To consider the findings of the Courtyard Review Group following the review of The Courtyard Centre for the Arts.

The Committee considered the findings of the Courtyard Review Group following the review of the Courtyard Centre for the Arts.  A copy of the report was sent out separately to the agenda papers.

The Chairman welcomed Martyn Green, Chief Executive at the Courtyard Centre for the Arts, and Margaret Thomas, Chairman of the Courtyard Trust Board to the meeting.

Councillor H. Bramer, Chairman of the Courtyard Review Group, presented the report of the Courtyard Review Group to the Committee.  He explained that the Review Group had investigated the status of the recommendations and suggestions made by the first review and had made nineteen further recommendations and suggestions following their investigations. 

The principal recommendations of the Review Group are concerned with the Courtyard making a fuller use of the non-arts related resources available to it in order to increase income levels to address its current budget deficit and then increase its arts related work.  A summary of the recommendations and suggestions made by the Review Group can be found in Part 10 of the Report.

He informed Members that the Review Group had been greatly impressed by enthusiasm and professionalism of the Courtyard staff and thanked them all for their assistance during the Review.  He also noted the high regard in which the work of the Courtyard was held regionally and nationally.

The Chairman thanked Councillor H. Bramer for his report and explained to the Committee that the Courtyard had asked to comment on the report after it had been considered by the Courtyard Trust Board.  Therefore the Committee needed to decide whether to wait for this response before considering the recommendations or to consider the recommendations and forward them to Cabinet and allow the Courtyard to present its response to Cabinet.  It was agreed that the Courtyard would present its response directly to Cabinet and that the Cabinet Member (Community Services) would inform the Committee of the outcome.

Margaret Thomas, Chairman of the Courtyard Trust Board, thanked the Review Group for their comprehensive report and looked forward to working together with Council to put together a constructive plan for the Courtyard Centre for the Arts.

A Member of the Committee felt that catering at the Courtyard should remain in-house and not be franchised to a commercial operator as recommended in the Review Group’s report.

Councillor H. Bramer responded by explaining that when the Review Group completed its desktop benchmarking exercise by comparing the accounts of two comparable arts centres the Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal and the Castle, Wellingborough.  These investigations had revealed that the other arts centres trading companies, the arm of the business responsible for catering and other associated features, were turning over amounts which were greater than their level of income gained through admissions.  Whereas the Courtyard Trading Company was turning over just over half the value which it raised from admissions.  Therefore the Review Group had concluded that there was room for improvement and had felt that the best way for this improvement to be achieved was through the franchising the operations of the Courtyard Trading Company to a commercial operator.  A summary of the accounts comparing the Courtyard to the two bench mark venues can found at Appendix 3 to the report.

Martyn Green, Chief Executive of the Centre for the Arts, thanked the Review Group for completing the benchmarking exercise and explained that the probable reasons why the Brewery Arts Centre’s Trading income was significantly higher than the Courtyards.  These principally were: the Brewery Arts Centre was a well established centre located in the centre of Kendal which was of course a tourist area.  He added that the Brewery Arts Centre found it difficult to attract its trading company customers to attend arts centre events.  He also added the Brewery Arts Centre provided more than just catering facilities.

Councillor H. Bramer acknowledged the differences in location between the Courtyard and Brewery Arts Centre and suggested that if the Brewery Arts Centre’s Trading Company provided more than just catering for the arts centre then perhaps the Courtyard’s Trading Company could also provide additional facilities.

RESOLVED:

THAT: (a) the recommendations and suggestions of the Courtyard Review Group  be approved and submitted to the Cabinet Member (Community Services) for consideration;

 (b)  a copy of the Courtyard’s Response to the report of the Courtyard Review Group presented to Cabinet be forwarded to all Members of the Community Services Scrutiny Committee;

and;

 (c) the Cabinet Member (Community Services) report back to the Committee at later date on any taken as a result of the Review Group’s report;