SADLER’S WELLS: 2008/9 HIGHLIGHTS “No coming-of-age in 2008 was greeted more warmly than the 10th birthday of the new Sadler's Wells, whose revamp in 1998 didn't just improve the quality of the dance-going experience: it turned London into the dance capital of the world” INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY
Hofesh Shechter Uprising photo by Ben Rudick
SADLER’S WELLS: 2008/9 HIGHLIGHTS 2008/9 was a big year for Sadlerʼs Wells. Not only did we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the new theatre but we were also delighted to welcome over half a million visitors to our theatres to see some 580 performances. This report aims to give a brief overview of the year and the inspiring dancers, choreographers, supporters, staff and so many others who have enriched our lives. For further information, there is a full listing on the website of all performances, supporters and staff.
1.
ARTISTIC PROGRAMME
Our Associate Artists are critical to our work. We were thrilled to be able to make two additions to our Associate Artists during this year – Hofesh Shechter and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui – both of whom have recently produced new work for Sadlerʼs Wells, and we are very excited to continue to work with them and our other Associate Artists.
Sutra photo by Hugo Glendinning
“This new Sadler’s Wells production exceeds even our highest expectations” ★★★★★ THE TIMES
The programme across 2008/9 was, as ever, enormously varied, covering many different art forms performed by individuals and companies from all over the world. The key strands to our programme this year were: •
Commissioning new work and touring it nationally and internationally
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Presenting leading British and international dance companies
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Introducing new work to London
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Festivals focusing on different areas of dance
New Commissions We continue to build on our commitment to commissioning and/or co-producing new dance works. The notable commissions during 2008/9: •
Sutra – a collaboration between Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Antony Gormley
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Eonnagata – a collaboration with Sylvie Guillem, Robert Lepage and Russell Maliphant.
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Destino – a partnership with Dance United bringing professionals together with those who had never danced.
“Arts initiatives can look calculating and insincere: exercises in box-ticking to satisfy funding bodies. But you never get that feeling with Sadler’s Wells, which constantly restates its belief in the power of dance to change lives. Programmes like Destino take us to the places where that change is actually occurring, demonstrating that it’s the attention you pay to human values that keeps you ahead of the curve” THE OBSERVER
Destino photo by Hugo Glendinning
Sadlerʼs Wells also took a number of its own productions on tour, with Havana Rakatan touring the UK and both PUSH and Sutra being performed extensively around the world. Sutra was performed in eight different venues and was seen by over 20,000 people in sold-out theatres across Europe and there are big plans to continue the international tour during the next year. Over the past three years The Jerwood Charitable Foundation has partnered with us in funding The Jerwood Studio, which has provided a remarkable creative arena for artists to develop and present new work. In 2008-9 over 70 artists and creators took part in research projects, performances, talks and an intensive international professional development course.
Presenting leading companies from around the world Sadlerʼs Wells participated in the London-wide celebration China Now, and presented a series of Chinese work including bahok (Akram Khanʼs collaboration with the National Ballet of China). Other international companies on our stages during 2008/9 included: Cloud Gate Dance Theatre (Taiwan), Les Ballets C de La B (Belgium), Royal Ballet of Flanders (Netherlands), Nederlands Dans Theater 1 (Netherlands) and Australian Ballet (Australia). One of the highlights of the year, and one of the most commercially successful productions, was the presentation of West Side Story on the Sadlerʼs Wells main stage celebrating the 50th anniversary of this dance-led classic musical.
“If you buy one theatre ticket this summer, make it this one. A thrilling, hurtling triumph”
★★★★ THE OBSERVER
West Side Story
“Mesmeric, spontaneous and unpretentious - these are guys you’d really like hanging out with” METRO
At our West End venue, the Peacock Theatre, we continued to present a broad range of shows, with work from Ye Gam Theatre in Korea (Jump), the fantastic Canadian circus (Traces) and, of course, our regular favourite The Snowman at Christmas.
Traces
Introducing new and innovative work to London At the other end of the spectrum, Sadlerʼs Wells continued to present and promote artists who are new to London, firstly by launching a new series of work – Sadlerʼs Wells Debut. This initiative promotes emerging choreographers at a special low price of £10 and is designed to encourage audiences to try something new. It launched with the young Israeli choreographer, Emanuel Gat. Secondly, the programme of conceptual work in the Lilian Baylis Studio continued with sell-out presentations of work by Xavier Le Roy, Jérôme Bel and Ivana Muller. Sadlerʼs Wells Sampled proved enormously popular once again, and received great reviews. It has been successful in encouraging both existing and new attendees to widen their experience of dance. And by presenting very different styles together in one evening, it exemplifies what unites – rather than distinguishes – each dance form from the other.
“The idea of Sampled is that you may discover new tastes. On the way out, I heard a young woman say: ‘That turned me on to everything.’ This response is what the Wells most hopes for” SUNDAY TIMES
Sadlerʼs Wells Sampled
Festivals The fifth Breakinʼ Convention three day International Festival of Hip Hop Dance Theatre enjoyed another sell-out weekend. The 2008 festival showcased wide-ranging performances by 31 companies from as far afield as Russia, Japan and Europe together with strong representation from the UK. In addition, 65 young performers took part in Future Elements, an evening of dance created by young people on young people. Our annual Flamenco Festival was again a huge success and included performances of classic works such as Antonio Gadesʼs Carmen and appearances by major stars like Eva Yerbabuena and Estrella Morente.
“I watched for two blissful hours in a theatre crammed with devotees” FINANCIAL TIMES
Breakinʼ Convention photo by Paul H
2.
DEVELOPING AUDIENCES
About Our Audiences Sadlerʼs Wells is dependent on its audiences, which this year numbered in excess of 500,000 people across its three theatres, plus offsite venues. With almost 70% of the theatreʼs revenue coming from ticket sales, we are absolutely committed to bringing dance in all its forms to as wide an audience as possible. The range of work that we present attracts a very mixed demographic, from fans interested in specific genres, to Sadlerʼs Wells regulars with an appetite for a wide range of dance, to a varied West End audience at the Peacock Theatre. Our multibuy ticket discount scheme is extremely popular and grows each year – by allowing patrons to save 20% when they book for two or more shows it encourages audiences to try shows they might not ordinarily see. In 08/09 over 50,000 multibuy tickets were sold.
Sadler’s Wells Offsite During this year, we presented a number of works by leading choreographers in venues beyond our three theatres. One of the highlights was taking Hofesh Shechterʼs Uprising / In Your Rooms to the Roundhouse, which was extremely successful with audiences and critics alike.
“A thrusting crowd of twenty somethings for whom this was simply London’s hottest and most exciting ticket were there. This surely is the future, dance that travels light, moves fast and knows that ‘interesting’ is not enough” THE OBSERVER
at the Roundhouse
HOFESH SHECHTER IN YOUR ROOMS / UPRISING THE CHOREOGRAPHER’S CUT
FRI 27 & SAT 28 FEB
BOX OFFICE: 0844 482 8008 www.roundhouse.org.uk
photo by Ben Rudick
The year also included the second half of the Spring Dance series – a Sadlerʼs Wells collaboration with Raymond Gubbay and Askonas Holt – presenting a season of dance at the London Coliseum. The season included sell out performances by Carlos Acosta and the Sadlerʼs Wellʼs production PUSH, with Sylvie Guillem and Russell Maliphant.
Connect Our Creative Learning programme, Connect, works directly with the theatreʼs local communities in Islington and the neighbouring North London boroughs of Barnet, Enfield and Haringey, as well as delivering the London Youth Dance pan-London project of strategic significance. In 2008/9 Connect delivered nearly 500 workshops/events, which directly engaged 10,000 people. 32% of the work took place in formal education settings, inspiring young people to dance, many for the first time. Connectʼs portfolio of programmes ensure that the work programmed on Sadlerʼs Wells stages is supported by dynamic, creative engagement and audience development activities. Highlights for 2008/09 included the piloting of the new Creative and Media Diploma to Islington and Hackney schools, the continued development of Sadlerʼs Wells Company of Elders and Connectʼs landmark mainstage production Destino.
The Company of Elders photo by Belinda Lawley
“Every city, town and village in the land should have a Company of Elders. If there’s a better antidote to the shrinking effect of ageing than the power of dance I’ve yet to see it” METRO
Sadler’s Wells Local 2008/09 saw the first year of Sadlerʼs Wells Local – a new audience development ticket scheme which offers good seats for performances at a cost of just £6. Its aim is to attract local people to the theatre who genuinely cannot afford to buy theatre tickets at full price, or who may have never experienced live theatre. The scheme has allocated tickets for 21 different shows at both the Peacock Theatre and Sadlerʼs Wells, with an audience of over 2,000 people from 88 Islington and Camden based charities, youth/community groups and voluntary organisations with some local residents in targeted Islington postcodes. The next phase is to work in partnership with local housing and tenantsʼ associations to encourage local residents in the Islington N1, N7 & N19 areas booking for shows.
3.
OUR SUPPORTERS
The achievements of Sadlerʼs Wells 10th anniversary year would not have been possible without unprecedented contributions from our sponsors and donors. Sadlerʼs Wellsʼ production of Eonnagata, the brainchild of Robert Lepage, Sylvie Guillem and Russell Maliphant was supported by Rolex, which continues its association as sponsors of the world tour. American Express supported Sadlerʼs Wells Associate Company Morphoses/Wheeldon Company again in 2008 and we are delighted that this support will continue into the next financial year.
Eonnagata photo by Erick Labbé
“Slick direction and seamless transformations ensure a dream-like progression of images. Characters rise and vanish with almost magical sleight-of-hand” SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
The Garfield Weston Foundation generously supported the visit of the Mariinsky Ballet and Opera companies in November 2008 adding to their long history of support. The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust made it possible to continue and develop Sadlerʼs Wells Local, the innovative audience development scheme described overleaf as well as giving valuable support to Connectʼs Backstage Pass project, which works with local junior schools. Amongst the many individuals who supported Sadlerʼs Wells in 2008, we are indebted to a major donor whose belief and support in the artistic programme enabled us to create The Commissioning Fund for the development of future projects through matched fund-raising. We would also like to thank The Ulrich Family and anonymous donors for the inspiration of their Board Challenge. We extend our gratitude to each and every member of the Board, Governors and Development Council for their support in rising to this challenge! We would also like to thank all those major donors who have supported the artistic programme so generously this year. Numerous individuals work tirelessly to encourage support for projects at Sadlerʼs Wells. Our particular thanks go to Angela Bernstein, CBE, Marco Compagnoni and to our wonderful Chairman, Sir David Bell whose leadership and personal commitment to Sadlerʼs Wells is second to none. And, of course, we are very grateful for the ongoing support from the Arts Council of England. Each of our sponsors and major supporters is listed in the Supporters section of the website.
4.
FINANCIAL POSITION
For the financial year ending 31st March 2009, Sadlerʼs Wells turnover reached a record of over £20 million as a result of exceptionally high earned income. This turnover was made of the following main income sources: Sadlerʼs Wells Turnover Arts Council England £2.3 million Trading and other £1 million Box Office income £14.1 million Fundraising £2.8 million
This means that some 89% of Sadlerʼs Wells income was self generated, with the remaining 11% coming from the Arts Council England.
Sadlerʼs Wells Expenditure Theatre Presentations £16.2 million
Trading and Fundraising £0.6 million
Theatre Overhead £3.2 million
Of this income £20 million was expended in the year, thus allowing for a small surplus to be reserved for the creation of new work. The vast majority of the expenditure, £16.2 million, was on the productions, with the main proportion of the remainder, £3.2 million, expended on running the building and organisation. Some £0.6 million was spent to generate the £3.8 million of fundraising and trading income.
5. SUMMARY The past ten years have seen the dance sector expand significantly in the UK, with television shows such as Strictly Come Dancing and Britainʼs Got Talent helping dance to be recognised as an accessible and visible art form in the public consciousness. Sadlerʼs Wells has responded to this growth by not only increasing the range of shows on offer but also in finding new ways to present dance to an increasingly diverse audience. In 2008/09 we presented over 60 different shows, taking in over 14 different dance styles. We presented work at the London Coliseum, the Roundhouse, and Latitude and Glastonbury festivals, as well as our three regular venues. Dance is a democratic art form, unrestricted by language barriers and, in a multicultural and multilingual city such as London, this is a vital strength. We have been successful in developing a regular, loyal audience at Sadlerʼs Wells and we continue to see numbers rising and new audiences coming through. We will continue to build on this relationship with the public over the coming year, and to contribute to the dance landscape with new Sadlerʼs Wells productions and by fostering creativity and seeking out the dance-makers of tomorrow.
Alistair Spalding Chief Executive and Artistic Director On behalf of the Directors of Sadlerʼs Wells Trust Limited as at 31 March 2009: Sir David Bell, Chair Rab Bennetts OBE Joachim Fleury Robin Pauley Tony Sarin Lady Valerie Solti Sandi Ulrich
Carlos Acosta photo by Tristram Kenton