Struggling Neptune Theatre Asks City For $100,000
HALIFAX — Neptune Theatre’s Covid-19-fueled financial troubles are continuing. The heads of Halifax’s most prominent theatre appeared before the Audit and Finance Standing Committee on February 11, asking the city for $100,000 to help Neptune reopen to the public.
Lisa Bugden, the theatre’s general manager, told the committee Neptune has lost $4-million since the pandemic first shut them down in March of 2020. That represents a revenue drop of about 90 percent.
“The timing of the pandemic has had a devastating impact on the theater,” she told the committee.
Each spring, Neptune announces its schedule and opens its season-ending musical, which typically generates between 25 and 30 percent of the theater’s ticket revenue.
Last year, Neptune was forced to postpone its entire season and cancel its money-making musical Billy Elliot.
As artistic director Jeremy Webb told the committee, the theater’s revenue “dried up almost overnight” thanks to public health restrictions and that it hasn’t been able to hold a show since early 2020.
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Webb argued Neptune plays a “significant role in creating a vibrant downtown core, a vital and engaging creative city, and a progressive and impressive role in the provincial and national arts and culture industry.”
Attendance was up at the theatre during its 2018/1029 season, as a record 105,000 patrons flocked to more than 400 performances.
Neptune has also bolstered its community outreach and engagement in recent years. It offers mentorship and training to young actors, an incubator program that helps develop plays from new and emerging voices, and scholarships.
Bugden also argued the theatre is a vital piece of Halifax’s overall economy, injecting more than $7-million in direct spending into the city every year.
“When we are in production, upwards of 600 people are at Neptune each and every day. Many go to dinner before or after a performance. We have partnerships with food and beverage operations across the HRM, and Neptune pays more than $5.5-million dollars in wages and salaries every year,” she said.
Webb said the theatre has done as much as it can to survive without being able to put on shows but that it needs emergency cash to help prepare for a 2021/2022 season.
Neptune already receives significant financial support from the municipality. The theatre benefits from a city grant, as well as 100 percent property tax relief, which costs the city $482,000 a year.
Neptune is also asking for financial support from the federal government and has received more than $100,000 from the provincial government for operational expenses and support for its digital content.
Members of council at the presentation expressed what appeared to be unanimous support for the theatre and its $100,000 request. Many talked about their personal experiences with Neptune and commented on how important the theatre is to Halifax.
“I will support his. We will find the money,” Mayor Mike Savage said.
Coun. Lindell Smith, who was at the meeting but is not a voting member of the committee, said he supports the theatre but cautioned his colleagues.
He argued the municipality has not traditionally been the level of government organizations turn to for Covid-19 relief. Although the situation with Neptune is “a little different,” he said he didn’t want to give the impression that any organization looking for relief can come to the municipality hat in hand.
But support for Neptune’s request was overwhelming and the committee gave its unanimous support to a proposal supporting the request.
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean Neptune will get the money.
Now, city staff will put together a report that will identify a possible source of funds for the $100,00 grant, assess the theatre’s financials, and confirm financial support from other levels of government.
The money for Neptune will then be added to upcoming budget deliberations as a possible line item, where it will only be released if it survives the budget deliberation process.
Trevor Nichols is a staff writer with Huddle in Halifax. Send him an e-mail with your story suggestions: [email protected].