Annual Review

09/10ANNUAL REVIEW Cover Image: The Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall ANNUAL REVIEW 09/10 3 CHAIRMAN’S FOREWORD 4 CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT 6 ARTISTIC DIRECTOR’S REPORT 9 THE WORLD’S MOST INSPIRING CENTRE FOR THE ARTS 15 HAYWARD GALLERY 16 CLASSICAL MUSIC 18 ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE 19 SAISON POETRY LIBRARY 20 ARTISTIC HIGHLIGHTS 26 DONORS AND SUPPORTERS 31 cOMMERCIAL UPDATE 35 FINANCIAL UPDATE 36 STAFF AND BOARD ‘We are determined to continue at the high levels we have achieved both creatively and commercially’ 2 Chairman’s Foreword RICK HAYTHORNTHWAITE Of course Southbank Centre’s pre-eminence as a standard bearer for classical music would not be possible without our Resident Orchestras. Par- ticular highlights were the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s magnificent celebrations of the works of Sibelius and Schnittke whilst the Philharmo- nia Orchestra’s intense Viennese exploration, City of Dreams, culminated in a breathtaking performance of Berg’s Wozzeck. We are very grateful to our neighbours Shell for their continuing sponsorship and indeed, we much appreciate the commitment of all our donors and supporters. Without their involvement so much of our work would not be possible. We are now three years on from the successful re-opening of the Royal Festival Hall in June 2007, Rick Haythornthwaite, which formed the first phase of our development Chairman of the site. This year we have focussed our atten- tion on investing in the rest of Southbank Centre’s I am delighted that, despite the financial challeng- historic buildings and spaces across our 21 acres. es of the past year, Southbank Centre is continu- We are delighted to be working with London Eye, ing to flourish both artistically and operationally Shell, Lambeth Council and the local community under the stewardship of our new Chief Executive, on the landscaping of Jubilee Gardens, which will Alan Bishop, and our Artistic Director, Jude Kelly. be transformed into a haven of trees and gently un- The past year has seen 3.3 million people using dulating lawns ahead of the London 2012 Olympics. the Royal Festival Hall and 21.5 million visitors to We are closely examining how we can continue our site, and increasing numbers of those that vis- to improve the Hayward Gallery and the Queen it our site to socialise and shop go on to buy tickets Elizabeth Hall, which have been a central part of to our events. this site’s artistic life since their construction in the Southbank Centre aims to be the world’s most 1960s. We are particularly grateful to Arts Council inspiring centre for the arts. Given the vitality of the England for a vital grant which allowed us to carry artistic programme, the way we nurture our artists out essential repair and renewal work to the Hay- and the quality of experience for visitors and audi- ward Gallery in the early part of 2010. ences, it seems clear that we are well on our way to I work with a number of remarkable people here succeeding in our mission. at Southbank Centre. Following the streamlining of The phenomenal success of the week-long Board process and structures, we welcomed three residency of conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the new members to our Board of Governors: Julian Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela in April Lloyd Webber, Cornelius Medvei and Jamie Ritb- 2009 was proof of this. As I wrote in last year’s re- lat. All three bring exceptional talent and skills, and port, two of their Shell Classic International shows strengthen our Board immensely. I would also like had sold out over 10 months in advance. This was to thank Baroness Young of Hornsey, Mark Ball and a clear indication of the excitement that was to Michael Hamlyn, who left the Board this year, for come. Their performances met with rapturous re- their tireless work during their time with us and the sponses from audiences and critics, with 60,000 invaluable contributions they have made. people flocking to the Royal Festival Hall to see As we look ahead to what will be a demand- their shows. Their residency set a benchmark for ing future, Southbank Centre is determined to participation in classical music, with 4,600 under- continue at the high levels we have achieved both 16s attending concerts, and even more attending creatively and commercially. These are challenging the open rehearsals and watching free live relays of times – and I am excited about the future. With the the performances in The Clore Ballroom. That week 60th anniversary of the Festival of Britain in 2011 epitomised Southbank Centre’s approach: deliver- and the Olympics in 2012 opening up a myriad of ing the highest standards in artistic excellence to- fascinating opportunities, we will continue to show gether with enthusiastic participation and engage- the world Southbank Centre at its incomparable, Riverside Terrace ment by people of all ages and backgrounds. innovative and inspirational best. 3 Chief Executive’s Report ALAN BISHOP My first full year at Southbank Centre has been exhilarating. It is a unique place with a warm and inclusive outlook that offers an unrivalled experience. Its history, stretching back to the 1951 Festival of Britain, offers a sense of legacy and perspective in everything we do; our central loca- tion puts us physically at the heart of the capital’s cultural life. Thanks to its creativity and world- class facilities it is able to reach out to both audiences and artists in a way few other places can. The vision of our Artistic Director, Jude Kelly, is a constant inspiration to me. I am proud of all that we have achieved, particularly during these more straitened times. With 21.5 million visitors from all parts of the country and all over the world coming here every year, Southbank Centre has become the fo- Alan Bishop, cal destination of our capital city and the major Chief Executive showpiece of our public and cultural realm. Even though we run ourselves efficiently and derive as the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Me- much benefit as possible from all the commercial dia and Sport, when he said that however tough opportunities we can develop, we could still not the spending round we face may be, we must cover the basic costs of maintaining this site and never forget that our responsibility for the arts opening the buildings every day without the sub- and culture is one that is not simply for this gen- stantial core funding from the Arts Council. This eration, but for many generations to come. I see year in particular we could not have kept the Hay- it as my duty to fulfil the hopes and expectations ward Gallery open without the Arts Council’s ad- of the millions of visitors to the site, of the artists ditional capital funding for repairs and renewals. that perform here and of all those who benefit We also owe a debt of gratitude to all the or- from our superlative participation and education ganisations and individuals – be they artists, programmes, and to ensure that Southbank Cen- funders, donors or audience members – who have tre remains a world-class destination for creative enabled the site to blossom both artistically and endeavour, both now and into the future. commercially over the past year. It is for these reasons that we are making our To this end I am pleased to report that the fi- own operations as efficient as possible. We have nancial results for this year exceeded expecta- re-tendered all our major contracts and are ex- tions. In 2009/10 operating income exceeded ploring the potential efficiencies from sharing £40m for the second year in a row. This, coupled operational support services. Since we attract with prudent financial management and efficien- millions of visitors each year, we are also look- cy savings, has resulted in a good break-even po- sition. Despite the challenging economic environ- ment, box office income has held up well and the ‘ I see it as my duty to fulfil shops, restaurants and cafés on the site continue to trade strongly. These good financial results are the hopes and expectations a tribute to the enduring success of Southbank of the millions of visitors Centre. Thanks to the sheer scale and quality of the excellent artistic offering we are able to draw to the site’ millions of customers to our site, which in turn spurs on the admirable consistency in our coming at ways of increasing our commercial income mercial income and sponsorship. through developing our site and examining fur- I am under no illusions about the tough times ther opportunities for the expansion of our retail that lie ahead. During a time of austerity it is vi- offering. Meanwhile, steps have been taken to tal to consider how best to weather the economic further enhance Southbank Centre’s Executive storm whilst upholding the vibrancy of Southbank Team. Given our expanding range of international Centre’s artistic life. I agreed with Jeremy Hunt, projects, co-commissions and partnerships, we 4 Vladimir Jurowski conducts have appointed Vicky Cheetham as the new Di- crowds outdoors on Southbank Centre Square the Lo ndon Philharmonic rector of Arts Administration, to further develop in the summer and sold out the Queen Elizabeth Orchestra our planning and producing framework. The Com- Hall in the winter. The score is now being prepared munications and Marketing departments have for use by other schools around the country. The been newly combined to address the increasing blend of art forms, the coming together of profes- convergence of external communications activi- sional and amateur performers, the reach to both ties, and Edward Venning joined Southbank Cen- local and national audiences, and the infectious tre in March as the Director of Communications energy and quality of the performance made this and Marketing.

Load more