The city is lowering the curtain on Theatre by the Bay’s $68,000 deficit.
Sitting as finance and responsible governance committee on Tuesday night, councillors approved a loan from the city’s theatre reserve — to be repaid in annual $15,000 instalments from the city’s arts and culture grant budget.
“Theatre by the Bay is requesting urgent assistance,” said Iain Moggach, its artistic director. “A combination of pandemic-related factors led to a deficit.”
This funding motion still requires general committee and city council approval.
Moggach also said 2025 is the next time Theatre by the Bay can apply for operating funds from the Canada Council for the Arts, so eliminating the deficit now is important.
“Last time we applied for operating funding, Theatre by the Bay’s deficit was considered enough of a liability for our application to be dismissed,” he said.
If unsuccessful, Moggach said, it means the next opportunity to apply would be 2028.
Earlier this year Theatre by the Bay also did not receive a Canada Council Project grant for a production, he added.
Moggach, who made an open delegation to committee Tuesday, said the implications are dire.
“Theatre by the Bay has been faced with an overwhelming challenge,” he said. “Cover the granting shortfall and work to eliminate our deficit in the same year, or risk being stuck in a grant pool that is increasingly harder to access.
If unsuccessful, "the company would struggle to operate, if not cease to operate, in the next two years,” Moggach said. “We felt it necessary to turn to the City of Barrie for support.”
Councillors were supportive of what is essentially a loan, without interest, although it was also called a grant.
“This is an emergency fund,” said Coun. Amy Courser. “You (Moggach) would not be standing in front of us if this (wasn’t).”
“I want to prioritize not only the survival, but the thriving of Theatre by the Bay,” Coun. Sergio Morales said of the professional theatre company.
But there were concerns the loan could set a precedent with other arts groups.
“We don’t want to be seen as the bank, right — the first stop, let’s go to the city, we need a bail-out,” said Coun. Bryn Hamilton.
“I would love to know the way forward where we’re not relying on grant money,” said Deputy Mayor Robert Thomson.
Theatre by the Bay normally receives an annual city culture and arts grant of $34,000, and the loan to cover the $68,000 deficit would be paid back from the source of that money.
This year’s city culture and arts grants total $230,000, a total amount set by council during budget talks, and are handed out to groups by an arts jury of those in the field.
“Essentially, any future funding allocations for (Theatre by the Bay) that would come from the art investment fund would be reduced by $15,000,” said city clerk Wendy Cooke, “essentially reducing the fund by $15,000 annually to repay the theatre reserve.”
The city’s theatre reserve contains just more than $7.6 million, money being set aside for a future performing arts centre in Barrie.
This city council has made no decisions on a new performing arts centre.
