Cultural Plan 2013-2016 final.pdf - Coffs Harbour City Council ...

As adopted by Council on 28 February 2013
The seats ticketed, either complementary (free) or paid were;
Number of tickets issued
(% of capacity)
No. of performances
1 – 62 (up to 25%) 25
63 – 125 (26 – 50%) 48
126 – 187 (51% - 75%) 38
188 – 250 (76% - 100%) 30
TOTAL 141
The Jetty Theatre has a capacity of 250 seats. Of 141 performances, seven were ticketed at
240 or more. This means that the theatre was at or near the capacity of the theatre for 5% of
all performances.
The topic of a large scale theatre or concert hall in Coffs Harbour has arisen frequently
during community consultations and indeed has been advocated by a large proportion of
those consulted. Such a theatre would seat between 600 and 1000 depending on the
aspirations of the person concerned.
Although as a long-term vision this is appealing, on investigation there is not a strong
argument for the construction of such a facility in Coffs Harbour in the next three years. A
report to Coffs Harbour City Council, 9 February 2012, outlined the capital and annual costs
associated with a large scale performing arts facility. The report compared the construction
costs, expenditure and income related to the Glasshouse Arts, Conference and
Entertainment Centre (the Glasshouse) at Port Macquarie, and performing arts centres at
Dubbo and Shoalhaven. A large theatre is likely to cost in the order of $20 - 25 million and
would have annual operating costs (expenditure minus income) of between $1.1 million to $2
million plus depreciation.
While the desire for the prominent expression of the cultural life of the city through a large
facility is understandable, it is important not to confuse that desire with the comparatively
restricted scope of what such a building could achieve for the community as a whole. It is
also important to realize that it is possible to acknowledge the importance of culture to the
region in other visible ways, including those less expensive initiatives proposed in the Visual
Arts section above.
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