2015 Review - Garsington Opera

2015 REVIEW

OUR AIMS ENRICH

the lives of audiences and participants

PRODUCE theatrically compelling productions with the highest artistic standards

EXPAND

appreciation of opera through participation

DISCOVER

and nurture the best young performing talent

PROVIDE

members and audiences a memorable experience at Wormsley

E S TA B L I S H financial stability to support future productions

COSI FAN TUTTE

INTERMEZZO

John Fulljames, Dick Bird & Douglas Boyd

Bruno Ravella, Giles Cadle & Jac Van Steen

D E AT H I N V E N I C E

MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

Paul Curran, Kevin Knight & Steuart Bedford

with the Royal Shakespeare Company

A RT I S T I C REVIEW We aim to produce theatrically compelling operas with the highest artistic standards in a setting of extraordinary beauty.

In 2015 we presented a balanced and contrasting programme: • COSI FAN TUTTE in a new production by John Fulljames.

• INTERMEZZO continued a Garsington tradition and marked the return of Strauss opera to the festival.

• DEATH IN VENICE was performed for the first time at Garsington Opera, under the consummate authority of Steuart Bedford, who conducted the work’s premiere in 1974.

• A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM in partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company provided a unique opportunity to see Shakespeare’s play alongside Mendelssohn’s enchanting incidental music.

Paul Curran’s production of Britten’s final opera is unforgettable ★★★★★ The Independent There’s no weak link in this delightful production [of Intermezzo] ★★★★★ The Stage A superior performance of [Midsummer] rarely experienced in its totality ★★★★★ The Guardian Douglas Boyd conducted his forces [in Cosi] with wisdom, wit, and a relish for ensemble attack The Spectator

LEARNING & PA RT I C I PAT I O N Our work in the local communities surrounding Wormsley and throughout the UK help to expand appreciation of opera through participation. In total we have worked with over 5,000 people during the year, providing a wide range of performing activities, interactive workshops and composing sessions.

Particular highlights from the year’s activity were as follows:

A D U LT C O M M U N I T Y C H O R U S 45 adults enjoyed a project which culminated in a performance at Stoke Mandeville Spinal Injuries Unit, involving patients and staff.

PRIMARY SCHOOLS 53 children worked with the Garsington Opera team to film an ‘Introduction to COSI FAN TUTTE’.

This short film introduced the themes and story of the opera and was shown to 4,300 people.

SECONDARY SCHOOLS & YOUTH CHORUS 10 secondary schools and over 500 students have participated in projects which explored COSI FAN TUTTE, performing their own responses to over 2,000 local students and families. The Youth Chorus involved 48 young people from the local area working in an intensive week of workshops before performing Richard Taylor’s The Creation for an audience of 600 family and friends.

A LVA R E Z YO U N G A RT I S T P RO G R A M M E Garsington Opera is proud to champion and nurture the development of young singers the the Alvarez Programme, working closely with conservatoires each season to identify and showcase the very best emerging talent from the UK and worldwide.

In 2015 Garsington Opera welcomed 50 young singers onto the Alvarez Programme as members of the chorus and understudies in the festival. For many this represented their first professional opera engagement and all young artists benefitted from the following activities throughout the year:

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT - CV advice, Tax & VAT seminar, record keeping ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT - Audition training, language coaching, public recital opportunities, showcase performances, video recording, introductions to agents and casting representatives at other opera houses

PROFESSIONAL HEALTH - ENT Consultant & Vocal Health study day “The summer of 2015 was one I will never forget. I had a fantastic time making my debut at Garsington as Stroh in Intermezzo and learnt so much both as a performer and a musician.

I was so lucky to be surrounded by a hugely talented cast, creative team and musical staff and can't emphasise how much I learnt from these hugely gifted people. I also made some great friends and meet some extremely interesting people. Also just getting to spend time in the beautiful Wormsley Estate was a pleasure in itself.

It wasn't just performing in Intermezzo where I learnt so much. Garsington lay on fantastic classes on important topics for young singers. We were offered classes ranging from tax to audition advice. Also we had the chance to record a professional standard video recording which is so useful for auditions and applications.” - OLIVER JOHNSTON, TENOR

R E S TAU R A N T & PICNICS A new Long Room Restaurant was constructed overlooking the Wormsley Cricket Pitch, offering greater comfort to guests and improved kitchen.

842 Afternoon Teas & 1,816 Catered Picnics were enjoyed throughout the season.

2,459 servings of lamb and 483 lobsters were served in the new Long Room Restaurant, with over 6,200 meals served in total.

391 Bottles of Champagne were consumed

FINANCIAL REVIEW 2015 Income (£’000)

2015 Expenditure (£’000)

£112 £165 £263

£134 £306 £228

£276 £2,230

£931 £2,803

£1,378

Box Office Fundraising Sponsorship Front of House Commercial Income Other

Production Costs Overheads Commercial Activities Depreciation Learning & Participation

2015 Forecast (£’000)

2014 Final (£’000)

Box Office

2,230

2,020

10%

Fundraising/Members

1,378

1,762

-22%

Corporate Sponsorship

276

264

5%

Front of House/Concessions

263

224

17%

Commercial Income

165

155

6%

7

11

-36%

105

93

13%

4,424

4,529

-2%

2,803

2,570

9%

Education Activities

134

131

2%

Commercial Activities

228

216

6%

Overheads

931

862

8%

Depreciation

306

291

5%

4,402

4,070

8%

22

459

4,058

3,941

INCOME

Investment Income Other Total Income

EXPENDITURE Opera Production

Total Expenditure

Movement in Funds TOTAL FUNDS

AU D I E N C E FEEDBACK

All our recollections are so overwhelmingly positive that it is hard to find specifics, but what stood out for us this time were not only the intense, energetic, involving, dynamic production with so many individual highlights, but the 'afterglow' effect of the performance itself coupled with the lighting in the grounds, blessed by good weather.

Not once being asked to prove that we were entitled to be there, other than checking on our picnic tent, only added to a sense of being a valued guest at a private occasion. We so look forward to the 2016 programme already, valuing the consistently high quality of all singers and orchestra musicians to which we have become accustomed. Wonderful!

It is not just one bit of the day that was perfect, the whole experience was perfection. The surroundings, the exquisite gardens the stunning architecture, the food and above all, the intimacy of it all and total lack of “corporate� feel to it.

I so love the feeling that everyone there is there because they want to be, not to be on show, although it is always so lovely to see everyone looking so stylish and beautiful, but because everyone is for the total Garsington experience. Stunning location and stunning surroundings and above all the most amazing opera.

From the first staff member guiding you in, to the last one waving you goodbye...it was heavenly. The attention to detail is a credit to the whole organisation.

AU D I E N C E R E AC H In 2015 Garsington Opera’s work achieved wide reach, both in terms of audience members and participants experiencing work first-hand at Wormsley, and also a large number of people nationwide accessing free public screenings of COSI FAN TUTTE. Through creative partnerships in 2015 and the opportunity to perform productions in other venues, Garsington Opera has grown in national profile, featuring at the Southbank Centre and at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon.

In addition, digital reach has been expanded through a growing social media following, successful development of an online booking system and engaging web-content which is available to all.

2015 Performances

Website Sessions

Learning & Participation

5,296

Social Media Following

Opera for All

8,125

Content Plays

TOTAL

 

22,472

2015

35,893

TOTAL

142,637 7,057 12,897 162,591

OPERA FOR ALL Garsington Opera for All is a groundbreaking national programme, offering free access to opera, creative education workshops and public screenings provided by Garsington Opera in culturally isolated areas of the UK. With major support from Arts Council England, and in partnership with East Lindsey District Council, Garsington Opera has been able to carry out education and community work on a national scale, offering a unique programme of cultural engagement for those people who need it most.

In 2015, the first of the programme, Garsington Opera provided free pubic screenings of COSI FAN TUTTE in seven locations across the UK, including Louth, Grimsby & Margate. In each location Garsington Opera’s Learning & Participation team has worked with local children and adults to explore the themes and music of the opera, creating their own response to the piece before performing it publicly prior to a free screening of the opera from Wormsley. This public screening was preceded by a short introduction by school children who explained their own perspective on marriage.

The central aim of the project is to provide a tailored introduction to opera for those with no access to high-quality arts provision. Through working with communities in the days preceding a public screening, we are able to demystify the genre and enable members of the public to engage fully with their first experience of opera.

The programme worked with 25 schools over 41 days of activity. Overall this year, we have worked with 8,125 people as part of the Opera for All project.