Author: McKinsey and Company

Publication Year: 1972

Media Type: Report

Summary:

The basic objective of this study was to provide the Canada Council with a more factual and systematic basis for coming to grips with a host of pressing policy and program issues relative to the future development, management and funding of the nation's ballet and modern dance companies and dance schools.

Abstract:

The basic objective of this study was to provide the Canada Council with a more factual and systematic basis for coming to grips with a host of pressing policy and program issues relative to the future development, management and funding of the nation's ballet and modern dance companies and dance schools. This overall objective involved two subsidiary and related objectives:

1. Ensuring a successful national conference of dance world artistic and administrative managements as a vehicle for gathering insights and views of the people most concerned with the dance in Canada.
   
   
2. Synthesizing the conclusions of the conference and the results of parallel research and fact finding into a coherent and actionable framework for dealing with the issues and launching appropriate programs.

We have focused the bulk of our efforts on the professional dance world in recognition both of the Council's current priorities and also because of the leadership role played by professionals in establishing direction for the dance in Canada. We therefore dealt with the amateur sector when issues of development in that sector were germane to the professional dance.

Not surprisingly, the two main challenges facing the dance in Canada are, first, to cope more effectively with a steadily increasing income gap and, second, to become more effective in the job of building an audience from today's small base. These two challenges, in turn, imply a third - to strengthen the management capabilities of the dance companies and the Council to help cope with them.

CONTENTS
Perspectives on the dance scene in Canada: The scope of dance activity in Canada.
Dance subsidy patterns.

Meeting the economic challenge for the seventies:

Identifying major economic problems and opportunities.
Coping with rising costs.
Maximizing the revenues.
Taking action in a bad financial situation.
Strengthening dance organization and management.
Controlling the costs.
Building the revenues.

Building an audience for the dance in Canada:

Understanding the audience development problem.
Understanding the lack of primary demand for dance.
Locating the development problem.
Understanding why there is a problem.
Taking action to build an audience for the dance.
Stimulating primary demand.
Ensuring a high-quality dance product.
Improving supply and distribution of dance.
Building better and broader awareness.
Developing incentives to trial.

Determining implications for the Canada Council:

Cultural policy and the dance.
Current cultural policy guidelines.
Policy guidelines and the dance.
Management of the dance.

Arts & Intersections:

Categories: Creative Economies