He Liceu It’s everyone’s thing. This is demonstrated by the intense activity of patronage which currently represents 15% of the income of the Barcelona opera house. The businesswoman (and music lover) Helena Guardans He chairs the Patronage Council of the venerable institution, the body in charge of attracting private funds from the business world. Their challenge: reach 20% by convincing the productive fabric of the benefits of cultural sponsorship. The Liceu currently has about 100 patrons… and counting.
–What does the Patronage Council do?
–The Council is a body made up of companies that support the theater and have representatives on both the Executive Council and the Board of Trustees. And it is an important source of income for the theater. These companies are ambassadors of the Liceu and I think it is important that they themselves convince other companies of the important task they do.
–Today, what are your financial contributions?
–There are different categories, from collaborators, sponsors, promoters… From 20,000 euros for collaborators to more than 120,000 euros for patrons. Which can be much more, but it starts at 120,000 euros. Depending on the amount you give, the Liceu will offer you more compensation. But all contributions receive attention from the Liceu and it is important that these companies can use theater both to communicate to the community, and also to their clients and employees.
–About the theater’s income, what percentage does patronage represent?
–It represents 15% of total income. Public money represents 50% and private money represents another 50%, perhaps a little more. At this moment we are 52% private and 48% public. Among the private resources is the ticketingpatrons and benefactors.
–In the Liceu’s strategic plan until 2026, we want to increase the patronage quota.
–We would like to increase it to 20%, but taking into account that it is a challenging objective because at the same time the budget is increasing. Above all, we want to increase the theater’s budget. And by increasing it, we also want to increase the percentage of patronage.
–I understand that beyond the monetary contribution, patrons also collaborate in other areas.
–In the case of Catalonia, El Palace and the Mandarin Oriental offer rooms, but there are also catering services, rental of spaces…
–How many employers do you have right now?
–Right now we have about 100 companies and we are signing agreements with two more. And although it is a long process, it is true that it has become an axis for companies. Before, being a patron was a way of being representative. But now, increasingly, it is also a way to gain belonging, to be part of this ecosystem. In the end, culture is very important for society. It unites it, helps it grow, differentiates it… and everyone must take care of each other. When companies decide to settle in one city instead of another, there are many assets that they value and the Liceu is one of them.
–Obviously, organizations receive a series of tax advantages.
–At this time, companies have a 40% tax relief. If they repeat they can reach up to 10 more points, up to 50%. Individuals have 45% and, if they are repeat offenders, they can also reach up to 50%.
–This regarding the patrons, and the Board of Benefactors chaired by Cucha Cabané?
–They also depend on the Patronage Council and are another means of financing. The benefactors are individuals with a great love for opera and a great attachment to the Liceu. Now we have about 270 and they are our main ambassadors. Of course, they also provide an important economic contribution. It’s like they are one of the main patrons.
–How do you value the new patronage law?
–It seems like a good beginning to start practicing it, but a lot of training and communication must be done. And also make its management a little easier. There is a lot of ignorance about the law. And if we compare ourselves with other countries we are far behind.
–There is always talk of the Anglo-Saxon model.
–Yes, but it is cultural. For example, there it is given in a personal capacity in inheritances. There are many people who leave a part of their legacy for culture. We don’t have as much practice here. Sometimes we think that culture is only paid for with public money. I think it is very important that the culture, which structures us as a society, also belongs to companies and people, who are clear that it is their responsibility.
–The Teatro Real has an international council. Have you considered creating a similar body?
–I find the Teatro Real proposal interesting. Yes, it is true that we do not have this advice per se, but we have many relationships with other theaters with whom we collaborate in many areas such as digitalization.
–Do you think that the Liceu still exudes a certain aura of elitism?
–When you enter the Liceu, the environment is very definitive… but it is also beautiful, you enter a special environment that predisposes you to a certain attitude, a certain disposition. You are not in a cinema, you are somewhere else. We must manage to extract this positive part. The more people there are, the less uncomfortable you will feel. It’s a habit, a bit like opera. There will be people who will say: “I just don’t like it, I’ve never heard it.” But after listening to any music many times, you end up getting a taste for it.
–In the presentation of this season it was noted that the theater has settled its historical debt. There are many projects underway, such as the second headquarters in the old Imax, the recruitment of young audiences is going very well… can we consider the Covid trance over?
–Definitely. Not only has it been left behind, but it has left us more encouraged and we feel more accompanied. Also, in our city we have this thing that the more difficult it is, the more we like it. When the theater burned, its reconstruction allowed the city to make it even more its own. Covid has helped people become more involved with the Liceu.
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