The National Youth Music Theatre is looking for new sponsors to replace Andrew Lloyd Webber whose sponsorship runs out later this year. Over the last six years his sponsorship has been worth £2m to the group but he feels that his recent acquisition of the majority of shares in the Really Useful group has put him in the position of not being able to provide the level of support the company needs.
He remains a great supporter of the group and will probably sponsor the occasional production.
The Foundation for Sport and the Arts and the Mackintosh Foundation have both given the copany £30,000 to help whilst new sponsors are found. The company is hoping to find four or five smaller sponsors rather than one larg one.
£20,000 shock for Birmingham Rep
The cost to Birmingham Rep of contractor Glantre Engineering's going into receivership could amount to £20,000, it was announced this week. The engineering company was installing new stage lifts as part of the theatre's £7.5m refit. A new contractor has been found and so the work has only fallen a few days behind.
Rising costs drive pro companies from the Fringe, claims producer
Profession companies are being driven out of the Edinburgh Fringe by increasing overheads, producer Julius Green said last week at the Fringe Society AGM. However statistics did not bear this out, acording to Fringe Director Paul Gudgin.
The meeting was told that, at the end of the last financial year, the Fringe ended £29,000 in credit, but treasurer Lesie Bennie expressed concerns that the festival is too reliant on sponsorship - £130,000 this year - which could fall.
The dates of next year's Fringe will remain the same - one week ahead of the International Festival - as that is the wish of the majority of the society.
Also discussed at the meeting was the possibility of selling tckets from the Fringe Website.
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