Glasgow City Council is likely to approve plans that will see the future management of the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall (GRCH), the City Halls and the Old Fruitmarket venues transferred to the cultural body, which runs the city’s museums, galleries, libraries and sports centres.
In a major development of a plan first revealed by The Herald in June, a new report, to be considered by the executive committee of the council next week, recommends that the takeover be implemented by next April.
No specific job losses are mentioned but vacant posts are reported to have been removed from staffing lists and “an HR strategy is being developed to support the potential for further staff efficiencies”.
The venues will also work with a major new artistic direction which will help the venues achieve a “national status as a centre of excellence”.
Acting artistic director for the venues, Svend Brown, has drafted this new vision, Glasgow Concert Halls: A Home for Music, which includes the development of “festivals” to introduce new repertoires and artists, a “broadening” of musical genres, a review of the international series of classical concerts, and consideration of the GRCH as home for the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO).
“Once the venues are financially secure, work can start on building a programme for how the venues can be further developed over the next three years,” the report says.
“Useage of the venues will increase as a result of the artistic vision and also through closer relationships with our partners including the RSNO and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.”
Yesterday Jean McFadden, executive member for external governance at the council, said: “It’s clear that, without the council’s rescue plan, the future of the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, City Halls and the Old Fruitmarket would have been in serious jeopardy. Our proposal will save these venues for future generations, while the new artistic vision will allow them to become more of a natural home for music in the city and serve all Glaswegians.
“These venues make a huge contribution to the cultural and educational life of the city, not to mention the huge tourism benefits they generate.”
The body which currently runs the venues, Glasgow Cultural Enterprises (GCE), has forecast a trading deficit of £540,000 for 2009/10 and its staff were yesterday informed of the move.
The report says the current business model is “not sustainable” and recommends the move, which would require the approval of both boards.
Since the proposal to switch was first mooted in the summer, a working group of members of both organisations has discussed issues including finance, governance, property, commercial development and marketing. The result of the working group is the paper to be discussed next week.
The new plan foresees the catering, security and box office of the venues being handled by other agencies and bodies in the city: the SECC is likely to handle box office facilities, with Cordia handling its catering.
The transaction fee for tickets at the box office, however, will be raised from £1 to £2 from January 1, 2010, raising £70,000 in extra income, if the plan is approved.
Technically, in the new plan the ownership of the GRCH will be transferred to the city council and then leased to Culture and Sport Glasgow.
This, the council believes, would generate initial savings of £858,000. However, it acknowledges that the ongoing costs of maintaining the buildings, which are in need of significant repairs and maintenance, are at the heart of the pressure on GCE’s finances.
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