Come the end of May, the performances stop, but the work for of the office is only just beginning. When the last notes of the year’s Festival fade, there’s much to be done from an administrative and practical side. We start to restore venues to their “normal” state removing staging and seating, we also have to start paying the bills!
There’s so much that goes on behind the scenes that our audience will not know about, nor might they wish to, but it’s what has to happen to keep the Festival working.
Something most won’t consider is that we have to make a PRS return – we have to tell the Performing Rights Society what was performed, where, when and by whom. It’s a really time consuming process, that results in a bill for the Festival to ensure those who own the rights are paid what they’re due.
There’s plenty of report writing to be done too – the Festival survives on the generous funding and support of many, from individuals to large Trusts. All of those supporters need to be thanked, we couldn’t do what we do without them, and in some cases detailed reports and financial analysis need to be completed.
The time after the Festival is also a time to collate and collect audience data, and look at what was a success, and sometimes what wasn’t. The it’s on to updating records and databases ready for use again the next year.
Once the immediate tasks have been completed, and “normality” returns, there are the regular business aspects to be looked after, such as Financial Accounts and Charity Commission returns. Then before you know it, we’ll be working on the next Festival – so much for the “quiet summer”….