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Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/309075
18 BCBusiness JUNE 2014 managing new budgets, which were created because once you have a bigger facility, you have more people, there's more expense in putting it up, there's more expense in taking it down, there's more expense in maintaining it. We just needed to develop and grow quite quickly and that growth has taken up a lot of time for a lot of people—their thoughtful- ness and wisdom has seen us through it. But it hasn't been easy. When you started in 1990, did you envision growing to something this grand? No, I didn't. I believed it could be successful, but if you had asked whether in 25 years' time would it be a $5-million festival, I couldn't have seen that. But the nugget, the seed of it, I believed in. And fortunately so did a lot of other people. Do you think you would have found this same success in another Canadian city? I think that Vancouver is perfect because the weather is kind of perfect for what we're doing. You needed to give it time to grow organically and not force it, and that made the diff erence here in Vancou- ver. It works in Vancouver because in the summertime people like to be outside here. Vancouverites like to be outside in the eve- nings and Bard allows you to be outside, but be protected outside. Does the commu- nity's support play a signifi cant role in Bard's success? I think so. How is it that Vancouver embraced Shake- speare? I think it's because it's grown on people over the years. The fi rst decade was just steady as she goes. We managed budgets very well and the audience got used to com- ing. They got used to trusting us—that it wasn't going to be odd, or incompre- hensible, or airy-fairy, or academic. It was going to be accessible, thoughtful, inspirational, fun, dangerous—it was going to be dynamic. The credit lies with the 90 to 100,000 people that care every year. Their loyalty has made all the diff erence. What have been the most crucial fi nancial pillars of support? The main money, of course, comes from selling tickets and what people spend on-site. Corporately, we've had dedicated sponsors from both large companies and small for decades, and very often that support has remained constant. We are very underfunded compared to other arts organiza- tions from our annual grants from the city and the province. You look at other arts organizations of compa- rable size in British Columbia and in Canada and chances are they're way more supported from the levels of government. The City, of course, has really embraced Bard on the Beach, especially with our capital project to move into the 162 West 1st theatre centre. We'll move in in a little less than 18 months' time with the Arts Club. About 45,000 square feet, where there will be a production centre, offi ces—there will even be a theatre that the Arts Club will have and we will perform in in the winter. We will expand to perform in the winter in PaUL DUCHaRT (GROUP PHOTO) in september 2012, the Vancouver international Wine Festival announced Bard on the Beach as its new charitable benefi ciary. seen that. But the nugget, the seed of it, I believed in. And fortunately so did a lot of other people. Do you think you would have found this same success in another Canadian city? I think that Vancouver is perfect because the weather is kind of perfect for what we're doing. You needed to give it time to grow organically and not force it, and that made the diff erence here in Vancou- ver. It works in Vancouver because in the summertime people like to be outside here. Vancouverites like to be outside in the eve- nings and Bard allows you to be outside, but be protected outside. Does the commu- nity's support play a signifi cant role in Bard's success? I think so. How is it that Vancouver embraced Shake- speare? I think it's companies and small for decades, and very often that support has remained constant. We are very underfunded compared to other arts organiza- tions from our annual grants from the city and the province. You look at other arts organizations of compa- rable size in British Columbia and in Canada and chances are they're way more supported from the levels of government. The City, of course, has really embraced Bard on the Beach, especially with our capital project to move into the 162 West 1st theatre centre. We'll move in in a little less than 18 months' time with the Arts Club. About 45,000 square feet, where there will be a production centre, offi ces—there will even be a theatre that the Arts Club will have and we will perform in in the winter. We will expand to perform in the winter in PaUL DUCHaRT (GROUP PHOTO) p14-21-Frontlines_june.indd 18 14-05-01 2:59 PM