1. Shared Facilities
‘dream or nightmare? Notes from my experience with WestSide PAC, at Mooroopna Secondary College’

2. WestSide PAC, Mooroopna
420 seats proscenium arch theatre
Fly tower
Orchestra Pit
Built in 1997
Cost $3.5 m
Funded by MSC, State Government, Local Government and Public Donations

3. WestSide PAC, Mooroopna
Promised to serve both the community’s needs and the school’s.
What ARE those needs?
Whose core business is presenting professional performing arts?
What other core business can a PAC serve?

4. WestSide PAC, Mooroopna
What the School needs:
A teaching and learning space
A space for its events and performances
An assembly space
An income source
An ‘edge’ over its competitors

5. WestSide PAC, Mooroopna
What the Council needs:
A theatre for presentation of professional performing arts
A theatre for community arts practitioners and performances
A ‘hall for hire’
An income source
An ‘edge’ over its competitors

6. Shared Facilities Issues Ownership and control
Bookings and programming
Purchase and maintenance of fitout and equipment
OH&S and risk management
Buiklding maintenance and asset management
Security and insurances
Managing clashing needs and demands/expectations.

7. Shared Facilities FAQ ‘Can a PAC make money from presenting shows?’
‘How many seats should it have?’
‘Do you need a fly tower? … a pit?’
‘How do we get money from the government?’

8. Shared Facilities
FAQ
‘To operate as a PAC, what staff are needed and what do they *cost?’
Management $65k
Technical $45k
Marketing $50k
Admin $45k
Ticketing $45k
*costs shown are ‘ball park’ only

9. Shared Facilities Expenses Income
What money can you make from presenting a show?
Typical ‘ball park’ show *budget
Expenses Income
Show fee $3000 Ticket sales
Staff (tech/FOH) $800 $30) $4500
Marketing $1000 GAL $1100
Venue costs $500
Ticketing $300
TOTAL $5600 TOTAL $5600
*Budgeted on 50% of full house to break even, inc GAL

10. Shared Facilities Central questions to be asked in the workshop:
What does a school get from having a PAC on site? (What value does it provide in terms of achieving its core business?)
What does Local Government get from having a PAC in the Shire? (What value does it provide in terms of achieving its core business?)
What advantages does a school get from providing a building serving the needs of the community?
What advantages does Council get from using a school building to meet its community service objectives?
What does each partner lose in the arrangement?
What’s a sustainable management and operational model?
What is needed from each partner to make it viable?