*1
A certain amount of Esplanade’s budget is from government grants. However, the usage of the grant money is under strict regulation and Esplanade is always requested to increase its income through its own efforts. Esplanade restructured its marketing department to strengthen the ability to gain sponsorship. The “Partners” of Esplanade are Volkswagen and Visa Card and a number of large and small companies are listed as sponsors (as of 2005). The breakdown of the income of Esplanade in Fiscal 2005 is as follows. ($,000) Venue hire and other rentals11,327Ticketing3,404Sponsorship and donations2,351Other Income2,586Grant from the government (including subvention of rental of property)38,136(Source: The Esplanade Annual Report FY 2005)
*2
The Theatre has a traditional opera-house design with a 2,000 seating capacity. Concert Hall, with an acoustic design by Russell Johnson can accommodate 1,600. Theatre Studio is a black box with flexible seating arrangement up to 220. Recital Studio is a space suitable for small concerts such as chamber music. This 245-seat studio can be used for corporate and private functions.
In addition to these venues, Esplanade has its Outdoor Theatre facing the waterfront and an open stage called Stage@Esplanade. Both of these are mainly used for free performances. The Concourse area is also used for free performances and visual arts exhibitions. The Esplanade Mall is a shopping mall on the 1st-3rd floors of the complex, which has various shops, restaurants and bars. Library@Esplanade, the only performing arts library in Singapore, is an anchor tenant of the Mall.
*3
“Festivals” are organized in three categories; 1) Culture Festivals showcasing the cultures of Singapore’s major ethnic groups, such as Huayi Chinese Festival of Arts , Kalaa Utsavam Indian Festival of Arts and Pesta Raya Malay Festival of Arts , 2) Community Festivals targeting a certain group of audiences such as children, elderly people and families. This category includes OctoBURST! celebrating the children’s day and Date With Friends targeting elderly citizens, and 3) Genre Festivals which focus on a particular genre, such as Mosaic Music Festival of jazz and world music, BayBeats alternative music festival and da:ns Festival which showcases wide variety of dance from traditional to contemporary. “Series” contains the ones which features international artists, such as Classics of classical music and Pedals & Pipes of organ music, and the ones which aim to develop local artists, such as the Theatre Studio Season of experimental theatre and Chinese Chamber Music .
*4
Free/Access Programs are held at various places in Esplanade, and the Concourse area and Outdoor Theatre facing the waterfront are the main venues. The performances at these two venues are presented serially and are named At The Concourse and On The Waterfront respectively. In addition to them, some series targeting particular audiences are also organized such as Coffee Morning & Afternoon Tea .
*5
There were 489 events organized by the outside parties in Fiscal 2005/6 and brought the income of $5.95 million to Esplanade. Musicals contributed to a large proportion. The line-ups of 2005 include a Broadway musical, Sound of Music and some local productions. In other genres, there were large-scaled productions of opera, dance and music. Nine performances of Singapore Arts Festival were also staged at Esplanade.