The smallest opera company in the Netherlands beats the biggest. Not in visitor numbers, not in subsidy received, but in bringing in sponsorship money. On closer inspection, however, it becomes painfully clear once again that there is no giving culture in the Netherlands and sponsorship is limited to a pittance. A rattling giving law will not change that.
A month ago, intendant Guus Mostart told us that despite rave reviews and sold-out theatres the National Travel Opera in the Wagner year 2013 does not have a complete Ring can perform. That complete Ring was supposed to cost 1.8 million euros, but the company came up 1.2 million short. A gigantic sum, but a pittance when you consider that for it, four operas would be staged twice. An opera quickly costs two tonnes per evening. Despite efforts by the Reisopera to fill this gap, it failed to find additional funds and sponsors.
It sounds unlikely. With multinationals like Grolsch and the surely not too small Arke in the backyard ánd the national interest in an Enschede Ring not being able to achieve sufficient sponsorship? What goes wrong there? A look at the figures of the two fellow companies, Amsterdam's De Nederlandse Opera and Maastricht's Opera Zuid, however, reveals 1: that the Reisopera's mission was hopeless beforehand and 2: opera sponsorship in our country is virtually non-existent.
The Netherlands Opera 2010 annual report shows shocking figures. Yes, more than 8 million was earned from ticket sales and the occupancy rate is still well above 90%, but this is offset by a sloppy 25 million in state subsidy. And although Amsterdam can compete artistically with the Metropolitan Opera in Nwew York with some regularity, the 182 million dollars raised there in donations and sponsorships was brought in starkly contrasted with the 177,000 euros The Netherlands Opera was able to book in, also 13,000 euros less than budgeted.
It seems bizarre: with every ticket sold comes about €188 subsidy, while sponsors contribute only €1.28. Where are those multinationals? Why don't they want to associate themselves with one of the spearheads - also according to the ministry - of Dutch culture? The Netherlands Opera is well aware of the need to generate additional funds, and has now employed a fundraiser, who obviously cannot make a difference in a few months.
Things are different with our country's smallest opera company. There, five times the budgeted sponsorship money was raised, a more than twofold increase compared to 2009. Impressive in percentage terms, but in real numbers the counter stayed just over €100,000. However, if we then consider the number of performances and the corresponding visitor numbers, Opera Zuid does about ten times better than De Nederlandse Opera.
These figures make it painfully clear that the National Touring Opera should have done a unique job to bring in more than a million. The explanations are many, we hear from all the companies. In the past, the government not only did not encourage looking for external sources of money, but its emphasis on complete independence even somewhat discouraged it. Moreover, cultural sponsorship actually does not exist in the Netherlands. Of course, every big company does something, but it is telling that Essent was a production sponsor of Opera Zuid for some years and certainly cultivated goodwill by doing so. However, the amounts transferred have not been reflected in any of the energy giant's financial statements, unlike the millions poured into skating. "We support various cultural projects through a special fund, but through skating we reach a large and international audience," said a spokesperson.
Sponsorship and donations appear to come mainly from companies and individuals in the companies' immediate surroundings, and everyone is critical, or at least cautious, about the new Giving Act. In the words of Opera Zuid's business director: "We expect to derive little or no benefit from the Giving Act in the short term, our attention is now mainly focused on drafting a realistic policy plan for 2013-2016. We see no chance of responding quickly and effectively to the new giving act in the short term." And rightly so, because that giving law rattles on all sides, we already knew that. And that in the past, the government did not encourage the sector enough to raise funds itself.
However, achieving that required turnaround in a year is illusory, especially as even the big multinationals are spoilt for choice. A skybox at FC Twente costs half a tonne a year. The regional shirt sponsor pays far more than tenfold, namely exactly the 1.2 million the Reisopera is short of for a complete Ring. And that 1.2 million Arke transfers to FC Twente is, according to all football experts, a bargain, caused by the stadium's name change to the GrolschVeste.
The conclusion? The sports sponsor pays top dollar, the cultural sponsor sits in the front row for a pittance and expects no less. It is up to the industry to find a solution to this. This week, the Reisopera is already holding talks at home and abroad about possible projects and especially how to finance them.
To be, once again, continued.
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