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Overture Center To Cut Jobs, Scale Back Programs
15 Jobs Cut; Children's Arts Festival Canceled
UPDATED: 9:37 pm CST December 4,
2008
MADISON, Wis. -- Madison's Overture Center for the Arts is cutting 15 jobs and scaling back some programs in order to cut costs.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportThe Madison Cultural Arts District Board of Directors, which operates Overture Center for the Arts, on Thursday approved a $5.6 million operating budget for the first six months of 2009 that includes administrative cuts and scaling back some programs.Four of those jobs are currently vacant. The job cuts are effective Jan. 16, and those who are being affected by job cuts were notified Thursday. Those workers will have the right to move into other city of Madison jobs.The layoffs do not affect the Overture Center's 11 resident companies, WISC-TV reported.Overture Center president and CEO Tom Carto said the cuts were a difficult decision but that they are a reality of the current economy."This step is really only a short-term solution to essentially what is a long-term issue at Overture, and that is the fact that we don't have the trust fund anymore really changes the scope of how we're going to operate Overture in the future," Carto said.Carto said the community will still see the entertainment at Overture it's come to expect, but smaller programs like the Children's Arts Festival will be cancelled.The May 7 performance of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra is also canceled. Also planned are minor reductions in the number of performances of Kids in the Rotunda, OnStage, Duck Soup Cinema and Overture After Work.The board is looking for ways to increase revenue, such as more aggressively selling room rentals for private events.The approved budget shows wages and benefits dropping from 43 percent of total expenses to 39 percent, still higher than many comparable performing arts centers, according to a news release.Without staff cuts, wages and benefits would have increased 8 percent from 2008 to 2009. The city's subsidy of Overture Center went up 4.3 percent.Overture Center leaders recently met with stakeholders, including board members, current and former civic leaders, resident organizations and citizens to discuss changes.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportThe Madison Cultural Arts District Board of Directors, which operates Overture Center for the Arts, on Thursday approved a $5.6 million operating budget for the first six months of 2009 that includes administrative cuts and scaling back some programs.Four of those jobs are currently vacant. The job cuts are effective Jan. 16, and those who are being affected by job cuts were notified Thursday. Those workers will have the right to move into other city of Madison jobs.The layoffs do not affect the Overture Center's 11 resident companies, WISC-TV reported.Overture Center president and CEO Tom Carto said the cuts were a difficult decision but that they are a reality of the current economy."This step is really only a short-term solution to essentially what is a long-term issue at Overture, and that is the fact that we don't have the trust fund anymore really changes the scope of how we're going to operate Overture in the future," Carto said.Carto said the community will still see the entertainment at Overture it's come to expect, but smaller programs like the Children's Arts Festival will be cancelled.The May 7 performance of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra is also canceled. Also planned are minor reductions in the number of performances of Kids in the Rotunda, OnStage, Duck Soup Cinema and Overture After Work.The board is looking for ways to increase revenue, such as more aggressively selling room rentals for private events.The approved budget shows wages and benefits dropping from 43 percent of total expenses to 39 percent, still higher than many comparable performing arts centers, according to a news release.Without staff cuts, wages and benefits would have increased 8 percent from 2008 to 2009. The city's subsidy of Overture Center went up 4.3 percent.Overture Center leaders recently met with stakeholders, including board members, current and former civic leaders, resident organizations and citizens to discuss changes. Copyright 2008 by Channel 3000. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
