Christchurch’s three professional arts companies — the Christchurch Symphony, Canterbury Opera and The Court Theatre — received combined grants of more than $350,000 from the Christchurch City Council this year.

In next year’s draft Annual Plan, they stand to receive at least that amount again. City Scene looks at what the spin-offs are for Christchurch and the Canterbury region.

Canterbury Opera is busy rehearsing for its up-coming production, Norma, which opens at the James Hay Theatre on June 20.

It is the first big opera of the 2002 season and will run for five nights. It will provide paid employment for around 120 people, including a 40-person orchestra, supplied by the Christchurch Symphony. The costumes and sets will be produced locally, with most material supplied by local shops.

In August, the company will produce Jam and in October Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte, conducted by Richard Bonynge.

Chief executive officer Elizabeth Owens says the social and economic benefits for the local economy are far reaching.

“In 2001, from a turnover of $1 million Canterbury Opera spent more than 800,000 in the local economy. More than 12,000 people attended opera-related events and 35 young people gained experience and skills through the Canterbury Opera Youth programme funded by the Community Trust). It has meant that Christchurch people can start to make a living from their skills and gain work experience in the arts.”

The city’s three professional arts companies receive an annual grant from the Christchurch City Council. This year, the Opera received $62,000, the Christchurch Symphony $270,000, and The Court Theatre $55,000.

The combined business activity of the three professional arts organisations amounts to 5.4m spent in the local economy on wages, venue rental, production material, overheads and training.

The Christchurch Symphony’s turnover in 2001 was around $2m, 95 per cent of which is pumped back into the local economy, according to general manager Tony Kunowski.

“The orchestra is a cornerstone of the performing musical arts in the city, and the region,” he says. “It should be viewed as an infrastructural asset similar to the Art Gallery. “The Gallery hosts a variety of exhibitions. Similarly, the orchestra can perform a number of distinct styles, from Lizst to Lloyd Webber, as well as support the opera, choir and ballet.”

In 2001, around 20,000 people attended concerts performed by the orchestra. An estimated 120,000 to 150,000 attended Starry Nights and Classical Sparks in Hagley Park, at which the orchestra performs as part of its Council grant.

Similarly, more than 130,000 people attended activities organised by The Court Theatre.

“The Court performed more than 900 events last year with a record paying audience of over 120,000,” says chief executive, Stuart Alderton. “This equates to key financial and social benefits to the community as a whole.

“The ripple effect for other industries throughout the region is vast both directly and indirectly. A healthy cultural climate is a key consideration for companies planning to relocate or expand in a city, for example.” The theatre employs, on average, 65 to 95 people a week.