I’m sure they’ll be coming to the taxpayers with their hands out again during the next city budget . . . the only question is how much?
Overture Center announces staffing reductions
Leadership Team to be available for media questions next week
Madison, Wis. — The COVID-19 pandemic has had a worldwide impact on businesses and individuals. The arts industry thrives on bringing people together through the arts. Closures were necessary to protect public health and while state economies are reopening, the entertainment and hospitality sectors are expected to be the last to recover.
The pandemic has seriously impacted Overture Center financially. The financial impact of the pandemic for our fiscal year ending June 30, 2020 will be in the millions.
The Executive Leadership Team has evaluated several options aimed at financial preservation. As we created this framework for the future, it was critical to support our people, our building and our resident arts companies while recognizing their independence. The framework for our plan to move forward was approved by Overture’s Board of Directors
On June 17, Overture announced to its employees that we are reducing our workforce by 60% for the summer. Some employees have been furloughed, laid off or have had their hours reduced, and some positions have been eliminated. All staffing levels and every position was impacted in some way. The changes take effect July 5.
As plans evolve, Overture is committed to sharing information. We will share additional information about our future plans, reopening scenarios and performance schedules next week. The most current information will be available on our website, overture.org
More information about Overture’s future will be shared next week, and a virtual meeting with Overture’s leadership team will be offered to the media then. To request an invitation to the meeting, please email Ruth Purcell rpurcell@overture.org. We will not be providing comments or interviews prior to that meeting. Thank you.
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OVERTURE CENTER FOR THE ARTS in Madison, Wis., features seven state-of-the-art performance spaces and five galleries where national and international touring artists, 10 resident companies and hundreds of local artists engage people in nearly 700,000 educational and artistic experiences each year. With the vision to provide “Extraordinary Experiences for All,” Overture’s mission is to support and elevate our community’s creative culture, economy and quality of life through the arts. overture.org
