Arts Commons 3 Arts Commons This is Where the Arts Come to Life! "It was the best of times ... it was the worst of times." The economic downturn took its toll on key industries, shutting down several businesses, and many arts organizations faced extraordinary challenges. Although Arts Commons also faced challenging economic times, we are pleased that we were able to continue to bring the excitement, inspiration, and renewal of the arts to the people who walked through our doors, when they needed it most. In addition to bringing world renowned artists and award-winning productions to our stages, we continued to create accessible opportunities for our community by hosting free public events and providing complimentary tickets to those who would otherwise be unable to attend. Over the season, we hosted hundreds at our free Happenings events and distributed complimentary show tickets to over 1,700 people, with nearly 900 of those allocated to families and children. Arts Commons Presents engaged over 10,000 students in Arts Learning programs and hosted over 8,000 students at National Geographic Live education events. We shared the excellence of performers such as Mavis Staples and Ludovico Einaudi, and engaged with artists like Black Arm Band, who came all the way from Australia and shared their heritage with Indigenous students here in Calgary. In this way, we bring the arts to every life and remain grateful for the ongoing support of our patrons, donors, and sponsors. Without you, none of this would be possible. On behalf of Arts Commons and our community, I wish to thank our outgoing Chair, Henry Sykes, for his passion, dedication, leadership, and generosity over the past decade - we wish Henry well in his new endeavours! Thanks also goes out to our resident companies, community partners, artists, volunteers, media, and all three levels of Government, for your continued commitment to the arts. The following pages tell the story of both Arts Commons as a whole, including our seven resident companies, partners, and third parties, as well as the specific contribution of Arts Commons' operations and Arts Commons Presents programming. Thank you for continuing on this journey with us. We continue to welcome you to share your passion with us and are grateful for your role in our success. \ Johann F. Zietsman \ President and CEO 4 Arts Commons Report to the Community 2016-17 Our Mandate is ... to foster. present and promote the arts From trombones to ukuleles, hair salons to over 60,000 students, teachers, and to chocolate factories, comedians to families; Downstage took us on a musical world-renowned explorers, the 2016-17 journey of murder with Crime Does Not season delivered excitement, inspiration, Pay; the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra laughter, and passion at a time when our swept us away to the great beyond with community needed it most. Arts Commons their Sci-Fi Spectacular: Star Wars to Star Presents hosted globally respected Trek; and One Yellow Rabbit celebrated musicians, including pianist Ludovico 30 years, enthralling us once again Einaudi, viral sensation Jake Shimabukuro, with the variety and power of the High and blues legend Charlie Musselwhite; Performance Rodeo. Theatre Calgary immersed us in different cultures with the production of A Thousand And those are just a few of the highlights! Splendid Suns; Alberta Theatre Projects Arts Commons is honoured to be able invited us into a polygamist community to share these moments and present with Gracie; the Calgary International David Coulter and Ensemble in incredible talent, thereby enriching and Children's Festival brought imagination, A Thousand Splendid Suns. inspiring the lives of Calgarians. © Kevin Berne excitement, and the wonder of the arts "So impressed with the energy, quality and ambiance. An amazing evening!" · Patron Students and teachers at Kids fest enjoy a presentation of Jacky's African Village in the Big Secret Theatre. © Kelly Hofer Report to the Community 2016-17 Arts Commons 5 ALB -RTA THEATRE PROJECTS Arts Commons Presents THEATP.t ni/'.T CREMES ......,....,.., CONVERSATION theatre: CALGARY 6 Arts Commons Report to the Community 2016-17 Our Mandate is ... to provide and -I care for our assets Arts Commons is proud to be the throughout the space. Supported by Concert Hall was upgraded for increased custodian of Alberta's largest and most The City of Calgary through the Capital safety. Cracked and worn outflow pipes comprehensive performing arts facility. Civic Partners Grant Program, the Calgary throughout the building were also Within the walls of our building are five Foundation, and the Government of replaced to aid with effective water and theatres, a world-renowned concert hall, Canada through The Canadian Heritage sewage drainage. In the HVAC system, arts education spaces, costume and set - Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, the largest coils in the city were replaced, building shops, rehearsal spaces, visual 2,057 seats were replaced with new, significantly increasing the efficiency arts galleries, a cafe, and administrative Canadian manufactured, acoustically and effectiveness of the cooling system offices for some of the most ground balanced seating. throughout the building. Additionally, breaking and accomplished performing since 2015, Arts Commons has been arts companies in Calgary. Arts Commons To improve the accessibility of our working to replace all of the toilets, makes it a priority to maintain, as well performances for all our patrons, the faucets, and much of our plumbing with as enhance our facility to the highest hearing assistance technology was efficient, water saving fixtures that have possible standard, from seating and also upgraded in each of our venues, not only greatly decreased our water lighting, to backstage rigging and including the Big Secret and Engineered consumption building-wide, but also increased patron accessibility. Air Theatres, which previously did not improved the sanitary cleanliness of our have support for hearing assistance. facilities through autosensing technology. The five year plan for patron experience We also improved seating accessibility improvement came to its conclusion in the Jack Singer Concert Hall for From the infrastructure that keeps our during the 2016-17 season as the Jack patrons with physical impairments. building running at high efficiency, to the Singer Concert Hall was completely comfort of our patrons, Arts Commons renovated with new seating, pillar and Behind the scenes, the rigging in the strives to maintain and constantly aud ience lig hting, and floor finish ing Martha Cohen Theatre and Jack Singer improve on the assets in our care. Rigging in the Martha Cohen Theatre. © Alex Bonyun 0 litres' of water' were sa ved with Arts Co mmons' new water efficient plumbing fixtures 8 Arts Commons Report to the Community 2016-17 Our Mandate is ..