20 09 Annual Review
Securing the future
‘I do believe in art for art’s sake. And I do believe you need to have the right to fail. I believe in that like mad. But I also believe that you need to be part of real life – to succeed as a business as well as a creative company. People used to live in fear that one would compromise the other, but you can do it all.You really can.’ Christopher Barron Chief Executive
Cover and this page
The Firebird Photographs
Andrew Ross
Prologue
Contents
01 Prologue
14 Section 03
Our audience, our future 02 Introduction
Reaching out
Best foot forward
Technical brilliance
Rep and reputation
18 Section 04
04 Section 01
Our finances
Our people, our future
Thank you to our supporters
Pastures new Looking after our staff Nurturing young talent
10 Section 02
Our creativity, our future A year of creativity
Annual Review | 2009 Birmingham Royal Ballet
Statement of financial activities
To put it in Dickensian terms, 2008–9 has been the best of times amidst the worst of times. A year in which, despite the turmoil of an unfolding global economic crisis, Birmingham Royal Ballet has realised some of its longest-held ambitions. An incredibly energetic year that’s seen us cross boundaries – creatively, internationally and as a business. A year that’s taken us to China, the West End and, perhaps most exciting of all, just next door – to delight audiences in the ever-growing, diverse and vibrant city we call home.
Balance sheet How we funded our activities
So many ventures and adventures, it’s hard to know where to begin. So much happening now and in future, it’s hard to know where to end. We hope you find our 2008–9 annual review as thrilling as the year that informed it. A story of success – not just in what we do but why, where and how. Enjoy.
1
Best foot forward
Introduction
Left
Sylvia: Nao Sakuma as Sylvia Photograph
Bill Cooper
The last ten years have been the best of my working life in terms of funding to the arts. Thanks to the bridges we’ve built with the government and our devoted supporters, we’ve had opportunities to share our work with Birmingham, Britain and the world; opportunities that have helped us strengthen the very foundations of our company – and continue to build on them in new work: now and for the future.
Of course, this year has been tough. And like every other business out there right now, we’ve had to make cutbacks, tighten up our processes and look at ways of making our charity operate even more efficiently. But at Birmingham Royal Ballet, securing our future isn’t just about battening down hatches or hiding until it all goes away. In fact, we believe that’s possibly the worst way to react.
The past year has proved that securing the future for Birmingham Royal Ballet means best foot forward. Taking risks, being brave and continuing to focus on the three things that make us work as a business: being creative, investing in people and growing our audience. From the partnerships we continue to enjoy here in Birmingham to the strong links we forged on our China tour in January; our growing followers throughout the UK in venues big and small to the rapturous audience we entertained in London’s West End this last spring – this year has seen our profile rocket. And with it, the morale of everyone who makes this company tick. That same determination, drive and sense of excitement will continue to inform our work for the year ahead – recession or no recession. And with a big new three-act ballet planned as part of our 2010 celebrations of 20 years in Birmingham, return visits to the USA, Japan and China over the next three years and our extensive UK touring commitments, we won’t just come out fighting – we’ll come out dancing. Christopher Barron Chief Executive
Rep and Reputation If I had to sum this year up in one word, it would be ‘imagination’. So many highlights – so much to be proud of, personally, choreographically and for the company. I can’t help but start with China. That was something else. The whole trip felt incredibly invigorating in every respect – financially, for the business of our company, our reputation and the reputation of Birmingham as a cultural centre. Right
Beauty and the Beast: Robert Parker as the Beast and David Morse as the Merchant Photograph
Bill Cooper
Annual Review | 2009 Birmingham Royal Ballet
Then there was London – a late opportunity that we grabbed for a season in April at the Coliseum. This was something I’d been wanting for so many years – a second London season to complement our regular autumn visits to Sadler’s Wells; all played out in front of an enthusiastic, welcoming audience at a large West End theatre. That appearance paid off in so many ways. For one, it gave us the opportunity to prove once again that ‘Birmingham’ isn’t a four-letter word; that we can and do take our place alongside some of the world’s finest companies – New York City Ballet to take just one example. Our performances in China sent out the same message – on an international scale.
Both tours were high-risk, highexposure – but also great successes. It gave me a great sense of personal satisfaction to see the Sylvia rework receive such a positive reaction, because back in 1993 when we first performed it, it wasn’t an unqualified success. To revisit that, make it work for a modern audience and receive such great reviews in the process was truly gratifying – not to mention giving us a return on that original investment.
Because I do live in the real world, I know creativity alone isn’t enough – that the books have to balance as beautifully as the ballets. But I’m confident that everyone in this company knows standing still or cutting new work isn’t the way. Yes, we have the classics; but in terms of capturing the public’s imagination, investing in new work is the future. It’s what makes us unique; and it’s what keeps everyone here, what keeps dancers dancing. The breadth of our work, whether domestic or international, is our great strength; and capitalising on that strength – now and for the year ahead – will be the secret to many more years of success. The pressure is on; but when you’re creating something explosive, it has to be. David Bintley Director
Introduction 3
Section
01
Left
Our people, our future
Raymonda Act III: in the wings Photograph
Andrew Ross
It may sound trite, but a company is nothing without its people; especially a company that’s founded on the passion, personality and dedication of 180 talented individuals. We’re incredibly proud to have been reawarded ‘Investors in People’ status again in 2008 – but for us, it’s far more than just a plaque on the wall. Over the following pages, you’ll discover just a handful of the highlights that have gone behind it – both inside and outside the company.
Pastures new
Looking after our staff
This year saw the departure of two longstanding and much-admired members of staff at Birmingham Royal Ballet – Assistant Director Desmond Kelly and Music Director Barry Wordsworth.
Whether you’re talking bricklayers or ballet dancers, there’s no question about it – happy, healthy, intellectually stimulated people are the most important ingredient in a successful business. That’s why we’re committed to taking care of each and every one of our hard-working staff members – whether they spend their days on pointe or at the computer.
Desmond, who worked for the company for a whopping 38 years, has gone on to become Artistic Director at our associate ballet school, Elmhurst. Desmond has left an amazing legacy – one that will live on for years to come. And with many of our dancers visiting Elmhurst regularly to train and mentor the next generation of talent, we’ll still retain strong links with Desmond and continue to benefit from his incredible energy, experience and wisdom. Barry, meanwhile, leaves us to return to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, as Music Director of The Royal Ballet. As one of the best-known ballet orchestra conductors in the world, Barry has fought to raise the profile of music for ballet – driving quality and passion through everything he does. He will be missed. The search for Barry’s replacement has been an intensive, extensive and international one; and after a thorough trialling process, we shortlisted ten candidates and hope to announce the appointment of our new Music Director towards the end of 2009.
Annual Review | 2009 Birmingham Royal Ballet
In their own words: ‘ If it wasn’t for my confidence in the staff here in Birmingham, I wouldn’t have been able to take on the additional role of Artistic Director of the National Ballet of Japan.’ David Bintley Director, Birmingham Royal Ballet
Health and wellbeing has been high on our agenda this year. We ran a full and fun-packed week of training days in August 2008 designed to give staff a chance to try new challenges and develop skills. Ballet classes for non-dancers proved popular, as are the Pilates classes we’ve been running weekly since 2007.
Did you know? a change in • Following immigration laws in February 2008, companies wishing to employ non EU nationals had to become licensed by the Home Office and applicants had to gain sufficient points to be eligible for employment. Of course, with our dancers coming from the four corners of the earth to perform with Birmingham Royal Ballet, it was crucial for us to get a Sponsor Licence, which we did – and with an A rating no less. We also had to make sure that classical ballet dancers were recognised as a ‘shortage occupation’ , giving them enough points to come and work for us.
Left
Backstage Photographs
Andrew Ross
Section 01 5
Below
The Firebird: Jonathan Payn as Kostcheï Photograph
Andrew Ross Opposite
Raymonda Act III: Laura Davenport, with an apprentice student from Elmhurst Photograph
Andrew Ross
The Music department has been busy researching the best methods for protecting our players’ hearing – trialling all kinds of earplugs, screens and other sound-absorbing devices. A tricky task, especially as musicians need to be able to hear themselves and each other in order to perform to their absolute best. Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Centre for the Prevention and Treatment of Dance Injuries, of course, continues to be an incredibly valuable resource in the pastoral and physical care of our dancers and staff; and this year, the centre has been buzzing with new research and developments. The results of our threeyear injury audit in conjunction with Wolverhampton University are currently being analysed by England Rugby’s sports scientist, Dr John Brooks. While we await his findings with baited breath, we’re also forging ahead with a study into bone health in dancers, developing ankle-stabilising programmes of exercise and looking into footware that will help prevent strains in this particularly injuryprone area. Perhaps the most significant piece of news this year, however, has been the state-of-the-art, sprung floor which has been developed to help prevent impact injuries on Birmingham Hippodrome’s stage. We’ll continue to monitor its effectiveness as the year progresses.
Annual Review | 2009 Birmingham Royal Ballet
Rising to challenges Barron, Chief • Christopher Executive, has often referred to our company as being ‘as lean and lithe as our dancers’. And that’s no exaggeration. During our UK tour, when the company is split in two and dispatched to different regions of England, staff at all levels have an opportunity to develop status and step up to greater responsibilities than their roles normally encompass.
In their own words: ‘ I’ve really enjoyed being able to take on greater responsibility on the split company tours. I like to think we are all always dedicated and true professionals, but it raises your game to an even higher level when the buck stops with you.’ Andy Wilson Recently promoted to Deputy Head of Lighting
Nurturing young talent
workshops and projects to further their own teaching skills at the same time as inspiring the city’s most promising youngsters.
Unless we seek out, encourage and develop the next generation of dancers, Birmingham Royal Ballet and the ballet world in general has a pretty bleak future ahead of it.
We’ve taken our Dance Track programme to more schools than ever this year, giving children as young as five and six the opportunity of a lifetime – a year’s worth of dance lessons and beyond that, the chance to take their training to the point where they can audition for the UK’s leading ballet schools! We have continued to offer our Insight Days – regular events for non-vocational dance students, giving them an opportunity to work with company dancers and staff.
Our younger dancers are generally drawn from our two feeder ballet schools: the Royal Ballet School and Elmhurst School for Dance. This year we took on four students from the Royal Ballet School and one from Elmurst. The Royal Ballet School is one of the best schools for training top-class ballet dancers and, like Birmingham Royal Ballet, was founded by Dame Ninette de Valois, the grand dame of British ballet. The school has always been a ‘feeder’ of new talent into the company and this year David Bintley joined its Advisory Board. Since Elmhurst School for Dance relocated to Birmingham in 2004, we’ve worked with them to encourage this second source of talent-spotting on our home turf. Our links continue to be as strong as ever, with a steady stream of fledgling dancers visiting our studios on a regular basis to get a flavour of life in a real ballet company. In return, many of our professionals also visit the school, along with other educational institutions around Birmingham, mentoring and running Annual Review | 2009 Birmingham Royal Ballet
We run training projects for Primary and Secondary School teachers in need of a little help and inspiration on how to put together interesting, varied and effective dance lessons that engage and motivate their pupils. This year we started a programme of projects in Salford to add to our regular work in Birmingham, Sunderland and Plymouth.
In their own words: ‘ Dancing with Birmingham Royal Ballet during my final years at Elmhurst made me really strive to join the company.’ Laura Davenport Artist and former Elmhurst student
Freefall Dance Company continues to run weekly classes for learning-disabled 18–25-year-olds, resulting in a stunning production at Birmingham Hippodrome’s Patrick Centre. Freefall also made its annual appearance at Birmingham’s ArtsFest and, having achieved OCN (Open College Network) accreditation, they started working towards their bronze level Arts Awards.
Highlights of the year Summer 2008 Former dancers and international guests joined the full company on the Birmingham Hippodrome stage in June to celebrate Desmond Kelly’s career and wish him well in his retirement.
Did you know? students from Elmhurst • 62School for Dance performed with the company during 2008-09. In addition, over 80 students crowded the stage at the end of the gala performance for Desmond Kelly. dancers and staff from • 12Birmingham Royal Ballet taught at Elmhurst School for Dance during 2008-09. Learning department • Our delivered 493 sessions to a total of 7,901 attendees in 2008-09.
Section 01 7
Left and right
Did you know?
•
We send at least one physiotherapist and one masseur from the Jerwood Centre on every tour, in case our dancers sustain an injury or need ongoing treatment.
our dancers have the opportunity • All to further their personal and educational development if they wish. Having devoted their lives to ballet from a very young age, we positively encourage them to gain additional skills that will enable them to take their career forwards once they retire as full-time dancers. dedication of our staff can only • The really be exceeded by their loyalty. Last year 71 out of 180 people working for the company had served Birmingham Royal Ballet for 11 years or more.
In the wings Photographs
Andrew Ross
This page
China tour Photographs
Pearl Chesterman, Simon Harper, Geraint Tellem
Highlights of the year Winter 2008-09 Our Department for Learning ran workshops in China, working with migrant and disabled communities as well as teachers, to leave a lasting legacy of pioneering work.
Rising to challenges prevent the inevitable ‘Cinderella • Toeffect’ that some staff feel when their colleagues work overseas, we made the most of modern technology to keep the lines of communication open on the company’s January tour to China.With the help of some camera equipment and blogging, the staff at home were given a glimpse of the less glamorous side of touring. Sub-zero Chinese rehearsal studios coupled with long, tiring days (and nights) travelling were just the tip of the (very cold) iceberg!
Annual Review | 2009 Birmingham Royal Ballet
Did you know? sea freight containers were • Eight required to transport scenery and costumes to China. interpreters travelled with • Four the technical department alone – one each for stage, lighting, stage management and wardrobe. our musicians’ dismay • Imagine when the authorities suddenly announced that, although it is customary, large instruments would not be allowed as hand luggage on their flight from Beijing to Shanghai. But there was a happy ending. Half the orchestra took a 12-hour overnight train from Beijing to Shanghai and enjoyed every last minute.
Section 01 9
Section
02
Our creativity, our future ‘ We’ve been bowled over by the generosity of our sponsors, and individual and charitable donors this year. It’s thanks to them that we have the opportunity to push boundaries and try something new – in short, being truly creative with our productions and with the ways in which we find new audiences. Since 2006-07, we’ve doubled gross fundraising income to over £650,000 – money that goes towards valuable projects such as Dance Track, as well as the more complex productions like Le Baiser de la fée. A thousand thank yous wouldn’t be enough.’ Geoff Sweeney Development Director
Left
Beauty and the Beast: Ambra Vallo as the Wild Girl Photograph
Bill Cooper
This year, we contributed to an independent study into the impact of the arts on Birmingham’s culture and economy. And for us, the conclusions say it all. Without creative industries such as ours, Birmingham would be a far poorer place. £271m poorer, to be precise. Around one million people visited Birmingham last year specifically for a cultural event. Sounds like a lot; but the potential to increase that figure is immense. And we believe exceptional creativity is the key to achieving it. Creativity in the work we produce and the music that brings it to life; creativity in how we market ourselves, and the media we choose to do it; creativity in the ways and means by which we fund our ballets; creativity because of – not in spite of – the current recession. Because at times like these, people need the arts more than ever. Escapism at its very best.
A year of creativity This year, we performed works from the full gamut of our repertoire. From the popular classic Giselle, through some of the finest ballets made to some of the finest ballet music ever composed – The Firebird, The Rite of Spring and Petrushka – in a tribute to Igor Stravinsky. The year saw company members taking part in a workshop with Australian choreographer Garry Stewart as part of Birmingham’s International Dance Festival, which led to the preparations for Garry’s first ballet for the company, The Centre and its Opposite, in early 2009. The spring season included a revival of David Bintley’s ‘Still Life’ at the Penguin Café, 21 years old this year, which was teamed up with Frederick Ashton’s Enigma Variations and George Balanchine’s Serenade. And the major new production of the year, a reworking of Sylvia, which proved extremely popular.
Right, clockwise from top left
Card Game, Enigma Variations, Giselle, Serenade and The Centre and its Opposite Photographs
Bill Cooper; Roy Smiljanic
Annual Review | 2009 Birmingham Royal Ballet
Highlights of the year Spring 2008
The Royal Ballet Sinfonia took pride of place on-stage in Symphony Hall Birmingham for An Evening of Music and Dance. Performing a series of favourite excerpts from the year’s repertory, the concert gave us a unique opportunity to show off the talent that usually resides beneath the stage, as well as highlighting the symbiotic relationship between great music and great ballet. Summer 2008
As part of DanceXchange’s International Dance Festival in summer 2008, Garry Stewart – Director of Australian Dance Theatre – came to Birmingham to run a series of workshops with our dancers, as well as a programme of choreographic research. The work done over that time proved so exciting that we invited Garry back to expand it into a full piece – The Centre and its Opposite.
Section 02 11
Did you know?
Royal Ballet Sinfonia spends • The around six weeks per year at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden playing for The Royal Ballet.
of 82 costumes had to • Abetotal made for the 40 characters in Le Baiser de la fée, as most roles were shared by two or more dancers, each requiring their own set of custom-made outfits.
Highlights of the year Autumn 2008
As a finale to our four-year celebration of Stravinsky’s musical contribution to ballet, we commissioned Michael Corder to choreograph Le Baiser de la fée – otherwise known as ‘The Fairy’s Kiss’. The ballet received great critical acclaim – an exceptional achievement considering the challenges presented by a complex and somewhat inaccessible work.
Left and above left
Le Baiser de la fée Photographs
Bill Cooper, Roy Smiljanic
Annual Review | 2008 2009 Birmingham Royal Ballet
Far left
Below and below right
Romeo and Juliet: Chi Cao as Romeo Beauty and the Beast: Elisha Willis as Belle
Sylvia: Elisha Willis as Diana; Gaylene Cummerfield as Diana; Robert Parker as Orion and Natasha Oughtred as Sylvia
Photographs
Photographs
Left
Bill Cooper
Highlights of the year Winter 2008-09
January saw us in China with Beauty and the Beast and Romeo and Juliet. Our visit to China began with two performances at the Baiyun International Convention Centre in Guangzhou. Then it was on to the National Centre for Performing Arts in Beijing (also known as ‘the egg’!), where our orchestra joined us for another five nights – and finally to the Grand Theatre in Shanghai for a further three performances. The Royal Ballet Sinfonia also played two sell-out concerts in the latter two cities – a definite highlight of the year for everyone involved. Annual Review | 2009 Birmingham Royal Ballet
Bill Cooper, Roy Smiljanic
Highlights of the year Winter 2008-09
We premiered David Bintley’s revised version of Sylvia in Birmingham. David had originally made a version of the ballet, to Léo Delibes’ beautiful and popular score, for the company in 1993. For this new version he revised the plot, adding a story around the main story to give the piece context and the characters motivation. Spring 2009
In their own words: ‘ I was very pleased to promote Birmingham Royal Ballet on its first visit to China. The repertory of modern British classics offered audiences a new and exciting experience, and the quality of the music was inspiring.’
The company secured a second London season as part of Spring Dance at the London Coliseum in April. The week of performances gave an opportunity to profile the company at a major west-end venue and to present accessible and popular repertoire that highlighted the versatility of the dancers involved.
Cui Yang Promoter, China tour
Section 02 13
Section
03
Left
Our audience, our future
‘We don’t want to alienate people – but we do want to challenge them. I don’t believe that those in the arts should necessarily give the public what they want – rather, we should give them what they never knew they could have.’ Keith Longmore Communications Director
Annual Review | 2009 Birmingham Royal Ballet
Sylvia: Nao Sakuma as Sylvia and Robert Parker as Orion Photograph
Bill Cooper
Connecting with new audiences, both here in Birmingham and all over the world, is absolutely key to keeping classical ballet alive throughout the generations. Many have said that, in the ever-varied cultural landscape of the 21st century, dance is being eclipsed; that it’s no longer relevant; no longer appealing. But we know that’s not true. You only need to look to our Russian Steps programme in autumn 2008. We extended invitations to people in Birmingham’s cultural ‘cold spots’ to come and watch a ballet for free. In just three days, all 2,000 tickets were taken. ‘Build it and they will come’ simply isn’t how it works these days. Come to them, however, and they will build it – and your business – higher than you could ever have hoped.
Reaching out Part of the reason that David Bintley’s Sylvia rework was so successful this year was the way in which it reached out to our audience. To quote David himself: ‘Take a rather silly story, give it relevance by telling it in the context of modern relationships, and suddenly you have an engaging ballet that people can relate to.’ And it’s that very philosophy – combined with a continuous drive to bring ballet to the forefront of cultural life – that has informed much of our repertory and many of our projects this year. We added a new location – King’s Lynn – to the venues we visit on our UK tour; and we’re always on the look-out for new theatres to add to our list. After all, the more places we visit, the more people we touch through press coverage, performances and work in the community. The next generation of ballet audiences is out there – and it’s our job to grab their attention and inspire a passion for our art form.
•
Did you know?
We gave 140 performances in the UK; 57 in Birmingham and 83 on tour, plus a further 12 performances in China.
•
Over 143,000 people watched our performances in the UK and a further 23,000 in China.
Annual Review | 2009 Birmingham Royal Ballet
In their own words: ‘ We’ve worked extremely hard over the last few years to bring Birmingham out of its media vacuum and become better known – both nationally and internationally. Our close partnerships with organisations such as Advantage West Midlands and Birmingham City Council have enabled us to help project a more positive image of Birmingham as a grounded, hard-working city.’
‘Still Life’ at the Penguin Café: Christopher Larsen as the Texan Kangaroo Rat Photograph
Roy Smiljanic
Christopher Barron Chief Executive ‘Birmingham City invited the company to make its home in Birmingham almost 20 years ago. After so many critically acclaimed productions, enhancing both Birmingham Royal Ballet’s and the City’s reputation, I very much look forward to continuing this partnership for a further 20 years and beyond.’ Mike Whitby Leader, Birmingham City Council ‘I was blown away by it. It’s my first ballet and I was absolutely gobsmacked by the precision of the dance, the choreography, the outfits, the music. If that’s the first half I can’t wait to go back for the second half.’ Audience member Proud to be in Birmingham performance, October 2008
Section 03 15
We organised a Family Fun Day in Birmingham for the staff of one of our largest sponsors, Mitchells and Butlers plc – a great audience development initiative for us, and of course, a superb way for them to spread the benefits of their support right down through their organisation. Face painting, dressing up and dance workshops were all part of the fun, and feedback was brilliant. In China, the Department for Learning ran workshops in both Guangzhou and Beijing for teaching artists and disadvantaged groups, including disabled 18–50-year-olds, their carers and children of marginalised migrant workers. The workshops culminated in two spectacular performances, which attracted, among others, the Vice President of Amway, China, the Director of the British Council in Beijing and the Vice President of their National Centre for Performing Arts. Seven newspapers, five magazines and six television channels attended the event – just one indication of the mammoth media interest in the tour generated by the company’s press and PR team. And it doesn’t end there. The Learning department are furiously busy all year, working with schools and community groups, play schemes and senior citizens to promote and expand local knowledge of the company and its work. This year, our partners at Birmingham City Council have been as helpful as ever in suggesting and championing new arts activities Annual Review | 2009 Birmingham Royal Ballet
Right
Concerto: Tyrone Singleton and Jenna Roberts Photograph
Andrew Ross
In their own words: ‘ The workshop was so inspiring. Actually, I’ve been engaging in education for years, but found it hard to get more progress recently. For me, the workshop was a really good new year gift.’ A teacher
designed to raise the skills and aspirations of the city’s young people. One of them is an incredibly exciting initiative with the Birmingham Youth Service that we are working to extend into a major project in 2010 as part of our celebrations of 20 years in Birmingham.
Rising to challenges inding new ways to bring classical • Fballet to an entirely new audience is always tricky; but for the past three Christmases, we’ve found the perfect solution: right here in the heart of Birmingham. Jasper Carrott’s Christmas Cracker at the NEC is a hugely successful festive variety show – and 2008’s was no exception.We thrilled the capacity audience with selections from David Bintley’s Take Five, alongside students from Elmhurst School for Dance performing part of Kenneth MacMillan’s Elite Syncopations and the likes of UB40, comedian Lee Mack and jazz singer Elkie Brookes.
Technical brilliance Thanks to a grant from the Fidelity UK Foundation, we bought a whole host of camera, editing and audio equipment earlier this year – kit that gives us massive potential to create and continually update the content on our website. Just take a look at some of the fascinating rehearsal films on-line now: footage that gives our audience a glimpse of the hard work that goes behind the dazzle and polish of a finished ballet. We’ve also invested in some computer software that helps us understand people’s ‘buying behaviour’ – meaning we can better comprehend our audience’s needs, and reach more people than ever before. And with 60% of our ticket sales now coming through online bookings, that kind of technical wizardry and audience insight is essential to our future survival. Oh, and – lest we forget – Birmingham Royal Ballet is also Twittering regularly. And in case you thought it was all a fad, research has shown that Twitter can help businesses connect with their audiences in an incredibly profound way. Consider, for example, that if any of our fans ‘tweet’ about us or one of our ballets, we have an automatic ‘alert’ set up to let us know just what they thought. We can then respond almost instantaneously. A powerful marketing tool – and completely free. Annual Review | 2009 Birmingham Royal Ballet
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The Firebird, Laëtitia Lo Sardo as the Beautiful Tsarevna Photograph
Bill Cooper
Section 03 17
Section
04
Left
Raymonda Act III
Our finances
Photograph
Bill Cooper
At the end of this year, the company is in good financial health, with sensible accumulated reserves to give us a sound footing – great news in the current financial climate as it enables us to continue working hard to achieve the aspirations we set for the company in our 2008-11 business plan. In 2008-09, box office income remained strong, generating £2,164,608 and exceeding budget by £75,000. Audiences in Birmingham and on the company’s split tour were particularly strong. Income from donations, membership schemes and other fundraising activity during the year stayed solid at £551,235. We were given a further £100,000 of support for our tour to China. Thanks to our ongoing relationship with Mitchells and Butlers plc, we received £25,000 to put towards performances of The Nutcracker, while income from trusts and foundations was £142,440 (turn the page for a list of supporters).
o£o
Legacies Legacies General donations General donations Director’s Appeal donations Director’s Appeal donations
0o
0o
43,555o43,555o
UK sponsorship UK sponsorship
25,000o25,000o 65,000o65,000o
Merchandise
Total
0o
100,000o
0o
12,609o
14,668o
651,235o
571,872o
100,000o 12,609o
651,235o
0o
0o
14,668o
571,872o
200,000
200,000
180,000
180,000
160,000
160,000 140,000 140,000 120,000 120,000 100,000 100,000 80,000 60,00080,000 40,00060,000 20,00040,000 0
an di se M er ch
io ns L at fo un d d
an st s ru -t ts
D
da fo un d an st s ru -t ts Gr an
Gr an
Geirec at ne to io ns ra r’s l d Ap Di p o re D na ea ct ir tio l d or ec ns on ’s to at A r’s io pp A ns e p Di al pe re do al ct O na me or th tio m ’s er A ns be pp ind rs hi ea ivi p du l m a Ot em l m he ri be em nd rs be hi rs iv id Cor p hi ua po ps l m ra em te m be em Co rs b hi er rp ps sh or ip at s e F m em und be rai rs sin g hi ga ps la Fu U nd K sp ra is on in so g rs ga hi la p Ch in U K a sp sp on on so so rs rs hi hi p p Ch in a M sp er ch on an so di rs se hi p
tio ns
20,000 0
Annual Review | 2009 Birmingham Royal Ballet
26,634o26,634o
Fundraising gala gala Fundraising
Total
gave our 2008 Annual Report a score of 84%, identifying it as a model of charitable reporting. We aim to top that in 2009… watch this space!
139,364o 137,646o 139,364o 137,646o
85,050o85,050o 59,557o59,557o
China sponsorship
• reviewer, Intelligent Giving,
10,000o10,000o5,349o 5,349o
Corporate memberships Corporate memberships
Merchandise
The independent charities
o£o
OtherOther individual memberships 25,311o25,311o individual memberships 23,377o23,377o
China sponsorship
Did you know?
o£o
Director’s Appeal membership 45,206o45,206o Director’s Appeal membership 75,867o75,867o
ore funding from Arts Council • CEngland and Birmingham City Council covers about 68% of the costs of our work. While box office income for 2008-09 reached a staggering £2,164,608, there is still a shortfall of 4%. We are eternally grateful for the support we receive from our individual, trust and corporate supporters – whether it’s £5 or £50,000.You are the lifeblood of our organisation and we can’t thank you enough.
o£o
142,440o 188,474o Grants – trusts and foundations 142,440o 188,474o Grants – trusts and foundations
ie s
•
During 2008-09 we visited Cardiff and Edinburgh with the support of £336,272 of Cross-Border funding from the combined Arts Councils for England,Wales and Scotland.
2008-09o 2007-08o
2008-09o 2007-08o
eg ac
Birmingham Royal Ballet to the tune of £7,777,162 in 2008-09.
Fundraising activities:
G
rts Council England • Arevenue funding supported
Expenditure on charitable activities during the year was £12,985,011. This sum covered an increase on the previous year in performances and touring weeks, an increase in investment in productions with the new production of Le Baiser de la fée and reworking of Sylvia, and the tour to China. We also achieved full employment levels for the dancers and orchestra for the first time in about ten years. All in all, we are now in a strong position that means we are able to consistently deliver a world-class standard of performance, nationally and internationally, as we increase our activity.
Leen gaera ci l d es o n
Did you know?
Section 04 19
Thank you to our supporters We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all those who have continued to support Birmingham Royal Ballet’s work throughout the year. Without such commitment and support the fabulous accomplishments you have read about in this review would not have been possible. Government Partners Arts Council England Birmingham City Council China Tour Sponsors Birmingham City Council Advantage West Midlands IMI plc University of Birmingham Bournville College British Council Connections through Culture The Sino-British Fellowship Trust Corporate Members American Airlines BTG Tax (formerly Shaw & Co) Cadbury UK Calthorpe Estates Crosby Lend Lease Deloitte Hollywood Boutique IMI plc International Dance Supplies Leasemethod Management Ltd Oberon Books Price Pearson Ltd Process Management International Ltd N.M. Rothschild & Sons Limited Wedge Group Wesleyan Assurance Society Zurich Insurance Company
Donations Philip Baldwin and Phillip Arnold Christopher and Julia Barron Charles and Tessa King-Farlow Lapworth Ladies Club Aden Murcutt Bill and Jane Nicholas Yugi Ogawa The Patrick Trust Charitable Trusts and Foundations The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust Lord Austin Trust The John Avins Trust Eleanor Barton Trust Bryant Trust William A. Cadbury Charitable Trust The Beatrice A.V. Cadman Charitable Trust The Calleva Foundation The Chatwin Trust The Coutts Charitable Trust Baron Davenport’s Charity The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust The Drapers’ Company The George Henry Collins Charity The John Ellerman Foundation The John Feeney Charitable Trust The George Fentham Birmingham Charity Fidelity UK Foundation Charles Henry Foyle Trust
Annual Review | 2008 Birmingham Royal Ballet
Garfield Weston Foundation The Gibbs Charitable Trust Grantham Yorke Trust The Grimmitt Trust Margaret Guido Charitable Trust Douglas Heath Eves Charitable Trust The Alison Hillman Charitable Trust The Ironmongers’ Company The David Laing Foundation S. & D. Lloyd Charity Charlotte Marshall Charitable Trust The Measures Trust Millichope Foundation The Harry Payne Trust Pfizer UK Foundation Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust Premier League Creating Chances Places for Players Mr & Mrs J.A. Pye’s Charitable Settlement The Radcliffe Trust The M.K. Rose Charitable Trust The Roughley Charitable Trust The Rowlands Trust RTR Foundation/Baily Thomas Charitable Fund The Saintbury Trust Henry James Sayer Charity ShareGift Sino-British Fellowship Trust E.H. Smith Charitable trust The David Solomons Charitable Trust
The Souter Charitable Trust W.F. Southall Trust The Sweet Pea Charitable Trust The Connie & Albert Taylor Charitable Trust The Douglas Turner Trust G.J.W. Turner Trust Warwickshire Masonic Charitable Association The W.E.D. Charitable Trust Wilmcote Charitrust Yorkshire Building Society Charitable Foundation Yorkshire & Clydesdale Bank Foundation International Travel American Airlines Patron Members Dr A.T. Amos Colin and Diane Bainbridge Nick Brayshaw obe Miss M. Bremner Roger and Felicity Burman Mrs Jillian Cadbury Dr James W. Clews Mrs Denise Cohen Sandra Davison Mark Dawson The Dickens Charitable Trust Clem Dobson Associates Mrs Sheila E.B. Ferrar
Jonathan Fish Cynthia Gravestock Eleanor Hamlett Mrs Christine Harby Jan Harris Mrs Margaret Hartill Jane Hunter Mrs S. Jenkins Michael Kay Sandy and Elizabeth Landale Mrs Paula Leeson Miss Nicola Malloy Demetrios Markou mbe fca Janet McNulty Caroline Morris Keith Perry Carolyn Price Mrs Christina Rembges Mr David James Richardson Brian Ruston Siân and Tim Scholes Sue Siers Dr Anne Slowther Mrs F.J. Strachan Mark S. Thompson Mrs Susan Trucchi Mr and Mrs J.D. Williams Mrs Joan P. Williams Audrey and Andrew Winkler Mr and Mrs E.M. Worley
De Valois Members Robin and Jayne Cadbury Jane Drabble obe Patrick and Vivian Fuller Dr Caroline Gordon Martin Parker Esq. Lucille and John Roughley Christine Skidmore Michael B. Squires Premiere Members Tim and Fiona Clarke Robyn Durie Timothy and Carolyn Harford David Lloyd St Modwen Properties plc Ian and Maxine Norley Mrs Margaret Plumley Gwen Sidaway Bridgitte J. Southall Rupert Waddington We are sincerely grateful to the hundreds of individuals who supported both our Director’s Appeal and Annual Appeal.
Did you know? e held our first-ever on-line • Wauction of a series of Birmingham Royal Ballet experiences on eBay – raising £2,000 from one enthusiastic bidder alone, desperate to secure a chance to watch The Nutcracker from the wings.
Annual Review | 2009 Birmingham Royal Ballet
Section 04 21
Statement of Financial Activities Raymonda Act III: César Morales Photograph
Bill Cooper
Including income and expenditure activities – period ended 31 March 2009 incoming resources:
Un-restricted general £
Funds restricted £
2009 Total funds £
2008 Total funds £
Incoming resources from generated funds:
Voluntary income: Grants and donations 9,673,466 0 9,673,466 9,117,436 Activities for generating funds: Memberships and other funds 187,601 0 187,601 164,536 Investment income: Bank interest receivable 32,622 0 32,622
9,893,689
0
9,893,689
29,757 9,311,729
Incoming resources from charitable activities: Performance and related activities
3,254,308
0
3,254,308
3,566,516
Total incoming resources
13,147,997
0
13,147,997
12,878,245
Costs of generating voluntary income
163,919
0
163,919
160,321
Costs of generating memberships and other funds
166,908
0
166,908
106,249
Production and performance
11,974,571
12,074
11,986,645
10,676,747
Orchestral projects
743,954
0
743,954
870,380
Education projects
254,412
0
254,412
259,676
Governance costs
83,606
0
83,606
91,086
Total resources expended
13,387,370
12,074
13,399,444
12,164,459
Net incoming/(outgoing) resources for the period
(239,373)
(12,074)
(251,447)
713,786
Opening funds
1,182,712
70,000
1,252,712
538,926
Closing funds
943,339
57,926
1,001,265
1,252,712
Resources expended: Costs of generating funds:
Charitable activities:
All the above results are derived from continuing activities. All gains and losses recognised in the period are included above. The surplus for the period for Companies Act purposes comprises the net deficit for the period of £251,447 (2008: £713,786 surplus).
Did you know?
Royal Ballet is • Birmingham a registered charity and, like all charities, it needs to raise funds to make many of its activities happen. now members of the • We’re Fundraising Standards Board in recognition of our exemplary processes, systems and practices for raising money – and the confidence that inspires in our sponsors. tour to China was • Our supported by Birmingham City Council, Advantage West Midlands, IMI plc, University of Birmingham, Bournville College, British Council, Connections through Culture and The Sino-British Fellowship Trust.We are extremely grateful for their support.
Right
The Centre and its Opposite: Dusty Button and Aaron Robison
Balance Sheet 31 March 2009
£
31 March 2009 £
£
1 April 2008
£
FIXED ASSETS Tangible assets
454,108
426,756
CURRENT ASSETS Stocks
81,608
66,437
Debtors
1,004,989
508,094
Cash at bank and in hand
1,647,817
1,092,649
2,734,414
1,667,180
CREDITORS: amounts falling due within one year
(2,187,257)
(841,224)
NET CURRENT ASSETS
547,157
825,956
TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES
1,001,265
1,252,712
FUNDS Unrestricted funds: Restricted
57,926
70,000
Designated
691,206
902,763
General
252,133
279,949
1,001,265
1,252,712
These financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors on 12 October 2009
Photograph
Bill Cooper
Annual Review | 2009 Birmingham Royal Ballet
Section 04 23
Finances 2008 – 09 How we funded our activities
24.75%
0.25% 1.5%
73.5%
Grants and donations (voluntary income)
£ 9,673,466
Earned income from performances and related activities (incoming resources from charitable activities)
£ 3,254,308
Membership schemes and sponsorship (activities for generating funds) Investment income Total income
£ 187,601 £ 32,622 £ 13,147,997
Right
Enigma Variations Photograph
Bill Cooper
You’ll find a copy of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s full 2008–09 Annual Report at www.brb.org.uk/thecompany or, if you’d like a printed copy, call Anna Williams on 0121 245 3525
Birmingham Royal Ballet Patron
Her Majesty The Queen President
HRH The Prince of Wales Vice-President
The Lady Sarah Chatto Director Laureate
Sir Peter Wright cbe Director
David Bintley cbe Chief Executive
Christopher Barron Music Director
Barry Wordsworth (left post July 2008) BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair
Tessa King-Farlow (resigned 31/3/2009) Penelope Byatt Professor Michael G. Clarke cbe dl (from 8/12/2008) Timothy Clarke Kirk Dawes qpm Jane Drabble obe Charles Glanville David Hollingsworth (resigned 8/12/2008) Marguerite Porter Janet Smith Councillor Margaret Waddington Ed Wallis Councillor Ian Ward Photograph
Andrew Ross
Company Secretary
Anna Williams ACA DChA
www.brb.org.uk
Birmingham Royal Ballet receives funding from:
Contact details: by post Birmingham Royal Ballet Thorp Street, Birmingham B5 4AU by telephone + 44 (0) 121 245 3500 (9:00 –17:00 GMT, Monday–Friday) by fax + 44 (0) 121 245 3570 by e-mail Please see www.brb.org.uk/thecompany for individual e-mail addresses Please note that as a touring performing company, Birmingham Royal Ballet does not operate its own box office. For details of how to book tickets, please visit www.brb.org.uk Birmingham Royal Ballet is a company limited by guarantee. Registered office: Thorp Street, Birmingham B5 4AU Registered in England and Wales no. 3320538 Charity Registered no. 1061012 VAT Registration no. 687 9333 73