2015 The Report | 2015 Perth International Arts Festival

the report 13 feb–7 March

perthfestival.com.au

There is a weird alchemical effect when thousands of people focus on something as strange and wonderful as this, a collective suspension of disbelief that can fuel the reimagining of an entire city.

Stephen Bevis, The West Australian

The Incredible and Phenomenal Journey of The Giants to the Streets of Perth cr. Jessica Wyld

2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

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contents

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01 YOUR FESTIVAL AT A GLANCE

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02 GENERAL MANAGER’S REPORT

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03 ARTISTIC DIRECTOR’S REPORT

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04 VITAL STAGES

19

05 INTERNATIONAL EXCELLENCE

27

06 RIO TINTO FAMILY AND EDUCATION PROGRAM

31

07 FESTIVAL PATRONS

37

08 MARKETING OUR FESTIVAL

43

09 MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

53

10 FESTIVAL PARTNERSHIPS

63

11 OUR PHILANTHROPY PROGRAM

65

12 FESTIVAL THANKS

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2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

Beyond cr. Andy Phillipson

We all agreed – there was something in the air at Perth this year. Something magical and Oz-like. It was a tangible energy ... the Festival was a place where magic actually happened.

Dave Hackett, author at Perth Writers Festival

2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

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01 YOUR FESTIVAL AT A GLANCE BRAND FAMILIARITY

74%

BRAND COMMITMENT

89%

BRAND RECOGNITION (at events)

96%

BRAND AFFINITY

97%

6,849 media clips reaching a potential cumulative audience of

168,751,710 Television clips

1,079

37,142 Interstate and International attendances

Facebook posts for the campaign had a collective reach of over five million – more than double 2014

Radio clips

3,433

$6

million

40,000 engaged Facebook users

Website visitation sessions

1,190,245 Media coverage Value

$26

95% million

of the Perth population believed The Giants had a very positive effect on the community as a whole

total attendance for the festival

Participating artists

1,068 1,790,702 increase in international visitors 30%

3,599,587 Website Page views for the Festival campaign (Nov–April)

02 General Manager’s report

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2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

The Paper Architect cr. Toni Wilkinson

The Paper Architect cr. Toni Wilkinson

INTRODUCTION At our heart, we are a festival for the people and it is central to our mission that we attract the broadest possible cross-section of our community to experience the Festival program. Perth truly dived in to the events on offer during the recent summer, with an extraordinary number of people booking out nearly all the seats on offer.

The 2015 Perth International Arts Festival was the final in the cycle of four Festivals under the artistic direction of Jonathan Holloway. It was a Festival of great ambition, rendered in both massive scale and personal intimacy. From The Incredible and Phenomenal Journey of The Giants to the Streets of Perth (The Giants) to The Paper Architect, audiences participated in the largest arts event ever staged in Western Australia and were transported by the intimacy of a miniature world of breathtaking delicacy. It was a program that was generous in its offer and well received by all who joined us for five months of outdoor cinema and three weeks of intense and joyful celebration of the transformative nature of art.

Delivering a program of such scale required substantial increases in the number of contract staff and volunteers to complement the on going Festival team. All who worked for the Festival and assisted in its delivery committed themselves with energy and passion and we owe everyone who contributed a huge debt of gratitude.

Our primary supporter group is the Friends of the Festival, who provide immense support through both ticket purchases and advocacy. We thank every member.

I would like to acknowledge the significant contribution made by The University of Western Australia and underscore the Festival’s commitment to its original purpose and to its role as a major pillar of the University’s Community Engagement program.

Under the leadership of 2013–15 Festival Chair, E/Prof Margaret Seares AO, the Festival Board is deeply engaged and contributes much to challenge and inspire the organisation. E/Prof Seares retired from the Festival Board in April 2015. Her contribution as a member of the University Executive and then as a Board member and Chair has been significant. She has done much to encourage and nurture the Festival and we have been the beneficiary of her knowledge, wisdom and guidance over many years.

Every single supporter who stands behind our Festival is important to us and we thank our sponsors, grantors and donors for their tremendous support in 2015. Without the support of the City of Perth, our founder The University of Western Australia, the State Government of Western Australia and Lotterywest, our Principal Partner, we simply could not achieve all we do.

Julian Donaldson General Manager

03 Artistic Director’s report

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2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

The Rabbits cr. Toni Wilkinson

Jonathan Holloway, on set at The Incredible and Phenomenal Journey of The Giants to the Streets of Perth cr. Toni Wilkinson

From day one in Perth I saw and talked about the four Festivals I was responsible for as a set, a series of stories building to a conclusion, a symphony in four movements. The first Festival introduced the themes and ideas and was both tantalising and discernably different from the Festivals it followed. The second built on those themes but took them further. The third was the adagio: new themes, darker, a minor key – almost melancholic at times – but by far the most broad and complex of the four, a depth-charge into the dark soul of humankind.

whose energy and sense of celebration would leave the city humming.

I am confident that the 2015 Perth International Arts Festival was a fitting finale to the set. It was narrower than the previous two, with fewer works, but it was deeper in its engagement and far, far taller in its presence.

The ‘epic and the intimate’ was our rallying cry, and it certainly seems to have delivered.

And so we approached the fourth Festival, the final movement.

This Festival intended to reincorporate the themes of the first two Festivals and bring them to a conclusion

A quick revisit of the themes and ideas of the set of four Festivals is worthwhile here.

We will commission and program world-class artists to present contemporary work of the highest quality.

International artists will see it as the place to create their best work and emerging artists will be enriched by their connection with it.

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2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

Place des Anges cr. Toni Wilkinson

Philip Glass cr. Toni Wilkinson

The challenge from the start of this set of Festivals was clear – to

•

Margaret Atwood

consolidate ticket sales and raise the bar dramatically in terms

•

Batsheva Dance Company’s Deca Dance & Sadeh21

of quality and scale of work. This was expressed in terms of the

•

Dmitry Krymov’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream

•

Nalaga’at Deaf Blind Theatre’s Not By Bread Alone

•

The National

•

Martin Amis

‘silver birches’, the works that stand out in the mix.

The artists and works within this category over four years have been:

•

Les Studios de Cirque’s Place des Anges

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12 Years a Slave

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Peter Brook’s A Magic Flute

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Royal de Luxe’s The Giants

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Grupo Corpo’s Onqotô & Parabelo

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Madama Butterfly, directed by Anthony Minghella

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Ennio Morricone

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Mark Morris Dance Group’s Mozart Dances

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Bon Iver

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The Rabbits by Barking Gecko/Opera Australia

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The Berliner Ensemble’s The Threepenny Opera

•

Les Arts Florissants conducted by William Christie

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Philip Glass’s Piano Etudes

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Sinead O’Connor

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Laurie Anderson and the Kronos Quartet

•

Mariko Mori

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Jim Campbell’s Scattered Light

•

Hilary Mantel

We will bring to Perth the art of the unexpected, disrupting the city, using temporary transformation to bring about permanent change, and allowing us to see our surroundings and lives with fresh clarity.

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The Incredible and Phenomenal Journey of The Giants to the Streets of Perth cr. Jessica Wyld 2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

Images: The Incredible and Phenomenal Journey of the Giants to the Streets of Perth cr. Jessica Wyld Place des Anges cr. Jarrad Seng

In 2012, we began with Les Studios de Cirque’s Place Des Anges, which converted St Georges Terrace into a huge public playspace, dropping two tonnes of feathers onto an unsuspecting city, and in 2015, we finished with Royal de Luxe’s The Incredible and Phenomenal Journey of The Giants to the Streets of Perth.

The Giants completely delivered on disruption and transformation, turning the city and our expectations on their heads in a way that moved beyond the collective impact of any other year, and which I believe will see a transformational effect on the people of Western Australia for years to come.

We will unlock contemporary and traditional stories, and the talent of Western Australia. Artistic exchanges, international and regional commissioning, and workshops will strengthen the arts sector of the region and so raise the global profile of Western Australia.

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2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

Madama Butterfly cr. Toni Wilkinson

Madama Butterfly cr. Toni Wilkinson

Identifying and supporting Western Australian artists, and placing them on an international stage, was central to our 2012–15 vision. In 2015, Vital Stages has been larger than ever, with so many core works about engaging with the stories and talent of our region: •

The Giants involved the whole community – artistic and not, professional and not, paid and volunteer

•

Madama Butterfly was produced with West Australian Opera and a live score performed by the West Australian Symphony Orchestra

•

Mark Morris’s Mozart Dances was accompanied

by WASO

• The Rabbits, by Barking Gecko and Opera Australia,

was our first ever world premiere performance of a Major Festivals Initiative commission •

The Festival comprised a massive range of projects, workshops, masterclasses etc.

We will involve the people of Perth and beyond as active collaborators in the Festival in order to influence, shape and create irresistible events. We will continue to use free work and innovative ticket pricing to remove financial barriers, we will use digital work to remove time barriers, and work in public spaces will remove the physical barriers.

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2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

Mozart Dances cr. Tanya Voltchanskaya

Mozart Dances cr. Tanya Voltchanskaya

Performances of all scales and engagements of all types have been a key attribute of the past four Festivals, from the intimacy of Oráculos to the ‘community of the feathers’ in Place des Anges, and all points in between.

I am delighted with what we have achieved in 2015 and over the set of four Festivals. The Chevron Festival Gardens has been attractive and vibrant with great programming, the visual arts program has been irresistible and imaginative, the Perth Writers Festival has reached new heights while our classical music program has united the ancient and the modern.

Lotterywest Festival Films and the Great Southern Festival continue to flourish, while education and digital programs are ever re-inventing and exploring a constantly moving leading

edge. Opera has followed a great four-point arc, circus is vibrant, and theatre and dance have seen premieres and exclusives as befits one of the world’s great festivals.

All in all, I am happy that we have achieved what we set out to do – broaden audiences, increase the world’s focus on Perth, invest in incredible art and lift the game in every possible way.

Most importantly, the Festival has grown while being loved by so many, and it is in a great position to consolidate that growth and springboard into the next exciting chapter of its history.

Jonathan Holloway Artistic Director 2012–15

04 Vital Stages

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2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

The Rabbits cr. Toni Wilkinson

Hack The Festival cr. Fields & Skies

2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

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2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

Images: The Incredible and Phenomenal Journey of The Giants to the Streets of Perth cr. Jessica Wyld

Vital Stages Conceived in 2011 and delivered by the Festival from 2012–15, Vital Stages is born out of the idea that there are key stages in the artistic creation process, across all genres, when support would enable a good project to become great, and achieve outcomes it would not otherwise achieve without focused investment.

Now in its fourth year, the Vital Stages program has been an essential part of the Festival, strongly benefitting Perth’s artistic community and audiences.

2015 Vital Stages highlights include:

Key artistic collaboration between Royal de Luxe and Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company saw local Indigenous artists involved in the theatrical delivery of Noongar storytelling across dance, music, visual art and traditional ceremony.

Other local Indigenous artists were engaged as Lilliputians, cymbal relay players, drummers, drivers, dancers and musicians.

Arts workers/technical and support staff were engaged across areas including crew, costumes, safety, production management, site and front-of-house management and event management.

The Giants

Four independent visual artists were commissioned to create work especially for The Giants.

The Incredible and Phenomenal Journey of The Giants to the Streets of Perth provided extraordinary opportunities to a diverse group of more than 80 artists and 150 arts workers from Western Australia. These individuals participated in rehearsals and then performed with Royal de Luxe on the streets of Perth; many were involved from the initial creative development through to performance.

Hundreds of individuals were also involved in The Giants through community groups and schools to realise the commemoration of the Anzac Centenary.

In addition to the paid opportunities, unique experiences were provided to local artists who observed Royal de Luxe’s closed rehearsal process.

A series of 30 events associated with key international and local artists took place over the course of the Festival. These included rehearsal observations, workshops with schools, panel discussions, artist talks, Q&A sessions and local artist discussions.

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2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

Not I, Footfalls, Rockaby Artist Talk cr. Jessica Wyld

Ubu and The Truth Commission Workshop cr. Jessica Wyld

vital stages: PERFORMANCE, FILM, VISUAL ARTS AND DIGITAL PROGRAMS Madama Butterfly: Comprising 85 full-time musicians from WASO, with support and administrative staff around them, this production also involved 28 singers from the WA Opera Chorus as well as WA Opera production staff across stage management, set construction, costumes, wigs and dressers. Also from Western Australia were ten dancers, five minor principals, the chorus master and assistant conductor, repetiteurs, coaches, surtitlists and ballet pianists.

Soft Soft Loud: A dozen local musicians gathered to perform an international, curated program of music directed by local and international artists.

Chevron Festival Gardens: The Festival’s contemporary music program incorporated local DJs and support acts.

Cut The Sky: This major new work and world premiere was from Western Australian company Marrugeku.

The Rabbits: This Barking Gecko Theatre Company and Opera Australia co-production was a Major Festivals Initiative commission by Perth International Arts Festival and Melbourne Festival.

Other visual arts exhibitions: Western Australian artists and curators contributed to exhibitions at Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery, Fremantle Arts Centre, John Curtin Gallery, PICA, the Art Gallery of Western Australia, the Western Australian Museum and the City of Subiaco.

Hack the Festival: Australia’s first ‘art hack’ brought interdisciplinary artists together with coders, designers and developers to create innovative digital prototypes and new opportunities for collaboration across arts and technology.

Fifty-two local artists were involved in the hack-a-thon, including four as mentors.

Two Worlds: This workshop brought experienced digital practitioners together with Indigenous artists and storytellers to experiment with different formats and digital platforms in the development of a proof of concept. Twenty-four participants and five mentors were involved in the project.

Somewhere Our City: Local artists Steve Berrick, Sam Price and Chris Nixon were commissioned to create this interactive digital installation for children.

MIX Artists: Home Front: Twenty local visual artists contributed to this exhibition across a range of media including painting, sculpture, digital and textiles.

Tim Pearn: On the Beach: This exhibition of artworks incorporated scale build-up of plastic detritus from beaches in Albany.

Principal Partner

Supported by FESTIVAL CIRCLE DONORS

Images: In An Italian Garden workshop cr. Jessica Wyld

05 International Excellence

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2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

Madama Butterfly cr. Toni Wilkinson

2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

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In 2015, the Festival delivered an infinite number of extraordinary moments, experienced at different times and in myriad ways.

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2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

Madama Butterfly cr. Toni Wilkinson

Mozart Dances cr. Tanya Voltchanskaya

International Excellence Our role as an international arts festival is to curate a program of tantalising events by attracting international artists and companies at the top of their game, and presenting their work, in the most accessible way, right here in Western Australia.

From its inception, the Perth International Arts Festival has been a Festival for the people of Western Australia. Our International Excellence program celebrates what it is to live in one of the most remote cities on earth and considers our state’s place in the world through active patronage in ideas and themes with the best thinkers and storytellers. While this program enables the highest quality international work to be presented to an audience with a healthy appetite for great art, it also provides subsidised tickets and many free events for new audiences to commence a journey through the wonders of the Festival and their own cultural life.

International Excellence Partner

2015 International Excellence highlights included: • The Incredible and Phenomenal Journey of The Giants to the Streets of Perth • Beyond • Mozart Dances • The Rabbits • Chevron Festival Gardens • London Grammar • Perth Writers Festival special events – Hilary Mantel and Elizabeth Gilbert: On Creativity • In An Italian Garden • Rising • Madama Butterfly

06 Rio Tinto Family and Education program

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2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

Perth Writers Festival Family Day cr. Jessica Wyld

2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

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Recognising the essential role creativity plays in shaping, learning and building resilience in young people, Perth International Arts Festival has grown a significant program of high-quality work specifically for young people and their families over the past four years.

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2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

Perth Writers Festival Family Day cr. Jessica Wyld

Rio Tinto Education Program Highlights 7,000

2012

8,000

2013

10,000

2014

13,000

2015

Education program total attendance

443

increase

92%

schools

Across Western Australia have participated in the Rio Tinto Education Program over the past four years

in schools attendance since 2012

$809,589 Schools and students’ total savings on tickets to Festival events (2013–15)

37,959

total students participating In an event, workshop or exhibition since 2012

14,000 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0

Free

2012

2013

2014

Paid

Total Attendance

2015 Education program

The Perth Writers Festival Family Day has gone from strength to strength each year with attendances starting at 7,500 in 2012 and reaching 18,000 in 2015.

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2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

Future Postal Service cr. Jessica Wyld

The Future Postal Service cr. Jessica Wyld

Rio Tinto Family Program highlights 2012–15 •

Tangle in 2013 was a huge, colourful, messy elasticweaving event created by children in the heart of the Perth Cultural Centre. Part visual-arts installation, part performance, part playground, part dance party, Tangle was enjoyed by 3,350 children.

•

The House of Dreaming and The House Where Winter Lives, were vastly different experiences but both as magical, immersive and tactile as the other. Created especially for young audiences, these projects showcased some of the world’s greatest theatre for young audiences.

• The initial presentation of Screenkids in 2014 provided young audiences and families with a unique and accessible film experience. The dynamic, curated program brings the

world’s best international children’s films to Perth and is now expected to grow in scale.

•

The opening weekend of the 2015 Perth International Arts Festival was the largest free family event to be staged in Western Australia. Attracting 1.4 million attendances over three days, The Incredible and Phenomenal Journey of The Giants to the Streets of Perth created a very real buzz locally, nationally and overseas, setting the benchmark for a world-class family cultural experience.

Family and Education Program Partner

07 FESTIVAL PATRONS Festival patrons are generally well educated and have a rich cultural diet. They are socially active, environmentally aware and pursue a stimulating and progressive lifestyle. Festival attendances are mostly by residents of the Perth metropolitan area, with small (but increasing) visits from cultural tourists.

As the sunniest capital, Perth’s incredible weather encourages Festival patrons to be social; with backyard barbecues, dinner parties and drinks throughout the year, they love to get out into Perth city to soak up the atmosphere in February.

This social aspect of Western Australian life is now not only quarantined in the physical, patrons are also continually increasing their level of interaction through social media,

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seeking out information and catching up online with friends.

They are ‘information vacuums’ and engage online with the Festival more profoundly each year.

Our patrons’ arts engagement is both regular and broad during the year, and on average they spend more than $200 each on Festival events alone. They respond with great enthusiasm towards communication and events that are unique, well styled and produced with authenticity – citing the artists and production values as key drivers to attendance, while our outdoor venues are also major attractors. They have a preference for intellectual stimulation over ‘light’ entertainment.

The Incredible and Phenomenal Journey of The Giants to the Streets of Perth cr. Jessica Wyld 2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

The Festival’s brand health measures remained high in 2015, reflecting a strong relationship with our diverse patrons. This year also saw a marked increase in new audiences.

2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

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reach The Festival reached more people than ever before in 2015

of the Perth population stated that they had attended a festival event

engagement The Festival’s brand health measures remained high in 2015, reflecting a strong relationship with our diverse patrons. This year also saw a marked increase in new audiences

BRAND FAMILIARITY

74%

BRAND COMMITMENT

89%

BRAND RECOGNITION (at events)

96%

BRAND AFFINITY

97%

96%

of patrons felt positive about the events they attended with 27 events exceeding 90% satisfaction and only five events registering below that figure

Net Promoter Score 56 (Festival patrons)

The Incredible and Phenomenal Journey of The Giants to the Streets of Perth cr. Toni Wilkinson 2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

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Festival Patrons Audience Segments

audience profile

Our market segmentation model was developed by Festival partner Catalyse Research and, over many years of consistent reporting, we now have a very rich history of survey data to reference.

Both the geographic spread and the demographic are broad.

From the cumulation of our key audience segments, our overall audience:

Based on this customised model, we have three main representative audience groups:

• is evenly spread across diverse age ranges

• Seekers

• has a very high female skew • is highly educated In 2015, students and schools were responsible for 7% of all tickets sold, and an exceptionally strong family and children (and free) Festival program drove increases in attendance from that very important market segment.

• Traditionalists • Impressives

% of respondents 1 0 11 6

2 2 1 7

2 6 13

15 6

1 1 8

1 0 4

1 3

15

15

12 3

1 0 4

1 2 2

9

10

6 4

5

Indifferents

Low interest and knowledge of the arts; low interest in Perth Festival; more likely to be male

Mainstreamers

Preference for mainstream events; may attend Festival if low cost and about something they are already interested in; more educated than Indifferents

All-rounders

Similar demographic profile to Mainstreamers; more interest and knowledge of the arts; more open to Festival events; seek events that are fun/not too serious

10 3

5

The youngest segment; not as highly educated as Seekers; tend to live in Young Explorers the suburbs; some interest in the arts; willing to explore and try new things 53

49

60 53

57

24 19

2008

15

2009

54

2011

Impressives

The segment with the most females; mirror the Traditionalists to some degree, though not as highly educated; younger and more socially motivated.

Selectives

Very selective and judgmental; highly educated; more likely to be males; relatively low affinity with the Festival

Seekers

Tend to be younger and well educated, with a high interest and knowledge of the arts; great supporters of the Festival

Traditionalists

The oldest segment; strong interest and knowledge of the arts; well educated and eloquent; great supporters of the Festival

24 17

15

2010

63

59

2012

16

2013

2014

18

2015

demographic % of respondents Gender

26

Male

71

Female Age

13 13

3

Diploma/Advanced diploma

14–17yrs

2

Bachelor degree

32

18–24yrs

4 Postgraduate degree or higher

34

15

35–44yrs

18

45–54yrs

20

55–64yrs

22 16

65+yrs Unknown

3 16

Western Suburbs

Other

6

Unknown

4

Full-time student

6

Part-time student

6

25

Inner North Inner South

16

Outer North

20

Outer South

G-Eazy cr. Ali Judd

High school

Unknown

25–34yrs

Residence

Highest level of eductation

16

Regional WA

4

Outside WA

1

Unknown

1

Other

Friends of the Festival

23

Disability or impairment Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Non-English speaking background

8 2 11

2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

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08 Marketing Our Festival In 2015, we developed and implemented a broad-reaching marketing program which set a new attendance record of more than 1.7 million individual experiences.

We set out with the following key objectives: • Strengthen our relationship with existing customers • Attract audiences who have had no relationship with the Festival before • Deepen the level of engagement that each patron has with their Festival experience While the performance program had less capacity to sell than in the previous two years, the box office income increased due to larger scale and higher priced events. Beyond classical music, theatre and dance, our contemporary music program saw a significant increase in average ticket prices.

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The Incredible and Phenomenal Journey of The Giants to the Streets of Perth cr. Jessica Wyld 2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

Patrons phenomenally increased their level of engagement with the Festival through digital platforms, while our brand measures remain as high as ever.

2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

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All attendances Total attendances

year

772,122

2012

555,162

2013

377,424

2014

1,790,702

2015

Paid attendances significant increases (+30% on 2014) in paid attendances were found in Classical and Contemporary Music, but overall sales decreased due to a smaller ticketed program

TOTAL TICKETS SOLD

95%

193,449

91% 2012

Dance

Classical Music

179,093

2013

70%

194,908

67% 2014

Theatre

169,657

Contemporary Music

While there were fewer tickets to sell, we sold a larger share of available tickets than in 2014

2015

The Giants contributed to 1,379,633 of our total attendances, and a high performing visual arts program, plus an increase in the Perth Writers Festival Family Day, lifted our free attendances to more than 1.5 million.

Chevron Festival Gardens cr. Ali Judd

2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

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box office income

$6 million

$27.57

$34.32

overall box office

2012

2015

Over the past four years, we have incrementally increased our average ticket price owing to a lift in the scale of the works presented

Main Festival brochures

145,000

the giants pocket guides

150,000

Lotterywest Festival Films brochures

150,000

The West Guide to the Perth international arts Festival

255,355

Online environment During the three days of The Giants (13–15 Feb), we recorded 430,540 sessions – equal to our total for the entire 2014 campaign

60%

146% Increase in website visitation for 2015

1,190,245 Website sessions

3,599,587 Of all traffic browsers were on tablets/mobiles

Page views for the Festival campaign (Nov–April)

Social media engagement 44%

40,000 The number of engaged Facebook users

increase

83%

increase

87%

increase

120% increase

First Aid Kit cr. Ali Judd

2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

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The Incredible and Phenomenal Journey of The Giants to the Streets of Perth cr. Jessica Wyld 2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

Ticketing and customer service There is much to improve, but the 2015 results are a great starting point

very satisfied

Patron satisfaction with our ticketing and customer service remained at 2014 levels

72%

75%

ticketing service

customer service

Media Buy The total value of our 2015 Festival advertising exceeded 2014 totals by 3%

$1,320,953 (total media buy leveraged from a direct Festival expenditure of $575,010 ex GST)

Advertising spend was mostly condensed into the period from mid-January to the end of the Festival to maximise impact and align with signage installation and distribution of The West Guide to the Festival

Visitors to Western Australia The Festival contributed to Western Australia’s tourism draw by increasing the number of visitors to our state

37,142 Interstate and International visitors were responsible for 37,142 attendances across the program

increase in international visitors 30%

Volunteers This year, volunteers were tasked with administration, marketing, crowd flow management and information sharing, as well as working with artists in green rooms, and assisting audiences with digital visual art and experiential work

608

people registered to volunteer

397

specifically for The Giants

Friends of the Festival Friends of the festival experienced a 10% increase in annual membership, reaching a total of 1,944, made up of 1,590 Annual Members and 354 Life MembersÂ

friends annual members

year

1,307 1,311 1,446

2013

1,590

2015

2012

2014

Impact of The Giants The Economic Impact report commissioned by Tourism WA noted:

$38 million

$3.6 million

spent in the City of Perth as a result of The Giants

new money entering WA with interstate and international visitors

95%

of the Perth population believed The Giants had a very positive effect on the community as a whole

The Incredible and Phenomenal Journey of The Giants to the Streets of Perth cr. Jessica Wyld 2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

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09 MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

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The Incredible and Phenomenal Journey of The Giants to the Streets of Perth cr. Jessica Wyld 2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

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2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

The Rabbits cr. Toni Wilkinson

Media highlights The 2015 Perth International Arts Festival campaign was our biggest to date, capitalising on a rich and diverse program

$26 million Media Value

6,849 clips reaching a potential cumulative audience of

168,751,710 Online

radio

tv

2013

2014

press

7,000

6,000

Television clips 1,079

Press clips 1,132 5,000

4,000

3,000

Internet clips 1,205

Radio clips 3,433

This is far and away the largest volume of clips we have ever achieved, due partly to specific coverage of The Giants but also to a general lift in coverage and interest in the Festival

2,000

1,000

0

2012

2015

National Publicity Our relationship with national media continues to strengthen and grow.

We extended invitations to national media to come to Perth to review and broadcast from the Festival. Attendance increased this year, with a concentration on the opening weekend and during the Perth Writers Festival. Among new visitors were the Deputy Arts Editor of The Age, a journalist from Arts Hub, Radio National Drive and Conversations with Richard Fidler.

The Guardian returned, providing previews, reviews, multimedia presentations and photo galleries. In a first, a reporter and video journalist went to Albany for the Great Southern Festival, highlighting the visual arts in the region.

Once again, we received excellent coverage of the visual arts in the Sydney Morning Herald/The Age and three cover stories of Review in The Australian. The Age also published an enthusiastic wrap by its Deputy Arts Editor following her successful visit.

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2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

London Grammar cr. Ali Judd

The highlight of the national coverage was the heightened quality and range of national reviews to balance and complement local reviews.

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Western Australian Media Perth International Arts Festival’s relationship with The West Australian produced a huge volume of press including an excellent Guide to the Perth International Arts Festival, with Beyond on the cover, inserted into the Weekend West in late January. The West Australian’s coverage included reviews of all major shows and a minimum of one photo story in the news section each day (sometimes up to two pages), plus coverage in Today, Seven Days and Weekend West. There were also reviews of all films each week and on the weekend throughout the season.

This year also saw support from local radio 720 ABC, in particular, Afternoons with Gillian O’Shaughnessy (leading compere). Afternoons’ outside broadcast during the Perth Writers Festival was very successful, with ‘Gillo’ and her listeners delighted by the calibre of talent available (particularly the hugely popular Elizabeth Gilbert and Andy Griffiths).

Western Australian television coverage included regular reports driven largely by The Giants.

Many local publications were again supportive, for example, the Subiaco Post was a great source of reviews of key events and films.

Scoop magazine gave high-volume, high-quality editorial in their summer edition and online coverage including in their e-news to subscribers.

Online Media Online media clippings doubled in 2013 to more than 500 clips and increased again in 2014 to more than 700. In 2015, this figure was 1,205 reports. While some coverage was generated by online websites of traditional media outlets (e.g. ABC, The West Australian online), there was also increased engagement from newer websites, niche websites (youth culture, film and theatre criticism) and blogs, some of which are very influential. This helps the Festival reach a demographic that does not ordinarily engage deeply with traditional press and broadcast media.

There are many advantages to this shift in media. The ease with which audiences can access and share stories leads to far greater word-of-mouth and buzz than simple figures would indicate, and provides a lift in visibility for the Festival as a whole.

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Beyond cr. Andy Phillipson

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The Giants in the Media To supplement the national campaign, an international multimedia release was distributed via Hong Kong-based PR Newswire. This contained a 400-word release which was translated into local-language, English-language and simplified-Chinese landing pages. The results were more than 1,400 page views. The objective of this release was to increase the online visibility of the event in the Asian, European and American markets, and this was achieved.

Countries reached included mainland China, UK, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Hong Kong, France, Egypt, Malaysia, India, Spain, Singapore, South Korea, Finland, Thailand, Iraq, New Zealand, Indonesia, Poland, Philippines, USA, Sweden and Pakistan. On our opening weekend, the eyes of the world were on Perth.

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The Incredible and Phenomenal Journey of The Giants to the Streets of Perth cr. Jessica Wyld 2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

The campaign for The Giants was highly visible and successful, generating more than 3,000 media clips and an advertising space rate of more than $7 million.

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10 FESTIVAL PARTNERSHIPS In 2015, we attracted the largest number of Festival partners, resulting in the most valuable portfolio to deliver an extremely ambitious program of events.

Our Development team has two areas of focus. The first is to grow our existing relationships with sponsors, funders and donors of the Festival, who contribute funds and services to facilitate the creation and execution of each program.

The second is to identify target sources of new funding and convert a proportion of these to raise new funds to make each Festival possible.

For the 2015 Perth International Arts Festival, the Development department managed relationships with 87 partners and more than 326 individual donors. The total value of the portfolio managed was $15,460,780 (includes operating grants from Lotterywest and The University of Western Australia, and cash income for The Giants). This is $3,153,895 (25.6%) more than the amount secured in 2014.

Only 30% of what it actually costs to deliver a Festival of this scale and calibre is covered by ticket sales. Therefore, our partners are absolutely essential to the delivery of our artistic ambition. We couldn’t do what we do without them.

Our 2015 Partners are featured on page 69.

$19,308 $398,578

$298,138

Operating grants Cash sponsorship

$298,518

$1,640,903

Contra sponsorship Federal Government grants

$1,447,618 State Government grants $8,198,467 Local Government grants $3,159,250 International Government grants Philanthropy

For the 2015 Perth International Arts Festival, the Development department managed relationships with 87 partners and more than 326 individual donors. The total value of the portfolio managed was $15,460,780.

First Aid Kit cr. Ali Judd

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11 our philanthropy program Philanthropic donations are gifts for the benefit of the community. Over our 63-year history, thousands of individuals and trusts have donated to the Festival.

In 2015, we saw a 23% year-on-year increase in revenue through a range of investment programs for the benefit of artists and audiences. This is money directly invested in artistic programs and a result of the great care that we take with this important group of Festival patrons.

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2015 PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL THE REPORT

The 2015 Festival giving program comprised six areas: • • • • • •

Festival Circle donors Medici donor program Southern Lights donors Major gifts Trusts and foundations The Giants donors

A list of Festival donors and supporters is included in Festival Thanks (page 69).

Madama Butterfly cr. Toni Wilkinson

2012

2013

2014

2015

actual

$162,141.00

$158,771.23

$241,726.57

$298,137.62

number of donors

123

151

201

326+

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ANNUAL GIVING: FESTIVAL CIRCLE IN FOCUS Established in 2011, the Festival Circle was created to raise the bar for both the quality of international work we present and the depth of engagement we have with the local Western Australian arts sector. This program has seen outstanding growth over the past four years, and has contributed to the realisation of some of our greatest commissions and achievements.

Donations received are directly invested into: Local artist engagement: This program enhances the opportunity for local artists to work and perform alongside world-renowned international artists or to conceive, develop and present new contemporary works that are Festival-ready.

International program: The core of the Festival provides our community with the opportunity to experience the highest quality work from artists at the peak of their practice.

Many of these events inspire our youth and live on in our memories and imaginations for years to come.

Funds received through the Festival Circle are directly invested in contemporary local and international art. All donations to the Festival over $2 are fully tax deductible.

Levels of Support Visionary: $10,000+ Innovator: $5,000+ Creator: $2,500+ Discoverer: $1,000+ Explorer: $500+ Festival Circle donors enjoy: • • •

• •

•

Invitations to exclusive Festival functions during the year Assistance with Festival ticket bookings Exclusive opportunities to meet the Artistic Director and Festival artists Acknowledgement in Festival publications Subscription to the quarterly e-newsletter, The Festival Philanthropist Tax deductibility for your donation

For further information, please contact Acil Tayba, Development Executive, on 08 6488 8603 or atayba@perthfestival.com.au.

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The Queen of Heaven cr. Toni Wilkinson

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12 the festival thanks founder

principal partner

international excellence

the giants presenting partner in perth

major events partner

CIVIC partner

partner

the giants supporting partner in perth

the giants supporting partner in perth

leadership partners

leadership partners

premier partners

media partner

major donors

major partners

public funding partners

international partners

Department of Education Department of Culture and the Arts Tourism Western Australia GOVERNMENT OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Consulate of Italy Perth

supporting partners

8Hotels Albany Advertiser Albany Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc Albany Entertainment Centre Albany Harbourside Apartments and Houses APN Outdoor Avant Card Barnesby Ford Chrysler Jeep Dodge

festival circle donors

Visionary

Anonymous Donors Innovator

Michael and Margrete Chaney Dr David Cooke Eureka Legacy Peter Mallabone and Joan Retallack M+H Tuite Anonymous Donors Creator

Joanne Cruickshank Gene Tilbrook M and H Tuite David Wallace and Jamelia Gubgub Kate and Richard Wilson Discoverer

Sue Boyd Dane Etheridge and Brooke Fowles David and Julanne Griffiths Jim and Freda Irenic Lynn Murray Rosemary Pratt Carol Tomcala Diana Warnock Michael Wise Anonymous Donors Explorer

Suzanne Ardagh Bernard and Jackie Barnwell

recommended restaurants

Barrington Consulting Group Bunn Wine Community Newspaper Group Duxton Hotel Great Southern Distilling Company Green Man Media Productions H+H Architects Instant Toilets and Showers Lepley Properties Lincolns Beyond Numb3rs

Oranje Tractor Wines Perth Audiovisual Poacher’s Ridge RTRFM 92.1 The Backlot Perth The Brand Agency The Music WA The Rocks Albany Trevelen Farm – Great Southern Wine X-Press Magazine

Lalla Rookh Lot Twenty Matilda Bay Restaurant and Function Centre Must Winebar Public House The Butterworth Bar & Kitchen The Dominion League The George The Terrace Hotel

David Blenkinsop CBE AM and Lynn Blenkinsop Coral Carter and Terence Moylan Andrew Doyle Goodlad Family Joss Gray and Tim Leaver Ole and Gerie Hansen Greg and Lisa Hutchinson Janet King Mary-Ellen King Stephen Kobelke Vincent and Fiona Lau Megan Lowe Quang Ly Gaye and John McMath Delys and Alan Newman Nigel and Dr Heather Rogers Linda Savage Fiona Stanley Jai Tulsi Margaret Whitter Dr Helen Wildy Anonymous Donors

John and Paula Phillips Dot and Jon Price Peter Watson MLA Anonymous Donors

Dr Walter Ong and Mr Graeme Marshall Pearl Proud Joakim and Véronique Ramén Bill Repard and Jane Prendiville Sam and Dee Rogers Peter Smith and Alexandrea Thompson Thompson Estate Debra and Joe Throsby Andrew Umney Tim and Chris Ungar Melvin Yeo Anonymous Donors

SOUTHERN LIGHTS DONORS

Albany Podiatry Bay Merchants Bowles Family David and Nan Anderson Dawes Family T and E Gerner Neil Houghton and Georgina Folvig

MEDICI DONORS

Neil Archibald and Alan R. Dodge AM Zelinda Bafile and Robert de la Motte John Barrington and Fiona Harris Robert Bayliss and Simon Dufall Linda Birmingham and John Bond Mark Clapham and Dr Andrew Mulcahy Dr David Cooke In memory of Dr Stella Barratt-Pugh Marco D’Orsogna and Terry Scott Paul and Susanne Finn Derek Gascoine and Dale Harper Terry Grose and Rosemary Sayer Fiona Hackett Sue and Peter Harley Richard and Nina Harris David and Sandy Heldsinger Kathryn Hogan and Graham Droppert Janet Holmes à Court AC Janet and Rob Kirkby Peter and Lynne Leonhardt Greg Lewis and Sue Robertson John and Elizabeth Mair Ian McCubbing Michael Murphy and Craig Merrey Dr Fred and Georgina Nagle

THE GIANTS DONORS in perth

John Barrington and Fiona Harris Joanna Calder Tania Chambers and Eddy Cannella Penny and Ron Crittall Julanne and David Griffiths Gaye and John McMath Gabe and Andrew Mostyn Grant and Libby Robinson Linda Savage Margaret and Roger Seares Ungar Family Foundation LEGACY CIRCLE DONORS

Anita Clayton Nigel and Dr Heather Rogers Anonymous Donors

Beyond cr. Andy Phillipson