ADELAIDE FESTIVAL CORPORATION 2018-19 Annual Report ADELAIDE FESTIVAL CORPORATION Level 9, 33 King William Street, Adelaide, 5000 www.adelaidefestival.com.au Contact phone number: +61(8)82164444 Contact email: [email protected] ISSN: 0431 Date presented to Minister: 27 September 2019 Adelaide Festival Corporation Annual Report 2018/19 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT for the Adelaide Festival Corporation To: Hon Steven Marshall MP Premier of South Australia Dear Premier, This annual report will be presented to Parliament to meet the statutory reporting requirements of the Adelaide Festival Corporation Act 1998 and the requirements of Premier and Cabinet Circular PC013 Annual Reporting. This report is verified to be accurate for the purposes of annual reporting to the Parliament of South Australia. Submitted on behalf of the Adelaide Festival Corporation by: Rob Brookman Executive Director Adelaide Festival Corporation 27 September 2019 2 | P a g e 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT for the Adelaide Festival Corporation From the Executive Director The 2019 Adelaide Festival was one of the most successful in its distinguished 59 - year history, with stellar artistic achievements matched by record-breaking box office receipts, excellent financial results and great outcomes for the State in terms of economic impact. Curated by Joint Artistic Directors Neil Armfield AO and Rachel Healy, the 2019 Adelaide Festival was steeped in exclusive events, standing ovations and critical acclaim. It set a new record with the biggest box office takings in the event’s history, achieving a total box office income of $6,056,904. This represents a 32% increase on the previous box office record set by Armfield and Healy’s second program in 2018. The 2019 Adelaide Festival offered more than 70 events in theatre, contemporary and classical music, opera, dance, forums, food and visual arts – including unique local programs Adelaide Writers’ Week, WOMADelaide and Chamber Landscapes at UKARIA Cultural Centre. Sold out events included: The Magic Flute, Two Feet, Un Poyo Rojo, La Reprise, 13 Ways to Look At Birds, The Stretensky Monastery Choir, Uncle Vanya and many of the Chamber Landscapes concerts at UKARIA. A total audience of more than 355,000 attended Adelaide Festival events (including WOMADelaide). Ticketed attendances of audiences were in excess of 75,000 and interstate audiences accounted for 24% of ticket sales. Audiences of more than 48,000 attended the Festival’s free visual art exhibitions which included Quilty at the Art Gallery of South Australia, The Violet Ballet at ACE Open, Roger Ballen at GAGPROJECTS and Adelaide//International at Anne & Gordon Samstag Museum of Art. The much-anticipated debut Adelaide Writers’ Week from Director Jo Dyer attracted a crowd of more than 85,000 to the Pioneer Women’s Memorial Garden where 119 Writers from Australia and around the world featured in six days of free open-air readings, panel sessions and literary conversations from March 2 to 7. Other free programming included the highly popular Breakfast with Papers and Festival Forums on board the Festival Palais. The Adelaide Festival schools program continues to grow with attendances of 3,425 39 different schools attending 45 separate performances and workshops across 19 different events. Corporate growth and philanthropic support again contributed to the success of the Festival not only hitting all targets (16% of Festival revenue) in 2019 but ensuring as many people as possible were able to access the best the Adelaide Festival has to offer through such programs as the Pay What You Can program. 3 | P a g e 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT for the Adelaide Festival Corporation The 2019 Adelaide Festival again proved its importance to the South Australian economy, generating an estimated gross expenditure of $76.8 million for the State, the strongest economic impact result in the Festival’s history. Over 19,000 visitors came from interstate or overseas for the Festival, with visitor bed nights increasing to 141,258 (up from 138,021 in 2018). Net impact on Gross State Product is estimated at $23 million (up 10%), including the creation of the equivalent of 216 full time jobs. While the Festival’s economic impact is important, that value sits alongside its cultural and reputational significance. Its economic impact is of course only possible because of the Adelaide Festival’s catalytic role in bringing audiences and communities together with the world’s greatest performers, writers and artists. Finally, the overall financial outcome for the Festival was also very pleasing with a surplus of $411,000 being recorded for the Financial Year 2018/19. This saw the Festival move another step towards its financial goal of achieving a prudent level of reserves of 20% of annual turnover. Rob Brookman Executive Director Adelaide Festival 4 | P a g e 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT for the Adelaide Festival Corporation Contents Contents .................................................................................................................... 5 Overview: about the agency .................................................................................... 7 Our strategic focus .................................................................................................. 7 Our organisational structure .................................................................................... 8 Changes to the agency ....................................................................................... 8 Our Minister ............................................................................................................ 8 Our Executive team ................................................................................................ 8 Legislation administered by the agency .................................................................. 9 The agency’s performance ...................................................................................... 9 Performance at a glance ......................................................................................... 9 Agency contribution to whole of Government objectives ....................................... 10 Agency specific objectives and performance ........................................................ 11 Corporate performance summary ......................................................................... 13 Employment opportunity programs ....................................................................... 14 Agency performance management and development systems............................. 14 Work health, safety and return to work programs ................................................. 15 Executive employment in the agency .................................................................... 16 Financial performance ........................................................................................... 17 Financial performance at a glance ........................................................................ 17 Consultants disclosure .......................................................................................... 17 Contractors disclosure .......................................................................................... 18 Other financial information .................................................................................... 19 Other information .................................................................................................. 19 Risk management................................................................................................... 19 Risk and audit at a glance ..................................................................................... 19 Fraud detected in the agency ................................................................................ 20 Strategies implemented to control and prevent fraud ............................................ 20 Whistle-blowers disclosure.................................................................................... 21 Reporting required under any other act or regulation ........................................ 21 Reporting required under the Carers’ Recognition Act 2005 ................................. 21 Public complaints................................................................................................... 22 5 | P a g e 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT for the Adelaide Festival Corporation Number of public complaints reported .................................................................. 22 Service improvements for period .......................................................................... 24 Appendix: Audited financial statements 2018-19 ................................................ 25 6 | P a g e 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT for the Adelaide Festival Corporation Overview: About the Adelaide Festival Our strategic focus Our Purpose The Adelaide Festival of Arts aims to be recognised as one of the world’s most prestigious large-scale, multi-arts festivals. Since 1960, its aim has been to create and present a Festival program that thrills, inspires, challenges and delights local, national and international audiences, involves local artists, stimulates community involvement and attracts artists and visitors from around the world. Our Vision To be an internationally celebrated arts festival that pursues new and unexpected horizons, enthrals audiences, and places Adelaide at the centre of Australia’s cultural life. Our Values Our culture is driven by: • Passion • Courage • Integrity • Rigour • Creativity