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Minutes - Arts Commission - 03/15/2001 . ~ v Approved 3/21/01 . Boulder Arts Commission Community Theater Forum March 15, 2001 Dairy Center for the Arts The forum was opened with the introduction of Commissioners. Wadhams: The Boulder Arts Commission is a citizen's advisory group appointed by City Council to oversee the arts funding for the city of Boulder. Within that charge is funding for the theater community with the intent of serving a broad based representation of theater. To give you an historical perspective, with the failure of two ballot issues to build a cultural center, City Council was lobbied to appropriate funds to support different disciplines with space subsidy. This funding began in 1985 for theater. The organization selected to oversee the funding at that time, was the Boulder Theater Producers Guild (The Guild), a collaboration of several theater groups in Boulder. At this time, the BAC views the Guild organization as being in a transition period. In order to meet the Commission's goals, we find it appropriate to look at alternative ways of allocating funds to reach the broader community. I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of the Boulder Arts Commission, to express appreciation to the Guild president and board members for years of dedication and service to the theater community. In recognition of that, the Boulder Arts Commission wishes to continue to support the Guild for the year 2001 with the total line item amount for space subsidy at the Guild Theaters. As an interim measure, beginning in 2002, the Commission will act as the granting agency for space rental funds going to theatre groups. We will accept applications from theatrical companies, and where appropriate, make grants up to $1500 per year. Checks will be made payable to venues, and companies will be eligible for one grant per year. This model has worked very well with the dance community the past two years. Over the next several months, the Arts Commission has agreed to accept proposals from groups interested in establishing an organization that will accept responsibility for funding space grants for theater companies while keeping in mind the goals of the Commission. The goals are: accountability (financial, statistical, etc.), broad representation of theater groups and maximum use of space at local theaters. Deadline for the proposals will be June 1, 2001. You have been invited to this forum to discuss this recommendation and look at alternative models created by you. We are encouraging members of the theater community to come together and interact with each other at this time of growth and change. This is an opportunity for all of you to look at the future of theater in Boulder. We will now open this up for discussion. Here are a couple of questions to consider: What are the greatest challenges and/or needs facing the theater community today? Is there a need and/or • desire to find ways to collaborate in the broader theater community? We want to hear both pros and cons. If there are particular ways you are interested in collaborating, please say so. Please introduce yourselves and the name of your organization. Bache-Wigg: Any questions from the audience at this point? Unknown: What is the problem with the Guild? Commission Rudy read his position paper regarding the Guild Theater. Larry Black, Nomad Theater: We need to look at the growth and evolution of Boulder. It is important to understand it is not to criticize the Guild but this is a different community than it was 15 years ago. There is a major evolution in the way money is spent. Timothy Reed, Upstart Crow: The greatest need facing the theater community is performance space. If you're an artist and want to perform somewhere and the Guild isn't here, it is the only space that is available, affordable. In 3 1/2 years at the Dairy, 18 companies have performed for 60 performances. BAC would like to issue grants to subsidize rent. The advantages: distribute over a larger number of people. Disadvantage: In order to continue the Guild theater, you have to plan far in advance, budget and rent subsidy doesn't have to be used there. It can be applied at the Dairy for rent. The Guild is not turning people away to perform. As far as your suggestion, I see • some rationale but fear that without subsidy, at least for the short term, until the Guild can come back to a financial position, the Dairy forecloses and everybody is in trouble. Will the BAC plan let that happen? Rita Kotter: I have lived in Boulder since 1964. Theater is my life. I echo what Tim said. If theater companies need to go somewhere else, where do they go? Nomad, Dairy, second story of BMOCA, Old Main, Community House at Chautauqua. Where would they use that subsidy? If there is no longer a Guild theater, someone overlooking theaters, the Dairy said, yes, you can build theater space, but you have to do it. Someone who knows theater must be in charge. If money goes to everyone and spread out, what happens is that we no longer have a theater community. The challenge is space, run and maintained by theater people. Robin with Upstart Crow: I have two questions for Joan and Richard. If the money goes away, how long before the Guild closes. Joan Bell: Upstart is not managing the theaters now. The Guild board of directors voted to turn over to the Upstart Crow its responsibility, liabilities and assets. Upstart Crow hasn't accepted that. Without that money, we didn't want to do that. We have a $13,000 bank loan.. Catherine Underhill: The Dairy's long term plans for theater doesn't exist at this point. We have a very small staff and are trying to run a 40,000 square foot building on a shoestring by leasing most of the building. We're feeling our way in the operation of the new dance performance space. In terms of managing, we are not budgeted to absorb those costs. The Dairy depends on revenue generated from resident organizations. Richard Bell, president of Guild Theater and Upstart Crow: First, I would like to correct one statement. The charge was very clear - it was not to be a collaboration of theater companies. • It was an absolute charge from BTPG self perpetuating board of individuals. Mr. Rudy has a quote in his letter. He read to you from it some of its statements about difficulties. Those are not in dispute. It was a good solution that the Guild came to. The solution was turning to its most fiscally responsible theater group, Upstart Crow, which has volunteers, board, staff. The greatest challenge to the theater community? A new challenge is the new grant is closed to any theater company who has a season. No company that has a season can apply for more than one grant. $1500 represents less than 2 weeks of rent with high rents which will need to be changed. People will create new theater names and reapply. When would we close down? If we hadn't gotten it this year, we would have closed down in May. Gordon Wickstrom, Shakespeare Oratorio Society: Non-Guild theater member. I have had 3 consecutive mini-grants refused. There is no constituency for the arts with the same kind of integrity as the Bells and Upstart Crow. I don't quite understand how we could be so blessed with their dedicated management. Preserving the theaters is essential. I argue for the continuance of funds. DeMarco, Actors Ensemble and Guild Theater: Pulling back from producing at the Guild has left a mark. We kept trying to find spaces. There was no power. There is a certain arrogance about taking the money away and dispersing to other organizations. $20,000 isn't that much if you dilute it. The theaters aren't even done yet and there is still a debt. Upstart Crow donated the light boards. • Don Berlin BAC: Let me put something in perspective. Trouble Clef started at the Guild. The decision the BAC came to was because we were between a rock and hard place. I wish we had $100,000 to give to theater. The figures at the Guild are 33% dark time, 31% is used by two resident organizations. How do we continue to fund something that sits dark 30% of the time? There has to be something to better utilize the space. No Commissioner wants to see the Guild theater go away. It is one of the greatest assets we have. We are trying to figure out how to better utilize the space. We're struggling to find the answers. R. Bell: The Guild's first year occupancy at the Dairy was up 87%. When companies failed, it went down 67%. What is the vacancy at the library? Gartenmann: There is no vacancy at the Library. Chautauqua is booked solid. Landsman: This is not any in way shape or form a fight or ego clash. With a funding organization you have to be accountable. There is a leap of reasoning here that doesn't make sense to me. If we change the funding to broaden the amount of theater groups to have access to that funding, that funding can go to these theaters. We're hear to find answers. To say if we don't subsidize almost half of the rent, which has been 30% dark and two theater companies • won't able to do their season. The issues are a broader base. We are here to support the theaters. We want the theaters to be successful. To support the theater companies. The way it has to be • done in the past has to change. What's the difference in giving the money to the Dairy? We're looking for solutions. Kevin Brown, Boulder Avant Guarde: I am a current member of the Guild board of directors. I abstained from the vote in January. Here is an alternative plan I proposed at the January Guild meeting: The Guild needs a marketing plan. Visibility in the community. It needs a mailing list. There is no website. Needs a donor base. When the Guild was in financial trouble, it had to turn to Upstart for a donor base. It needs a volunteer base, a way to organize volunteers. The Guild relied on sibling companies that have disappeared. Revamp and rehaul the season, booking and price structure. Need ways to fill the theater space. Rewrite bylaws. The theater community is changing. Find alternative uses of theater space. Classes, lectures, movies on theater, touring shows, work toward a paid staff. This is the hardest issue because it takes money. Perhaps the Guild could work with BAC to find assistance. Belinda Haaland, Boulder Conservatory Theater: BCT is the sole resident of the Guild. BCT has been affiliated with the Guild for 16 years and the relationship has been successful. The Guild provides us with a space. The rent subsidy represents $3200 to BCT annually. • Dave Bloomstock: I belong to a brand new theater company and we were able to get space. We played at the Subterranean theater in the Westend Tavern. When we wanted to do a production , the only thing we could find was a black box on a Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. The one place we could find space was the Guild east. We could find 5 weeks total with a month's notice. Betsy Tobin, Now or Never Theater: I was a member of the artist steering committee at the Dairy. We were fighting to have theaters in the Dairy. With a new space, we need a new group, a new vehicle. It's time to do something a little different. I do think it would be good to have a new theater coalition to represent more of the people. Rosie Waters, Imagination Makers: I won't be very popular with this statement, but I think it's important to show the Commissioners that we are not entitled to the money and they are in charge of the money. I think they are very responsible in challenging this situation even it if ends up where we are now. Joan and Richard running the theaters has benefited Imagination Makers. We're not competing with a majority because we rehearse during the day. I don't have any great solutions. I would hope Imagination Makers could continue to use the space. A grant space would be detrimental to us. If we had to apply for one more thing, we would go back to rehearsing in the garage. The least amount of additional work to get the space would be a benefit to Imagination Makers. I'm appreciative of the work Joan and Richard have done. Jennifer Barry, playwright and actress, PlaygroundTheater: I am associated with a group of students who write new plays and looking for places off campus to perform. There is money • available from the University as an umbrella organization for theater funds. We cultivate new work. Steve Clissett, Actors Ensemble, Guild. I'm a tech guy, I don't act. I want to look at a practical perspective. Assuming that there are 20 companies here, and you have $20,000, that's $1000 per company. BAC is talking grants. The reality is only about 13 of the companies will actually get money. That money is being spent currently to offset the Guild rent. We're talking $20,000 and all of us here should be working very hard at getting the city to change their line item. Ask for more money. On a practical level, it is important how the Guild looks to the city, that it doesn't represent the theater community. Maggie Simms, Murder Mystery Company: I have worked at most of the theaters in Boulder and some in Denver. I would like to give the BAC a suggestion. Continue with the status quo for the next two years, through 2002 because the Guild has a contract with the Dairy that ends in two years. In two years, the Guild itself could reorganize itself. This is an opportunity for new thinking with the old idea, which worked. It worked for 16 years. Consider one more year and give the Guild time to reorganize itself. After 2002, think about then looking at some of these other ideas. I don't think the grants are such a good idea. Louis Clark: I don't want the Guild to go away. Without the $20,000, it will go away. The Guild has never considered raising funds or staff. It has always been volunteer based and never considered paid staff. • Marcia Crary: The grants wouldn't work. Participatory dance is buying a building. They will have to pay a mortgage. The Guild needs some time to reorganize. Commission's major concern is lack of cooperation among theater groups. Wendy Befeler: I'm trying to summarize. The Guild came together as people who produce theater. The money from the city was a godsend. It gave us affordable theater. When the Guild moved to the Dairy, it was a huge improvement. The subsidy helps all the companies and no companies are turned away. The last two summers, there has been vast construction. We need two theaters to accommodate groups. I think the subsidy from the city is best used to subsidize rent. My personal opinion is that it should go straight to the Dairy. Katherine Du Bois, Colorado Dramatists: We work around dark nights. It sounds like the BAC is punishing resident companies that do a season with the grant proposal. When resident companies faltered, that's when the Guild got in trouble. The number of total productions would fall if the money was used for grants. Brian Ansino - On Stage: University performing arts. There is no real communication with the Guild, when are they available, how much. Maybe resident groups want to keep certain slots open for themselves. The resident theater running the Guild and renting it out is too much. That's not what the money is about. The money is keeping the space available. We can fill the space. We need continuity, communication. There wouldn't be hierarchy involved. The outcry is that we need spaces here but they have to be accessible. Communication. Take part of the load • off the hands who are doing it now. Marda Mrn: I remember at the beginning of the Dance Festival, it was run by me as an event. It • didn't grown until a business manager came along. The entrepreneur has to get out of the way and let managers take over. The people who run it have done everything there is for theater, but you're the art part. You shouldn't have to do the management. There is an opportunity in crises. Basic management things. I recommend that the money go with the space, but hear questions about access. Technical assistance money is available. Come up with a strategic plan. A federation of some sort could start up. Hire an executive director. Look at a year in advance and see where the holes are. You need ongoing continuity. The artists who built the space can work on the art part. Timothy Reed: Everything that has been said for the last hour is in this plan (displays plan). Increased fundraising, outreach committee. Trying to reduce the dependence of government grants. Until then, theaters need to survive, need an organization that can address every issue. Catherine Underhill: I have a suggestion--a common thread is information availability. The Dairy wants to be a partner in this. Help stabilize the organizations. If the Dairy could partner with whoever manages the theater, I would like to offer that. Closure: Tom Bache-Wiig- Summary: I heard lots of support for the Guild, but a lot of questions on how the space can be best utilized. There seem to be problems in communication. There is support for this theater whether the money goes to the Dairy or to the theaters. I didn't hear too many specific proposals. There was a suggestion to continue funding the Guild for . another year to give it a chance to reorganize. Rudy: We have seen two proposals. Some other ideas we've heard are: Bread on the water wasn't good idea. The funds should be kept in tact. We came to learn. If the only result of our action was to stimulate this thinking, then it worked. Should the Guild have looked like this in the plans, we wouldn't be here tonight. An organization with a broader base, executive director. If we can act as seed money for you to go out and raise more money, that's good. What the Bell's have done is immense. The community is forever indebted. It is in your best interest to let someone else run the Guild because it would let you focus on the Upstart Crow. Bell: I would like to know the names of organizations that were denied. Bache-Wiig: What was voiced is a need for better communication. The goal isn't to debate, it's to hear perspectives. Bell: They're wrong. The charge has been made and its a serious accusation. Berlin: We have a call to action for everybody that is here. I was asked to join the Colorado Producers Guild in Denver. We need to keep talking, keep meeting. I hope this is just a beginning. Unknown from the audience: I want to thank the Arts Commission for coming and talking to • us. Landsman: We appreciate hearing feedback. You want the theater space supported. We heard that you want more money. With a lot of community support we doubled the budget from 4 to 8%. It is vital for the community to be seen as one voice. We have a more accessible and more open city council than ever. We hear the importance of how you want theater to happen. Reorganization is possible. We see you're serious. We're also being heard. Wadams: If you have any other alternative proposals, bring to BAC by June 1, 2001. • •