$1.3M deficit not a swan song for Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra

The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra says it's in "the eye of the storm" after announcing a $1.3 million deficit for the 2022-23 season. 

The organization had its annual board meeting last week where the deficit was announced, but because of the board's decision to set aside a COVID stabilization reserve fund, it was offset. 

However, with government support funds introduced earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic over and attendance not yet back to normal, the WSO is asking for help from the public and government as it navigates its future. 

"We've known this was coming — we've known it's been coming for a couple of years, actually," WSO executive director Angela Birdsell said in an interview with Up To Speed host Faith Fundal Tuesday.

"All of the data was showing that for performing arts — large organizations in particular that rely heavily on ticket sales, we seem to be the worst impacted by the pandemic — the recovery road's a lot longer." 

WSO board chair Curt Vossen said in a release posted on the WSO's website that "no solution is possible" without help from the government, private sector, performance attendees and musicians.

"This is a challenge to which the entire community must rise," Vossen said in the release.

The 2022-23 season was its first where concerts were held without restrictions since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the WSO said. While audiences returned to 67 per cent of pre-pandemic numbers, there was still about a $1 million drop in ticket revenues, the release said.  

Additionally, government COVID-related support programs worth $2.1 million in the 2021-22 season all ended, the symphony said.

"The only consolation, if there is one in all of this, is that we don't think we're alone,"said Birdsell. 

"We think that there are so many performing arts organizations, especially in the Prairie provinces, that are very close to announcing the same scenario." 

Birdsell added while the WSO "isn't closing its doors tomorrow," it is far closer to the edge than it was six months ago. 

"If you look at the statements you will see that, lucky us, we were able to cover it with reserves that we had set aside in those years where we had subsidies and not a lot of production costs," she said.

"And thank goodness, the board did put those reserves aside because now we got through last year and we hope we can get through this year, most of this year," said Birdsell.

"We hope we can but there's no guarantees."

During the recent election campaign, the Manitoba NDP promised $8 million in annual funding for the creative sector to support local artists and festivals, musicians and performing arts organizations with both capital funding and grants. 

Birdsell said there's also a coalition of performing arts organizations reaching out to various levels of government. 

"We're not at the point where we're going to rally the public and get everyone to write to their MLAs … but maybe that day will come," said Birdsell. "It's hard to tell."