Agenda of Special Community, Culture and Events Committee Meeting

Agenda (Open Portion)

Special Community, Culture and Events Committee Meeting

Page 4

23/1/2017

Special Community, Culture and Events Committee Meeting (Open Portion) held Monday, 23 January 2017 at 4.00 pm in the Lady Osborne Room, Town Hall.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Sexton (Chairman)

Zucco

Cocker

Thomas

Harvey

APOLOGIES:

LEAVE OF ABSENCE:

ALDERMEN

Lord Mayor Hickey

Deputy Lord Mayor Christie

Briscoe

Ruzicka

Burnet

Reynolds

Denison

1. Co-Option of a Committee Member in the event of a vacancy

2. Indications of Pecuniary and Conflicts of Interest

Ref: Part 2, Regulation 8(7) of the Local Government (Meeting Procedures) Regulations 2015.

Aldermen are requested to indicate where they may have any pecuniary or conflict of interest in respect to any matter appearing on the agenda, or any supplementary item to the agenda, which the committee has resolved to deal with.

3. Transfer of Agenda Items

Regulation 15 of the Local Government (Meeting Procedures) Regulations 2015.

A committee may close a part of a meeting to the public where a matter to be discussed falls within 15(2) of the above regulations.

In the event that the committee transfer an item to the closed portion, the reasons for doing so should be stated.

Are there any items which should be transferred from this agenda to the closed portion of the agenda, or from the closed to the open portion of the agenda?

Item No. 4.1

Agenda (Open Portion)

Special Community, Culture and Events Committee Meeting

Page 6

23/1/2017

REPORT TITLE: Silent Film Festival - Partnership Request

REPORT PROVIDED BY: Acting Director Community Development

1. Report Purpose and Community Benefit

1.1. The purpose of this report is to consider a request from the State Cinema for the Council to sponsor a special event for a screening of a silent film at the Hobart Town Hall ballroom on the evening of
26 February 2017. The Silent Film would be accompanied by internationally acclaimed silent film composer and pianist Gerhard Gruber. The request from the State Cinema is shown at Attachment A.

1.2. The event would be held and promoted as a finale to the Town Hall sesquicentenary celebrations with the Council providing in-kind support for the use of the Town Hall and covering the cost of installing blackout material to the Town Hall windows.

2. Report Summary

2.1. A request has been received for the Council to partner with the State Cinema to hold a Silent Film Night in the Town Hall on Sunday 26 February 2017 as part of the larger Silent Film Festival program taking place at the State Cinema. The event would include the playing of a silent film with piano accompaniment by internationally acclaimed silent film composer and pianist Gerhard Gruber for one evening session.

2.1.1. The Silent Film Night would be a ticketed event with tickets being charged at the standard cinema cost of $20 per adult or $18 for concession tickets.

2.1.2. Advice received from the State Cinema is that it is anticipated that with staffing, administration, technical and box office, promotion, overheads and paying the artist 50 per cent of ticket sales, the cinema does not expect to make a profit or potentially break even from this performance.

2.2. Gerhard Gruber will be performing at other sessions within the State Cinema as part of the festival with this particular performance being seen as an appropriate finale performance in the Town Hall ballroom.

2.3. The State Cinema has suggested that this event could also be a fitting finale to the Town Hall sesquicentenary celebrations. In the early 1900s the Town Hall was used to show silent films, newspaper advertisements for some of these showings were included in the proposal and are shown at Attachment A.

2.4. The State Cinema has requested that the Council provide free usage of the Town Hall for the performance and arrange and pay for the installation of blackout material for the Town Hall windows.

2.5. The commercial hire fee for the Town Hall ballroom for five hours and the usage of the grand piano is $1,065.

2.6. The windows of the ballroom will need to be blacked out for the event in order for the screen projections to work; this requires special equipment hire of a cherry picker at the cost of $1,600 for setting up and packing down.

2.6.1. The cost of this is higher than expected as the blackout would need to be installed on a Saturday evening or Sunday morning with contractor staff penalty rates applied.

2.7. There would also be a cost of approximately $300 to cover overtime costs for a Utility Officer to be present for the installation of the blackout material on the Saturday evening and to be present for the film event on Sunday evening.

2.8. The State Cinema has advised that this performance will not go ahead without the support of the Council.

3. Recommendation

That:

1. The Council partner with the State Cinema for the staging of the Silent Film event in the Town Hall on 26 February 2017 providing free usage of the Town Hall ballroom and the provision and installation of blackout materials to the windows.

2. This event be promoted as the finale to the Town Hall sesquicentenary celebrations with the value of the support of $2,965 being allocated to the Town Hall Sesquicentenary activity of the Economic Development function in the 2016/2017 Annual Plan.

4. Background

4.1. A provisional booking for the proposed event has been made for the Town Hall for Sunday 26 February 2017. The Floral Show is being held in the Town Hall until 4.30 pm on Saturday 25 February 2017 therefore the installation of the blackout material will have to be carried out on Saturday evening or Sunday morning which will lead to a higher cost as contractor staff penalty rates will apply.

4.1.1. The Floral Show will have to be dismantled quicker than usual if the Town Hall was to be used for the Silent Film Night and equipment stored in the Town Hall ante room.

4.2. The Silent Film Night will be a ticketed event as part of a broader Silent Film Festival being held by State Cinema. Tickets will be sold at the same price as a standard film showing with no additional charges added.

4.2.1. The State Cinema is considering whether or not to sell refreshments at the event. If it chooses to do so, it will just mean the setting up of a table at the rear of the ballroom as the ante room will not be available.

4.3. Officers from Parks and City Amenity and Creative Hobart are currently also looking at the possibility of screening a new film that is being publicly released across the world this month entitled “Plastic Oceans”. The film’s message raises the awareness of plastic pollution, particularly in our oceans and talks about the existing solutions.

4.3.1. In line with the Council’s strong environmental stewardship role, it is considered appropriate that the Council obtain the licence to show the film, promote the screening and arrange a discussion session to follow the film. The film would be shown free of charge to attendees.

4.3.2. In order to maximise the value of the cost of installing blackout material for the Silent Film Night, it is proposed that the film be shown on Tuesday 28 February in the Town Hall ballroom. The screening would also utilise the equipment already set up in the ballroom with the State Cinema being engaged to provide the additional audio equipment and a technician to play the film.

5. Proposal and Implementation

5.1. It is proposed that the Council partner with the State Cinema for the staging of the Silent Film event in the Town Hall on 26 February 2017 by providing free usage of the Town Hall ballroom and the provision and installation of blackout materials to the windows.

5.2. This event be promoted as the finale to the Town Hall sesquicentenary celebrations with the value of the support to be allocated to the Town Hall Sesquicentenary activity of the Economic Development function in the 2016/2017 Annual Plan.

6. Strategic Planning and Policy Considerations

6.1. The staging of the Silent Film Night in the Town Hall ballroom aligns with the Capital City Strategic Plan 2015-2025, particularly Goal 1, Strategic Objective 1.3.1 – Support and deliver events, festivals and markets and Strategic Objective 1.5 – Cultural and creative activities build community wellbeing and economic viability.

6.2. The event also aligns strongly with the Creative Hobart Strategy.

6.3. If the showing of “Plastic Oceans” goes ahead on 28 February, this event would also support Goal 3 Strategic Objective 3.2 – Strong Environmental Stewardship of the Capital City Strategic Plan 2015-2025.

7. Financial Implications

7.1. If the Council supports a partnership with the State Cinema to host the Silent Film Night, costs of $2,965 would be allocated to the Town Hall Sesquicentenary activity of the Economic Development function in the 2016/2017 Annual Plan. There are sufficient funds remaining to cover the cost of this event.

7.1.1. This cost also includes approximately $300 to cover overtime costs for a Utility Officer to be present for the installation of the blackout material and to be present for the film event on Sunday evening.

8. Marketing and Media

8.1. It is considered that there would be positive marketing opportunities for the Council to partner with the State Cinema for the Silent Film Night. This event would be marketed and promoted as the finale to the Town Hall sesquicentenary celebrations and has a strong reference back to when the Town Hall was used in the early 1900s to show silent films.

9. Community and Stakeholder Engagement

9.1. The Director Parks and City Amenity, Group Manager Executive and Economic Development, Projects and Executive Officer – Lord Mayor, Hallkeeping Services Coordinator, Cultural Programs Coordinator, and Cultural Programs Officer have been consulted in the preparation of this report.

10. Delegation

10.1. This matter is delegated to the Council.

As signatory to this report, I certify that, pursuant to Section 55(1) of the Local Government Act 1993, I hold no interest, as referred to in Section 49 of the Local Government Act 1993, in matters contained in this report.

Kimbra Parker

Acting Director Community Development

Date: 19 January 2017

File Reference: F17/3626; 15/60-029

Attachment a: State Cinema Partnership request dated 8 November 2016 ⇩

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