The Tidemark Theatre is looking for a sponsorship deal with the Strathcona Regional District.
The theatre, which has an annual operating budget of $450,000, is pursuing corporate sponsorships in 2015 to help offset the costs of event hosting. Kim Emsley-Leik, managing director of the Tidemark, asked the regional district at its Wednesday board meeting to mull over an annual contribution to the theatre.
“Our request to the Strathcona Regional District is to consider making an investment of $10,000 per year, which would put us in line of how the Sid Williams Theatre (in Courtenay) is funded, which is our southern counterpart,” Emsley-Leik said.
But while the Comox Valley Regional District does provide the Sid Williams with more than the Strathcona Regional District gives to the Tidemark, Area D Director Brenda Leigh said it was like comparing apples to oranges.
“The Comox Valley, though it’s putting in more money, they’re drawing on a tax base that is about at least twice as big. There’s about 25,000 people in the rural areas of the Comox Valley, whereas, you know, there’s 7-or-8,000 here on the northern side,” Leigh said. “It doesn’t really translate that because the Comox Valley is putting in $10,000, that will be the same here because we’re drawing on a much smaller rural population.”
The City of Campbell River provides the Tidemark with $175,000 annually, because the majority of patrons are from Campbell River.
The Strathcona Regional District provided the Tidemark with a $1,500 grant last year. Emsley-Leik noted that while the majority of the 25,152 tickets sold last year at the Tidemark went to Campbell River residents, 16.6 per cent of theatre goers in 2014 reside in the Strathcona Regional District. Approximately 13 per cent of ticket users were from Area D while three per cent were from Area C (Quadra Island).
Area C Director Jim Abram acknowledged that there will likely be an even smaller showing from his region at the Tidemark this year thanks to the new BC Ferries schedule.
“A perfect example of the negative impacts of cutting late night ferries,” Abram said. “That three per cent will drop to zero because nobody will be able to attend your functions.”
Still, the Tidemark Theatre Society is trying its best to bring more people into the seats.
Over the past year, the theatre has undertaken lighting upgrades, implemented an online ticketing system, renovated its box office, renovated the lobby and painted the washrooms, purchased a new projector, and perhaps most importantly – put in brand new theatre seats. The Tidemark has also recently partnered with Vancouver Island Music Fest to help bring in higher end shows.
Emsley-Leik said the Theatre Society is also trying to host more acts that will appeal to a wider age demographic.
“We get a lot of comments that a lot of people haven’t even been into our venue and we have to wonder why that is,” Emsley-Leik said. “Once that retiree population moves out of the system, we need to build that next base of theatre goers.”
In the end, directors voted to defer a decision on any possible annual contribution to the theatre until the 2015 budget discussions.
Emsley-Leik said that funding contributions will go towards further upgrades, such as renovating the concession and painting the greenroom. The society is also looking to apply for a grant to make the theatre more wheelchair accessible.