The Dekker Centre for the Performing Arts in North Battleford. (Tyler Marr/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Tyler Marr

PERFORMING FOR A BETTER TOMORROW

Dekker Centre executive director vows change after posting deficit

Jun 25, 2019 | 5:03 PM

Programming that does not attract a wide audience and no significant fundraisers in the last 15 months.

Those are two major problems Executive Director Kali Weber points to as bearing the brunt of responsibility for the Dekker Centre for the Performing Arts posting a deficit last year of $10,889.

Speaking to city council on the organization’s financial statements, Weber faced the red ink head on, admitting the entire team takes full responsibility for the financial position but vowed to remedy the situation in the coming season through various means.

Weber first took aim at last season’s lineup and said it was not sufficiently diverse. She was handed the program and had to execute it as she only took over the position 10 months ago. She said the centre’s marketing budget had ballooned but to no avail.

“We were spending more dollars on promoting a program our community was not interested in seeing,” she said.

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On the lack of fundraisers, Weber said this shortfall is significant as the organization operates as a non-profit.

However, Weber outlined a rather rigorous strategic plan she believes will realign the centre’s focus on what matters. The organization rewrote its vision, mission and values and committed to diversifying and creating a season with a show for “every member of the community.”

On the ballot this season is a number of country artists, an illusionist and a dedicated family series. She said the Dekker Centre plans to cultivate and attract acts that are diverse in both culture and representation, all while enhancing community engagement and building strong partnerships with businesses to add value to show experiences.

Last season, the centre partnered with the Discovery Co-op Kid Club, holding a craft session before a show that filled the atrium and every seat in the theatre. Plans are in place to further work with Scene, the former jazz society, to present a cabaret show. They have programmed a Saskatoon band called Embargo and plan to use the shared resources of these partnerships.

The Dekker Centre is changing its fund development strategy through the establishment of a fundraising task force. This task force has formed a subcommittee to organize a gala fundraising event in January. It will feature talent from the Battlefords. Other events are on slate between September and June 2020.

Mayor Ryan Bater welcomed the report, applauding Weber for being upfront with the deficit and presenting not just challenges but solutions to them.

“It seems there is a lot of strategic thought put into that and it is not just work harder, but let’s look at different ways of increasing revenue,” he said. “While it is a North Battleford facility is does serve the entire region and that is an important consideration.”

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tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr