| |
  
Le Toronto International Dance
Festival en eaux troubles
Les ventes de billets lors de la plus
récente édition du Toronto International Dance
Festival (TIDF) en août dernier n’ont pas été
à la hauteur des prévisions. Le festival accuse
de lourdes pertes financières et peine à rémunérer
ses artistes et ses techniciens. Un article de Susan Walker
paru dans le Toronto Star, le 23 octobre 2006.
Dance
fest may have to bow out
Poor ticket sales hurt Toronto International
Dance Festival
Creditors told in email they won't be paid `at this time'
The future of the Toronto International Dance Festival is
very much in doubt following financial losses from the August
event in the Distillery District.
This year's festival was the first time the event, formerly
known as the fringe Festival of Independent Dance Artists,
featured mainstage shows with invited artists. Many of the
performances were poorly attended.
On Sept. 8, festival director Michael Menegon issued an
email indicating the size of the problem.
"The 2006 Toronto International Dance Festival was
a wonderful success in terms of number and quality of acts....
Unfortunately the festival incurred huge financial losses
mostly attributed to lower than expected box office revenues.
"The losses were so large that the board of directors
and staff need some time to contemplate how best to proceed."
Losses are estimated by a former insider at between $40,000
and $50,000. The organization launched the 2006 festival
with an accumulated debt of $40,000.
In his email message Menegon wrote, "We are hereby
informing you that we are unable at this time to honour
any payment due to you. In the interest of all concerned
and to proceed in the best and fairest manner we anticipate
that it will take up to 30 days before a decision is made."
Creditors have received no further communication from Menegon,
who did not return calls from the Star.
Recipients of the email message include dancers, musicians,
production technicians and FLIP Publicity.
Mark Groulx, listed as board chair of fFIDA, producers of
the festival, says he has resigned.
Laura Arsiè, named as treasurer on the fFIDA website,
says she no longer serves in that capacity. She would only
comment that the organization needed time to figure out
a course of action.
The Penderecki String Quartet, which performed with Dancetheatre
David Earle, is owed $3,500. Richard Paul, who represents
the quartet, says he is distressed by the lack of response
to a registered letter he sent requesting a payment plan.
"I don't know where things stand. I asked if they were
to declare bankruptcy that my clients be put down as a secured
creditor."
According to Carrie Sager, president of FLIP Publicity,
her firm is owed the equivalent of one staff salary in unpaid
fees by a number of producers whose shows failed to bring
in anticipated revenues.
The problem, she notes in her monthly newsletter, is that
funds to pay artists, production and service staff are not
in hand before the shows go on. Producers reneging on fees
are in a spot because they planned to pay them out of box
office receipts that failed to come in.
Apparently such was the case with the Toronto International
Dance Festival.
Source :
SUSAN WALKER, Dance writer
Oct. 23, 2006.
http://www.thestar.com
Retourner
au sommaire du numéro de novembre 2006
© i-mouvance est édité
par le Regroupement québécois de la danse.
Les articles signés expriment l'opinion de leurs
auteurs et pas nécessairement celle du RQD.
Pour toute information : info@quebecdanse.org
|
|
|
