{"id":1545,"date":"2016-07-14T09:29:21","date_gmt":"2016-07-14T07:29:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thecritter.co.za\/?p=1545"},"modified":"2016-07-14T09:29:21","modified_gmt":"2016-07-14T07:29:21","slug":"ticket-sales-down-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/thecritter.co.za\/?p=1545","title":{"rendered":"Ticket sales down 5%"},"content":{"rendered":"

NAF holds steady in tough economic climate<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

By\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>NAF Admin<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>|July 13th, 2016|<\/span><\/span><\/span>News<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>|<\/span><\/span><\/span>News<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>|<\/span><\/span><\/span>0 Comments<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

[13 July 2016] \u2013\u00a0The National Arts Festival reported \u201csolid and consistent\u201d support for the arts in a tough economic environment, as it announced its 2016 attendance and sales figures today.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve seen a slight flattening of our numbers over last year\u2019s record-breaking attendance figures, with ticket sales and attendance at Festival events totalling 227 524. While this is around 5% down on last year, it exceeds sales from our 40thanniversary edition the previous year, in 2014. The long-term trajectory is still good \u2013 the Festival has grown by 61% over the last decade and continues to outstrip inflation in terms of how much money audiences are prepared to spend on the arts. A sober year in the middle of a 10-year party isn\u2019t necessarily a bad thing,\u201d Festival CEO Tony Lankester said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat said, we were encouraged by the number of shows at the Festival that reported sellout houses,\u201d he continued. \u201cAudiences were being a lot more selective about how they spent their money this year. They sought out quality on our ticketed programme, and they also gravitated toward some of the many free offerings we staged,\u201d Lankester said.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Festival reported an increase in attendance at free events, including the popular SAfm Sundowner shows and the Public Art performances.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Thirty-one productions on the Main programme enjoyed sales greater than 80% of capacity. These included<\/span><\/span><\/span>The Inconvenience of Wings<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Animal Farm, House of Truth, The Firebird, Blonde Poison, Ruth First: 117 Days,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em>Pieter-Dirk Uys\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>The Echo of a Noise\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em>and the Cape Dance Company\u2019s double bill.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Once-off performances by musicians AKA, Caiphus Semenya, Ringo Madlingozi and The Kiffness were completely sold out, as were Simphiwe Dana\u2019s two concerts, and those by the East Cape Philharmonic and the Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner for Music Avigail Bushakevitz.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Our decision to include comedy on the Main programme a few years ago continues to bear fruit, with the fourth\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Very Big Comedy Show<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em>\u00a0selling out, as well as Alan Committie\u2019s smash\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Love Factually<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em>,\u201d Lankester said.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Turning his attention to the National Lottery Fringe, Lankester noted that there was an encouraging emergence of young producers creating platforms and opportunities for artists. ExploSIV Productions, Siv Ngesi\u2019s production company, was the most successful producer on the Fringe with four shows featuring among the Top 30 grossing on the Fringe. Other companies with multiple entries on the same list include Andrew Simpson (three), Follow Spot (two) and Pickledginger (two).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIndividual, experienced producers taking productions under their wings and helping them navigate the tricky waters of a successful Grahamstown run is the kind of \u2018benevolent entrepreneurship\u2019 we encourage. It helps the artists and is just smart practice when it comes to finding \u2013 and exploiting \u2013 economies of scale,\u201d Lankester said.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Comedy continues to dominate the National Lottery Fringe, accounting for 49% of ticket sales.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Follow Spot production\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Bon Soir 1.5\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em>topped the leaderboard of top-grossing productions, closely followed by the same company\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Big Boys the Third<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em>\u00a0and the perennial\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Raiders<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em>\u00a0franchise from Theatre for Africa.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Theatre (including musical theatre) still had a good showing, with eight productions on the Top 30 list \u2013 including Artscape\u2019s<\/span><\/span><\/span>Ityala la Mawele<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em>, the return of Jemma Kahn\u2019s 2015 smash hit\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>We Didn\u2019t Come to Hell for the Croissants<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em>\u00a0and Rob van Vuuren\u2019s Silver Standard Bank Ovation Award-winning\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Dangled<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em>. Three productions enjoyed sold-out runs \u2013\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Pay Back the Curry!<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Big Boys the Third<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>bRENT \u2013 A Mobile Thriller<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

While the arts took centre stage this year, much of the drama at the Festival played out against a backdrop of a water crisis, which saw taps run dry during the event, and many visitors commented on the potholes and lack of maintenance evident around the City.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Lankester has urged Makana\u00a0Municipality to develop a long-term plan for Grahamstown\u2019s infrastructure. \u201cOur municipal officials responded brilliantly to the water crisis, doing their best under difficult circumstances. But they were just papering over some more serious cracks that our leadership now needs to address,\u201d Lankester said. \u201cWe can\u2019t responsibly invite thousands of people to this city every year if we can\u2019t guarantee their comfort and health. It\u2019s as simple as that.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A 2013 economic impact study by Rhodes University put the value of the contribution of the Festival to the Province at R340-million, with R90-million of that being felt directly in Grahamstown. Lankester has challenged the municipality to protect the event\u2019s future.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Top 30 grossing productions on the Fringe<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

In alphabetical order<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<\/colgroup>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Title<\/strong><\/td>\nGenre<\/strong><\/td>\nCompany<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
A Man and a Dog<\/td>\nTheatre<\/td>\nHere Manje<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Apologies in Advance<\/td>\nComedy<\/td>\nPickledginger<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
B!*ch Stole My Doek<\/td>\nComedy<\/td>\nCopy Dog<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
BeSpoke<\/td>\nComedy<\/td>\nTaylorMade Productions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Big Boys the Third<\/td>\nComedy<\/td>\nFollow Spot Productions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bon Soir 1.5<\/td>\nComedy<\/td>\nFollow Spot Productions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Butlers and Broadway<\/td>\nComedy<\/td>\nSlick \u2018n Sleeve<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Camp Carrawak<\/td>\nComedy<\/td>\nLipsmac Productions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Chasing Shadows<\/td>\nDance<\/td>\nCape Academy of Performing Arts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Comedy Masterclass<\/td>\nComedy<\/td>\nMacbob Productions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dangled<\/td>\nTheatre<\/td>\nExploSIV Productions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Don\u2019t Burn Your Sausage!<\/td>\nComedy<\/td>\nPickledginger<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dr Stef\u2019s Sidesplitting Hypnosis<\/td>\nComedy<\/td>\nStef<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dracula<\/td>\nTheatre<\/td>\nAndrew Simpson Productions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gym and Tonic: Subtitled Memory of a Muscle<\/td>\nComedy<\/td>\nTim Plewman<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hairy Potter and the Stoned Philosopher<\/td>\nComedy<\/td>\nAndrew Simpson Productions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hashtag Lottering<\/td>\nComedy<\/td>\nMarc Lottering<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
I Came, I Taught, I Left<\/td>\nComedy<\/td>\nDalin Oliver<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ityala la Mawele<\/td>\nMusic Theatre \/ Cabaret<\/td>\nArtscape<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Life<\/td>\nComedy<\/td>\nExploSIV Productions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mind Over Magic<\/td>\nIllusion<\/td>\nBrendon Peel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pay Back the Curry!<\/td>\nComedy<\/td>\nExploSIV Productions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Raiders Spaced Out The Moon Rock Musical<\/td>\nComedy<\/td>\nTheatre for Africa<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Salt<\/td>\nTheatre<\/td>\nWynne Bredenkamp<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Stuart Lightbody\u2019s Sleepless Dreams<\/td>\nIllusion<\/td>\nStuart Lightbody<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Best of Rob van Vuuren<\/td>\nComedy<\/td>\nExploSIV Productions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Oxford Imps<\/td>\nComedy<\/td>\nThe Oxford Imps<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Time of your Life<\/td>\nTheatre<\/td>\nAndrew Simpson Productions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
We Didn\u2019t Come to Hell for the Croissants<\/td>\nTheatre<\/td>\nPopArt<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Whistle Stop<\/td>\nTheatre<\/td>\nDark Laugh Theatre Company in association with Hijinks Theatre<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Follow us<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NAF holds steady in tough economic climate By\u00a0NAF Admin|July 13th, 2016|News|News|0 Comments [13 July 2016] \u2013\u00a0The National Arts Festival reported \u201csolid and consistent\u201d support for the arts in a tough … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[8],"tags":[856],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/thecritter.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1545"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/thecritter.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/thecritter.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thecritter.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thecritter.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1545"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/thecritter.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1545\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/thecritter.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1545"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thecritter.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1545"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thecritter.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1545"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}