Concert hall marks best year
Despite the pandemic and cost of living crisis Perth Theatre and Concert Hall enjoyed its best year ever in 2022/23.
The organisation running both Perth venues benefited from its highest ever ticket revenue, generating an estimated £16 million economic boost for the city.
Councillors were provided with the positive news at a meeting this week.
The Arm’s-length External Organisation (ALE0) of Perth and Kinross Council was in hot water over its financial management only a few years ago leading to mass resignations from the board including its chairman - in December 2019. An audit report revealed the organisation was being run in such a way it left itself“significantly exposed to fraud and error”.
Nick Williams took over as chief executive in December 2019 and within months of his appointment the country went into lockdown.
On Wednesday, April 26 Perth Theatre and Concert Hall chairman Colin Hood provided an update to Perth and Kinross Council’s Scrutiny and Performance Committee.
He told councillors:“it was just a couple of years ago as we were coming out of COVID that the main talk was about building back better.
“The world then seemed to go into a cost of living crisis and that was left behind.
“But last year was our best year ever - our highest ever ticket revenue grossing more than £1m.
“That’s up 40 per cent on what our target was.
“The economic benefit of that to the city is - we calculate - some £16 million.”
The organisation enjoyed its best gross profit from catering and bars at £421,000. And its reserves position has gone from being almost £400,000 in the red to almost £400,000 in the black.
Mr Hood said:“our reserves position which just a few years ago was £-358,000 so were living on advance ticket sales has now improved vastly to be a positive £398,000.
“Our forecast deficit for this current year is £77,000 whereas last year it was double that so moving in the right direction towards sustainability.
“Many of our productions have been nominated for awards generally very well received not just by our own public but by professionals within the arts.
“Our conference hall is now fully restored and ready for rentals.
“We hosted the Mòd and hopefully those people who have visited us have noticed a large cultural change in our staff which has been driven by the chief executive and the executive team.”
The chairman expressed a commitment to build upon last year’s success and said:“we believe we can build momentum over the next few years and create a much better product for our communities.”
In this year’s council budget the organisation was granted an additional £80,000 to create Perthshire Box Office - a new centralised online, telephone and in-person booking service.