Theatre Figures - The West End enjoyed record box office sales in 2011 for an eighth consecutive year, according to figures released by the Society of London Theatre (SOLT). Takings topped £528.3m in 2011 - up 3.1% on a like-for-like basis on the previous year. Due to the closure of a number of theatres while new shows were set up, the overall attendance was 13.9m - down 1.73% on 2010. According to SOLT, though, the average audience at each performance was up. The Society said the growth in sales could be attributed to sell-out productions such as Matilda the Musical and the continued success of Les Miserables, now in its 26th year.
"We are extremely proud that our theatres have yet again gone on to achieve another record-breaking year of sales," said SOLT president Mark Rubinstein. "Despite the prevailing rigours of the economic climate, theatre-goers have acted with their feet and wallets."
ISE Location - Asked if the ISE show would be staying in Amsterdam, Mike Blackman, managing director, Integrated Systems Events stated, "Certainly for the next five years. Our contract with the RAI runs from 2012 until 2016, which provides a clear business path for our exhibitors, allows us to facilitate our forward planning as organisers, and to enable the RAI itself to plan for the future growth of ISE.
"What happens after 2016 I don't know. If we do outgrow Amsterdam that will be a luxury problem we're facing. Amsterdam works as a location. More than 600 million people live and work within a direct three-hour flight of Schiphol airport, and these areas represent some of the most developed and sophisticated economies in the world, as well as some of the most dynamic in terms of recent and future growth."
Arts Funding - Arts Council England has invited more than 70 local authorities it says are not engaging with the arts to apply for grants of up to £3m each. The organisation is offering a total of £37m over three years to areas that it says fall into the "lowest 20% of arts engagement". Eligible areas include Leicester, Barking and Dagenham, Luton, Bradford, Salford, Wigan and Birmingham. Arts Council England's National Lottery income will fund the grants.
"We hope this programme will inspire new partnerships," said Art Council England's chief executive, Alan Davey. He said he wanted to hear from organisations who are already developing audiences as well as those who had "not worked with the Arts Council before, but who could be part of innovative programmes that have a real impact in attracting new people to the arts". The 71 eligible local authorities were identified by an Arts Council England survey. The first deadline for registration is 23 March 2012 and the minimum grant that can be applied for is £500,000.
Culture Notes - Shakira has received the French culture medal in Cannes for her contribution to the world of fine arts. The Columbian singer of hit single Hips Don't Lie was presented with the honour by French minister of culture, Frederic Mitterand, on Saturday. "I am so humbled to receive this honour in a country like France that has shared an important cultural legacy with the rest of the world," she said. Previous recipients of the French cultural honour, titled Chevalier, De L'Order des Arts et des Lettres, are poet TS Eliot, director Clint Eastwood and actor George Clooney.
