Another arts organization in Greater Sudbury is struggling, and city council is considering throwing them a financial lifeline.
In February just before a performance, the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra announced to its supporters it was short of money and may not be able to complete its concert season.
Although the announcement inspired audience members to donate after the Feb. 24 show, SSO president Claire McChesney told Sudbury.com that they collected enough to “get us to the next show,” but not enough “to get us to the end of the year.
“We're broke,” she said at the time.
McChesney said the problem is that SSO's overall revenues have declined, with fewer people purchasing subscriptions to the symphony's full season.
A motion headed to city council April 24 presented by Mayor Brian Bigger proposes giving the symphony a $52,000 grant to help it out of its financial crisis.
“The Sudbury Symphony Orchestra is a vital part of arts and culture in Greater Sudbury, and has established itself as a key component to the community’s artistic landscape,” the motion reads. “The Symphony has existed for over 40 years, comprised of mostly Sudbury-based, volunteer musicians.”
Financial and staffing turnover problems threaten the SSO's ability to deliver critical operational programming, the motion says, and “the continuation of the symphony as an entity” is at risk.
The proposed financial rescue for the SSO comes months after the Sudbury Theatre Centre received a much larger bailout package.
Last October, the STC revealed it had a $400,000 in debts after a series of financial setbacks. Councillors voted to provide an immediate $200,000 grant to avoid disaster, as the theatre company works with a consultant to get its finances health again.
