The Stage

Dublin’s Abbey Theatre looks to cut jobs as recession bites

Published Wednesday 24 June 2009 at 11:50 by Anthony Garvey

Negotiations on redundancies are under way at Ireland’s national theatre, the Abbey, as funding cuts and the economic downturn force budgetary belt-tightening.

More than 25 jobs may be cut, mainly from the 120 administrative staff, according to an Abbey spokeswoman, and it is hoped the redundancies will be voluntary. But the precise numbers to go, plus their severance terms, are currently being negotiated, with decisions due by the middle of next month.

The spokeswoman was keen to stress that the job cuts do not signal a new financial emergency at the Abbey.

“We are not in crisis – the action we are taking is to avoid being forced into a crisis next year or the year after,” she said. “We are simply taking precautions in what is a difficult economic climate for everyone.”

Abbey director Fiach MacConghail echoed that sentiment in a message to staff, in which he praised the “highly skilled workforce” and called the proposed job cuts regrettable.

“The theatre itself is now a well managed organisation and we are not currently in deficit,” he said. “However, the times we are living in compel us to take action sooner rather than later to avoid an otherwise inevitable financial crisis in the coming years.”

Three years ago, a major financial crisis at the Abbey forced a radical reorganisation of its management structure. To help it recover, the Arts Council provided a record €25.7m investment, representing three years’ funding. A review of its performance since then, published just a few months ago, reported a 19% increase in audiences over the period, and MacConghail described the theatre as being in “a healthy and successful position”, with a cash surplus of €3.3m.

Behind the current belt-tightening is a 16% reduction in this year’s Arts Council grant, now down to €8.35m, plus the fact that there will be no repeat of the three-year funding windfall.