Shaw Festival Theatre

About Shaw Festival Theatre:

Founded in 1962, Shaw Festival Theatre (SF) operates in Niagara-on-the-Lake and produces plays written during or about the period of Bernard Shaw’s lifetime (1856-1950). Shaw was a famed playwright who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1926. Shaw Festival Theatre's annual performance season runs from April to October. Besides its theatre productions, SF runs programs through The Slaight Family Academy. Such programs include professional training, play development, publishing and public education. In 2017, Shaw Festival Theatre introduced Secret Theatre, a program where people pay to watch surprise performances at unique places.

Production and artistic costs made up 68% of program costs in F2016. Shaw Festival Theatre has four stages in Niagara-on-the-Lake for its productions: Festival Theatre has 856 seats, Court House Theatre has 327 seats, Royal George Theatre has 313 seats, and Studio Theatre has 250 seats. SF ran 11 productions in F2016 and total attendance was 237,471 – 68% of attendees were from Canada, 32% were from the USA, and 1% were from overseas. The charity ran 209 performances at Festival Theatre, 143 at Court House Theatre, 262 at Royal George Theatre, 35 at Studio Theatre, and 26 at tours and outside venues during the year.

Of the remaining 32% of program costs in F2016, marketing and sales costs made up 19%, facilities costs made up 8%, and ancillary activities made up 5%.  

Financial Review:

Ci consolidated Shaw Festival Theatre with its associated Endowment Foundation in the following financial analysis. Transfers from the Endowment Foundation to the Theatre are not included.

Shaw Festival Theatre is a big-cap charity with donations of $7.9m in F2016. Administrative costs are 14% of revenues and fundraising costs are 22% of donations. Per dollar donated to the charity, $0.64 goes towards its productions, which falls outside Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending. Total donations included a $1.0m grant SFT received from Shaw Festival Foundation, which is an American charity. When this grant is excluded from donations, SF’s fundraising cost ratio rises to 25%.

Shaw Festival Theatre and its associated Endowment Foundation hold net funding reserves of $19.0m, consisting of cash and investments less interest-bearing debts held by SF. The Endowment Foundation’s endowment fund is $24.4m, which exceeds net funding reserves. Between the two entities, there are insufficient non-endowment funding reserves to cover annual program costs, indicating a significant funding need.

This charity report is an update that is currently being reviewed by Shaw Festival Theatre. Comments and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on July 25, 2017 by Katie Khodawandi.