Sage seeks to raise £3m
STRUGGLING QUAYSIDE VENUE IS IN NEED OF BIG CASH BOOST
THE region’s world-class music centre has launched a £3m fundraising appeal in a bid to secure its future.
That is the stark situation faced by Sage Gateshead, which is out to raise £1m a year over the next three years to ensure it can survive and even go on to prosper in a postlockdown world.
In launching the new Crisis, Recovery and Renaissance campaign, managing director Abigail Pogson is determined the muchloved Sage will go on to “flourish anew.”
The Quayside-based music centre, which had been undergoing an ambitious revamp before the coronavirus crisis hit, has since lost 60% of its ticket revenue.
A further 20% is now at risk, leaving the Sage on what its boss has previously described as “a financial cliff edge.”
Ms Pogson says culture will have a “profound” role to play in the postlockdown world and feels the music centre’s own work is vital.
However, due to its heavy loss, she said: “We face a financial cliff edge and alongside everything we will do to help ourselves we are going to need financial help to navigate this.”
The Sage is a charity, relying upon ticket sales and public donations for more than two thirds of its income, and it has been suffering hugely during its lockdown closure with the cancellation of its concert, classes and events programme and the knock-on heavy financial losses.
Between April and this coming December, it is set to lose £7m – 50% – of its annual income.
It responded initially with a Coronavirus Resilience Fund campaign and since the start of the pandemic £100,000 has been raised through the public appeal for help to help cushion the impact.
This will now kick-start the ambitious new fundraiser.
At the same time, the Sage has been trying to attract online audiences with offerings including a virtual tutoring via a Young Musicians Programme.
The new fundraiser has a threestage aim, the first being “crucial action” to respond to what it calls the imminent crisis, including support for its Royal Northern Sinfonia orchestra.
The following stage will be about recovery and then finally ‘renaissance’ and it is this long-term aim tthe Sage is focusing upon in order that it continues seeing music play its role in enhancing people’s lives and its work in supporting young musicians and community education.
At the same time, though, it will incur further costs due to the need to adapt the building for future use.
Ms Pogson added: “Our aim is to raise £1m a year over three years to help us handle the crisis, recover and flourish anew.
“We want to be able to continue to make a significant social and economic contribution to the region.”