US Nonprofits Prepare for a Long Recession

TCG has released their "Taking Your Fiscal Pulse: January 2009" survey. "It highlights fiscal data from members during the period of fall 2008-winter 2009, as well as budget projections and re-projections for participants’ fiscal year end." It surveyed 210 member theaters and found that more than half of them expect year-end deficits and "cash flow problems". 69% of theaters said they are freezing or reducing saleries and almost half will reduce administrative staff. Click here for the full survey results.

Broadway Stats '08

-International ticket sales for Broadway shows were down (1.88 million).
-Advanced sales were up (39% purchased tickets more than one month in advance).
-Same day sales fell from 27% to 20%.
-Average theatergoer was 41.5 years old.
-Highest percentage of children/teens in 30 years (12.4%)
-Audiences paid an average of $27 more than face value for tickets.
-Total attendance was 12.27 million.
-Internet is the most popular way to buy tickets (40% sold online as opposed to 22% at box office and 10% by phone)
-Women made up 65.9% of the audiences.
-75% of audience were white.
-74% had college degrees.
-Median annual income was $148,000.

The data was compiled from surveys handed out at show. 14,000 were distributed and 7600 were returned.

TCG's Theatre Facts 2007

Based on TCG's annual fiscal survey, 'Theatre Facts 2007' provides three lenses through which to view the not-for-profit theatre field’s attendance, performance and fiscal health. The report shows that although the field suffered some set-backs, it also made progress, with the majority of theatres ending the year in the black. Theatres continue to make tremendous contributions to the nation’s artistic legacy, to their communities and to the economy while facing both ongoing challenges and an environment of increasing uncertainty. Theatre Facts is the only document analyzing the U.S. not-for-profit theatre field and is a vital advocacy and policy tool for trustees, foundation and corporate executives, policy makers and the national press. Here’s the full pdf.

American Artists in the Workforce

The National Endowment for the Arts has released a study, based on U.S. Census Bureau results, titled Artists in the Workforce: 1990-2005. This is the first nationwide profile of professional artists in the 21st century. As the NYTimes reports, “If every artist in America’s work force banded together, their ranks would be double the size of the United States Army."

The study found that there are almost 2 million artists, or roughly 1.4 percent of the labor force, and that they earn a collective $70 billion annually, or $35,000 per capita. The study found that men make up for 54 percent of the artistic population, a percentage that has fluctuated little over the past 30 years. The number of African-American artists has remained steady at 5 percent of the artistic population between 1990 and 2005, while Hispanic, Asian and Native American artists increased from 9 percent to 15 percent. About 13 percent of people who say their primary occupation is artist also hold a second job — about twice the rate that other people in the labor force work two jobs.

California claims the most actors per capita, Nevada the most dancers and entertainers, Vermont the most writers, Tennessee the most musicians, New Mexico the most fine artists, Massachusetts the most architects and designers (including, among others, commercial, fashion, floral, graphic, interior designers and window dressers), Hawaii the most photographers and North Dakota (where radio shows abound) the most announcers. In 2005, there were nearly 40,000 people in the United States whose primary job was acting, a 10.6 increase from the previous 10 years. According to the study, out of the current acting population, 45.1 percent are women, 23.4 percent are minorities, 58.6 percent have a bachelor’s degree or higher, and the median age is 35.

Off-Off Broadway Economic Survey

This week, the New York Innovative Theater Foundation released the findings of their statistical analysis of Off-Off Broadway economics. Questions for the survey focused exclusively on production budgets. The results prove that the OOB community is actively producing high-quality productions at affordable prices with paid actors and production value. Seventy-three companies responded to the budget survey, including some that have been around for more than 40 years, and some for less than a year and a half.