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F U T U R E M E L B O U R N E ( P E O P L E A N D C R E A T I V E C I T Y ) C O M M I T T E E R E P O R T

Agenda Item 5.3

LATE NIGHT PROGRAMMING 12 October 2010 Presenter: Jane Crawley, Manager Arts and Culture

Purpose and background

1. The purpose of this report is to provide Council with an evaluation of the 2010 Late Night Programming pilot and to present alternative funding models for the delivery of Late Night Programming for 2011 and beyond.

2. In the 2009–10 financial year, Council committed $117,000 to support a pilot program aimed at activating and influencing the late night culture of the city. Key arts festivals with a proven track record for delivering evening programming to younger audiences were recipients of this funding. These festivals also have existing triennial agreements with Council. The following festivals received funding: Melbourne International Comedy Festival ($40,000), Melbourne International Jazz Festival ($20,000), Next Wave Festival ($22,000), Melbourne International Film Festival ($15,000) and Melbourne Fringe Festival ($20,000).

3. Council allocated an additional $200,000 in the current 2010-11Annual Plan and Budget for delivery of the 2011 Late Night Program.

Key issues

4. Anne Markiewicz and Associates were engaged to undertake an independent evaluation of the 2010 pilot, whose objective was to establish the success, benefits and outcomes of the 2010 Late Night Programming pilot. The findings and recommendations of this evaluation, provided in Attachment 2, reflect overall support of the Late Night Programming initiative from festival organisers, venues, artists and audiences. Returns on investment figures include 36 days of late night activity, an audience of nearly 10,000 people, 232 performances and the participation of 177 artists. Areas for improvement relate to extending funding timelines, moving to an application process, acknowledging the higher costs associated with delivering late night activities, marketing strategies and public transport options. The full Evaluation Report is provided in Attachment 3.

5. Timing and capacity to deliver are the critical considerations in the implementation of a transparent, competitive and effective 2011 Late Night Program. Three funding models are provided for Council’s consideration in Attachment 4. The three models include offering the late night funding opportunity to our Capital City Triennial partners only; to all our Triennial partners; or as a public expression of interest to artists and arts organisations.

6. The Arts and Culture Branch administer the annual Arts Grants Program and in November 2010 will also commence planning and preparation for the 2012-14 Triennial arts grants program. The administration of a third (late night programming) grant program cannot be sustained in the longer term without more administrative resources and it is recommended that late night programming be included as a separate funding category and/or a desirable criteria in future annual and triennial arts grants funding rounds.

7. Midsumma Festival, currently funded through Events Melbourne’s Events Partnership Program, has expressed a strong interest in undertaking late night programming as part of their festival activities in 2011. As this festival commences in January it will not be feasible for them to apply through proposed formal processes. Should Council wish to support Midsumma, up to $20,000 additional funding is available through the 2010–11 Community Development divisional budget for Midsumma Festival, subject to them meeting the assessment criteria contained in Attachment 5.

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Attachments: 1. Supporting Attachment 2. Summary of the Evaluation report – Late Night Programming -2010 Pilot 3. Full Report – Evaluation of the Pilot Program Late Night Programming Initiative 2010 4. Funding Models for the 2011 Late Night Program 5. Assessment Criteria for the Late Night Program

2

Recommendation from management

8. That the Future Melbourne Committee recommend Council:

8.1. note the evaluation report of the 2010 Late Night Programming pilot; 8.2. endorse Option One, Capital City Triennial recipients, as the preferred funding model for the

implementation of the 2011 program;

8.3. support the 2011 Midsumma Festival with funding of up to $20,000 from the 2010–11 Community Development divisional budget, subject to the festival meeting the assessment criteria;

8.4. endorse the creation of a discrete late night programming category within the 2012 Annual Arts

Grants program with a budget of up to $100,000 sourced from the existing grants and contributions budget of the Arts and Culture branch;

8.5. endorse the inclusion of late night programming as a desirable criteria within the 2012–14

Triennial Arts Grants funding round and allocate a minimum of $100,000 from the existing grants and contributions budget of the Arts and Culture branch to the Triennial Arts Grants budget to support this; and

8.6. request management undertake a review of the effectiveness of the separate late night

programming category within the Annual Arts Grants program and the inclusion of late night programming as a desirable criteria within the Triennial Arts Grants program and report back to Council in late 2012.

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Attachment 1 Agenda Item 5.3

Future Melbourne Committee 12 October 2010

1

SUPPORTING ATTACHMENT

Legal

1. Section 3C (1) of the Local Government Act 1989 provides that:

‘The primary objective of a Council is to endeavour to achieve the best outcomes for the local community having regard to the long term and cumulative effects of decisions.’

Finance

2. In the 2009–10 financial year, Council committed $117,000 to support five major arts festivals to undertake pilot late night cultural programming aimed at activating and influencing the late night culture of the city. This funding was allocated to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival ($40,000), Melbourne International Jazz Festival ($20,000), Next Wave Festival ($22,000), Melbourne International Film Festival ($15,000) and Melbourne Fringe Festival ($20,000).

3. In the 2010–11 Annual Plan and Budget Council made provisions of $200,000 for delivery of the 2011 Late Night Program.

Conflict of interest

4. No member of Council staff, or other person engaged under a contract, involved in advising on or preparing this report has declared a direct or indirect interest in relation to the matter of the report.

Stakeholder consultation

5. Consultation regarding the evaluation of the 2010 pilot Late Night Programming funding was undertaken with the following external stakeholders:

5.1 The Tuscan Bar venue;

5.2 The Tuscan Bar venue;

5.3 The Hi Fi Bar venue;

5.4 Next Wave Festival;

5.5 Melbourne International Film Festival;

5.6 Melbourne International Comedy Festival; and

5.7 Melbourne International Jazz Festival.

Relation to Council policy

6. Late night cultural programming is reflective of Council Plan 2010–13, in particular the goal of A City for People which states 1.3.1 “Work towards a safer city through partnerships with other agencies”. Late night cultural programming is delivered within the context of Council’s Policy for the 24 Hour City (Priority for Action: Activation and cultural context) and the Arts Strategy 2010–13, in particular Objective 8: Increasing access to and participation in the arts which has as a key action the commitment to “encourage and promote innovative good practice for late night arts and cultural programming in the central business district by supporting key arts festivals …”.

Environmental sustainability

7. Late Night Programming recipients are expected to develop and deliver projects without negative impact on the environment.

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1

Evaluation of the Pilot Program – Late Night Programming Initiative

SUMMARY

Context

The City of Melbourne’s late night programming pilot program received $117,000 funding during the first

quarter of 2010. This initiative included five festivals: the Melbourne International Comedy Festival

(funding $40,000), the Next Wave Festival (funding $22,000), the Melbourne International Jazz Festival

(funding $20,000) and the Melbourne International Film Festival (funding $15,000). The fifth festival

funded, the Melbourne Fringe Festival (funding $20,000) was not included as part of the evaluation as it

was still operational at the time of submission of the evaluation report.

The late night program was designed to activate the Melbourne CBD late at night and to add vibrancy and

entertainment that was alternate to events in the CBD primarily centred around drinking. It aimed to

appeal to an audience that was older than that currently attracted to the CBD late at night and an audience

that would be selective in their entertainment choices. It was considered that balancing events available in

the CBD late at night would provide a stabilising and normalising influence on anti‐social behaviour.

The primary objective of the evaluation was to evaluate the success, benefits and outcomes of the 2010

Late Night Activation pilot program and to demonstrate the return on investment to Council, arts and the

broader community from the initiative.

The Pilot Program

The pilot program offered:

• A combination of indoor and outdoor and ticketed and free events;

• Expanded festival programs, which offered patrons new experiences;

• Safe, secure engaging events late at night;

• Patrons who had engaged with events and performers;

• Performers who were introduced to a different audience; and

• CBD venues able to offer something different to a new audience.

Each of the festival organisers believed the events offered something different to programs usually

available during the late night. The events were designed to fit with the Council's strategy of making

available new entertainment options late at night. Each event was either alcohol free, or licensed venue

operators reported less bar sales and more sales of food accompanying alcohol. New events included:

• A disco with music broadcast through wireless headphones, employing two ”competing” DJs (Comedy);

• late night burlesque with indie artists engaging with a suburban and corporate after work crowd (Jazz);

• screenings of works by emerging artists running until 8.00am in Federation Square complete with

deckchairs and blankets (Next Wave); and

• a landmark movie never screened in Melbourne before, introduced by its director and running until

4.00am (Film)

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2

Silent Disco – Melbourne International Comedy Festival

The table below illustrates the return on investment for the City of Melbourne’s $117,000 spend:

Festival and Event Number of Nights

Dates Audience Number of Performances/ Works

Artists

Melbourne International Comedy Festival – Headliners

22. 25th March

to 18 April

5,000 88 9

– Silent Disco 6. 26th & 27th

March

1st to 4th April

3,000 6 2

Melbourne International Jazz Festival – The Cave

4. 1st May

2nd May

7th May

8th May

300

190

210

240

39 63

Next Wave Festival – The Ultimate Time Lapse Megamix

3. 20th to 22nd

May

716 98 102

Melbourne International Film Festival – The Movie Orgy

1. 31st July 82 1 1

Totals 36 March to July 9,738 232 177

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3

The Cave – Melbourne International Jazz Festival

Overall Support for the Initiative

• Stakeholders interviewed strongly supported the City Of Melbourne’s strategy to assist the

normalising of behaviours at night in the CBD by providing safe, diverse and vibrant entertainment

options that were attractive to residents and visitors.

• Each of the festival organisers identified strengths in the pilot program as a whole and the event(s)

that had been funded.

• The events were seen to add another dimension to entertainment available in the city.

• Each of the events had been delivered in collaboration between festival organisers and a venue and

each venue had either extended the boundaries of what they normally offered or had contributed

financially to the events.

• There was a strong overall view expressed that the City of Melbourne, by funding this pilot

program, had initiated something exciting and achievable.

• There was also a perspective that any ongoing achievements would come from a partnership and

involve a long term commitment from all involved.

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4

• It was considered by all interviewed that the approach to activating a safer CBD late at night

through arts and culture should be acknowledged as just one component of a range of initiatives

aimed at normalising behaviour in the CBD.

• General feedback from those attending the late night events provided a positive picture that

people had appreciated the chance to attend a late night function in town that was safe and many

ventured that they would consider coming to the CBD more often if the same atmosphere of fun

and safety was provided.

• There were no reports received from Council staff, venue operators or festival organisers of any

anti‐social behaviour occurring during or after the events. Both venue operators noted that those

attending the events were exceptionally well behaved.

• Generally, festival organisers considered that the funding provided for the initiative was sufficient

for the delivery of the scheduled events, even where a considerable loss had been made.

There were a number of caveats placed on this view, including:

• Pilot events experienced the 'halo effect' of increased 'buy‐in' from personnel delivering the events.

• Higher levels of pro bono support and higher levels of enthusiasm and commitment from staff and

venues may not be transferable when an initiative such as this one was rolled out as a recurrent

offering.

Limitations and Areas for Future Development

The short period of elapsed time that took place between funding being offered and the staging of the late

night events provided:

• Less opportunity for communications and marketing;

• Limited opportunities for additional sponsorship (in‐kind or financial) and

• Insufficient planning time to mobilise risk management strategies when logistical support and

scheduled acts fell through.

Challenges to the delivery of events included:

• Limited public transport options;

• Higher than usual costs and resources required for delivery, and

• Different marketing strategies required to reach late night audiences who were different in nature

to daytime and evening audiences.

There is thus a strong case to argue that funding for late night events to contribute to the achievement of

the objective of transforming Melbourne’s CBD to a 24 hour city should underpin all arts funding.

Conclusion

• There was a strong overall support for the Late Night Programming Initiative and its continuation

and further development.

• There was a view expressed by stakeholders that the City of Melbourne, by funding this pilot

program, had initiated something new and exciting that would potentially contribute over the

longer term to a safer and more vibrant Melbourne CBD.

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5

• It was considered that activating a safer CBD at night through arts and culture should be

acknowledged as just one component of a range of initiatives aimed at normalising behaviour in

the CBD.

• The development of Melbourne’s CBD to a vibrant 24 hour city is a significant program that

requires long term commitment and sophisticated ongoing planning.

• The evaluation considered that while it is premature on the basis of the data available to establish

whether there has been a positive influence on behaviours in the CBD as a result of the support

provided for these events, that long term gains are possible through a concentrated and ongoing

commitment to continue to provide late night entertainment options in the CBD.

• It was considered that if this strategy is pursued, it would need to be carefully monitored and

evaluated over time to establish intermediate and longer term outcomes and impacts for the

achievement of a safe and vibrant culture in the CBD.

In conclusion, the potential benefits arising from the continuation of the Late Night Programming Initiative

appear to justify its continuation and further development alongside a monitoring and evaluation strategy

to establish its results in the longer term.

Recommendations

The following recommendations were made for the consideration of the City of Melbourne:

Recommendation 1: That a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (MEF) is developed for the Late Night

Activation Program that identifies the performance monitoring data and evaluation data required to

evaluate the appropriateness, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of the initiative over time.

Recommendation 2: That further support is provided for the continuation of the Late Night Activation

Program by the City of Melbourne in pursuit of the objective of adding vibrancy and entertainment to the

Melbourne CBD at night.

Recommendation 3: That a funding application process is used in line with the City of Melbourne's usual

practice to canvass the range of interests in the delivery of late night activities.

Recommendation 4: That clear strategies should be provided in the application process detailing what the

City of Melbourne hopes to achieve through the programmed events. Sufficient time should be then be

allowed for discussion with applicants to clarify and refine these objectives.

Recommendation 5: That adequate lead time is provided between the offering of funding and the staging

of events to maximise the potential benefits of these events.

Recommendation 6: That the Council considers the review of relevant regulations that arts organisers

identify as inhibiting the delivery of late night events by venues.

Recommendation 7: That there is recognition that the expertise and in kind support of the relevant Council

Departments is required to provide assistance to the initiative in areas such as marketing and promotional

strategies.

Recommendation 8: Triennial funding should be considered to encourage arts groups and festival

organisers to plan and organise a sequence of late night functions as part of a total program. One

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6

advantage of this approach would be to encourage the target audience to move from one event to the

other.

Recommendation 9: Further work by the City of Melbourne and the State Government is required to

develop super taxi ranks where amenities are available and taxis allocated in an orderly manner.

Recommendation 10: In a similar way that the City of Melbourne has brought together significant

businesses and agencies to form the Melbourne Licensees City Safety Summit, Arts groups, Council staff,

State Government and venues should be encouraged to form a summit to plan and develop the activation of

the 24 hour plan.

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Page 10 of 48

Evaluation Of Pilot Program Late Night Programming Initiative 2010

Anne Markiewicz and Associates Page 2/34

::ODMA\PCDOCS\COM_SERVICE_PROD\6034211\1

Contents

Executive Summary ............................................................................4

Context......................................................................................................................................................4

Overall Support for the Initiative ..............................................................................................................4

Limitations and Areas for Future Development .......................................................................................5

Recommendations..............................................................................6

1. Background and Context .............................................................8

Melbourne International Comedy Festival ...........................................................................................9

Melbourne International Jazz Festival ..................................................................................................9

Next Wave Festival................................................................................................................................9

Melbourne International Film Festival................................................................................................10

2. Evaluation Methodology ...........................................................11

2.1 Evaluation Design........................................................................................................................11

2.2 Program Logic .............................................................................................................................12

2.3 Evaluation Questions ..................................................................................................................13

3. Appropriateness of Model ........................................................15

3.1 Funding Process ..........................................................................................................................15

3.2 Late Night Entertainment Activities............................................................................................16

3.3 Timeframe...................................................................................................................................17

4. Effectiveness of Pilot Program Events .......................................18

4.1 Strengths and Limitations of Pilot Program................................................................................18

4.2 Targeting and Marketing.............................................................................................................19

4.3 Something new for CBD and Festivals ........................................................................................21

4.4 Perceptions of the CBD at Night .................................................................................................22

5. Efficiency of Pilot Program Events.............................................24

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6. Influencing Late Night Culture...................................................28

6.1 Expanding the Diversity of Arts and Entertainment ...................................................................28

6.2 Creating a Vibrant 24 hour CBD..................................................................................................28

6.3 Impact on Anti‐Social Behaviour.................................................................................................29

7. The Future .................................................................................31

7.1 Partnerships ................................................................................................................................31

7.2 Role for the State Government...................................................................................................32

8. Conclusion .................................................................................33

Appendix 1 Interviews Held..............................................................34

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Executive Summary

Context

The City of Melbourne’s late night programming pilot program received $117,000 funding during the

first quarter of 2010. This initiative included five festivals: the Melbourne International Comedy Festival

(funding $40,000), the Next Wave Festival (funding $22,000), the Melbourne International Jazz Festival

(funding $20,000) and the Melbourne International Film Festival (funding $15,000). The fifth festival

funded, the Melbourne Fringe Festival (funding $20,000) was not included as part of the evaluation as it

was still operational at the time of submission of the evaluation report.

The late night program was designed to activate the Melbourne CBD late at night and to add vibrancy

and entertainment that was alternate to events in the CBD primarily centred around drinking. It aimed

to appeal to an audience that was older than that currently attracted to the CBD late at night and an

audience that would be selective in their entertainment choices. It was considered that balancing

events available in the CBD late at night would provide a stabilising and normalising influence on anti‐

social behaviour.

The primary objective of the evaluation was to evaluate the success, benefits and outcomes of the 2010

Late Night Activation pilot program and to demonstrate the return on investment to Council, arts and

the broader community from the initiative. The approach to the conduct of the evaluation included

identification of a Program Logic for the initiative followed by the development of a range of evaluation

questions that set the context for the evaluation and the development of semi‐structured interview

formats. Appendix 1 identifies the range of interviews that were held.

It was acknowledged that there were significant limitations in the quality of the performance monitoring

data available for analysis during the evaluation and that there were further limitations as one festival

could not be included in the evaluation due to its completion and reporting timelines. It was thus

acknowledged that the development of a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for the initiative should

be an objective should the initiative continue to operate in the future.

Overall Support for the Initiative

Stakeholders interviewed strongly supported the City Of Melbourne’s strategy to assist the normalising

of behaviours at night in the CBD by providing safe, diverse and vibrant entertainment options that were

attractive to residents and visitors. Each of the festival organisers identified strengths in the pilot

program as a whole and the event(s) that had been funded. The events were seen to add another

dimension to entertainment available in the city. Each of the events had been delivered in collaboration

between festival organisers and a venue and each venue had either extended the boundaries of what

they normally offered or had contributed financially to the events.

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There was a strong overall view expressed that the City of Melbourne, by funding this pilot program, had

initiated something exciting and achievable. There was also a perspective that any ongoing

achievements would come from a partnership and involve a long term commitment from all involved.

Ideas emerged around supporting programs aimed at normalising behaviour around the locations where

anti‐social behaviour was seen to be generated. However, it was considered by all interviewed that the

approach to activating a safer CBD late at night through arts and culture should be acknowledged as just

one component of a range of initiatives aimed at normalising behaviour in the CBD.

General feedback from those attending the late night events provided a positive picture that people had

appreciated the chance to attend a late night function in town that was safe and many ventured that

they would consider coming to the CBD more often if the same atmosphere of fun and safety was

provided. There were no reports received from Council staff, venue operators or festival organisers of

any anti‐social behaviour occurring during or after the events. Both venue operators noted that those

attending the events were exceptionally well behaved.

Generally, festival organisers considered that the funding provided for the initiative was sufficient for

the delivery of the scheduled events, even where a considerable loss had been made. There were a

number of caveats placed on this view, including the fact that pilot events experienced the 'halo effect'

of increased 'buy‐in' from personnel delivering the events, higher levels of pro bono support and higher

levels of enthusiasm and commitment from staff and venues that may not be transferable when an

initiative such as this one was rolled out as a recurrent offering.

The evaluation has considered that while it is premature to establish whether there has been a positive

influence on behaviours in the CBD as a result of the support provided for these events, that long term

gains are possible through a concentrated and ongoing commitment by government, sponsors and arts

organisers to continue to provide late night entertainment options in the CBD. This strategy, if pursued,

will then need to be carefully monitored and evaluated over time to establish intermediate and longer

term outcomes and impacts for achievement of a safe and vibrant culture in the CBD. The development

of Melbourne’s CBD to a vibrant 24 hour city is a significant program that requires long term

commitment and sophisticated planning.

All those interviewed and involved in the initiative were committed to the program and each had a

valuable contribution to make. It is important to access these ideas in a process that can provide a

longer term plan to achieve these aims.

Limitations and Areas for Future Development

The short period of elapsed time that took place between funding being offered and the staging of the

late night events created some problems for event organisers. This short lead time provided less

opportunity for communications and marketing; limited opportunities for additional sponsorship (in‐

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kind or financial) and insufficient planning time to mobilise risk management strategies when logistical

support and scheduled acts fell through.

Due to the constraints in the time frame for this evaluation, not all the financial data was available to

enable the evaluation to provide full analysis of funding across the four programs. One of the four

events came in on budget, two recorded a loss and the final financial data for the fourth event was not

available at the time of writing this report. Where a loss had been incurred there was consideration that,

with more time to plan, there could have been greater capacity to look at efficiencies, apply leverage

with contractors and seek supporting sponsorship.

There were limitations identified in delivering late night programming in an environment that was not

fully geared to support such a time slot. It was generally agreed that as late night activities became

more frequent in occurrence, many of the limitations could potentially be more easily managed.

Challenges to the delivery of events included limited public transport options; higher than usual costs

and resources required for delivery and the different marketing strategies required to reach late night

audiences who were different in nature to daytime and evening audiences.

Festival organisers concurred that late night programming was inherently a risky venture in its initial

introduction and although considered to be an effective strategy for bringing in a new audience to the

CBD, it would take time and risk capital. Festival organisers recognised that the programmed events

were the first 'toe in the water' for late night entertainment. There was a lot of excitement in the

entertainment industry as to the future possibilities in this arena and it was anticipated that as the late

night entertainment experience increased, with commensurate longer lead times for planning and

additional sponsorship, that greater sustainable cost efficiencies could be found.

Although additional time would allow for more careful planning and lower the risk of financial loss, there

is a lot to be gained by taking risk with innovative projects. For events that are considered innovative

and require a longer lead time to gain an audience, thought should be given to allowing funding to carry

a degree of risk capital. There is thus a strong case to argue that funding for late night events to

contribute to the achievement of the objective of transforming Melbourne’s CBD to a 24 hour city

should underpin all arts funding.

Recommendations

The following recommendations were made for the consideration of the City of Melbourne:



evaluate the appropriateness, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of the initiative over

time.

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Recommendation 2: That further support is provided for the continuation of the Late Night Activation

Program by the City of Melbourne in pursuit of the objective of adding vibrancy and entertainment to the




Recommendation 4: That clear strategies should be provided in the application process detailing what

the City of Melbourne hopes to achieve through the programmed events. Sufficient time should be then

be allowed for discussion with applicants to clarify and refine these objectives.

Recommendation 5: That adequate lead time is provided between the offering of funding and the

staging of events to maximise the potential benefits of these events.



Recommendation 7: That there is recognition that the expertise and in kind support of the relevant

Council Departments is required to provide assistance to the initiative in areas such as marketing and

promotional strategies.

Recommendation 8: Triennial funding should be considered to encourage arts groups and festival



other.





State Government and venues should be encouraged to form a summit to plan and develop the

activation of the 24 hour plan.

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1. Background and Context

The City of Melbourne’s Policy for the 24 Hour City1 was developed in recognition of the necessity of

balancing the needs of visitors, workers, businesses and residents of the City. Principles of harm

reduction, social and community well‐being and the use of public places were central elements to this

policy. The policy states:

A safe, vibrant and diverse Melbourne balances the competing needs of the city as it moves from

day through night.2

One of the four priorities for action in this policy was identified as:

Activation and cultural context – activating a diverse range of areas and activities, supporting a

diverse economy in the city, and working to facilitate the development of a safe, inclusive, and

vibrant culture that respects competing needs and differences.3

The late night programming also relates to the City of Melbourne’s 2010‐2013 Arts Strategy and in

particular its commitment to 'Increasing access to and participation in arts and culture' (Objective 8)4.

It was in this context that the City of Melbourne piloted a program in 2010 aimed at influencing late

night culture by broadening the city’s artistic offerings. This pilot sought to activate Melbourne into a

vibrant 24 hour city by providing a range of late night entertainment options that would potentially

make a positive contribution to a safer city, drawing people to activities that were not solely based on

alcohol.

Through its Arts and Culture Branch, the City of Melbourne supports more than 160 programs and

allocates $3.4 million to arts grants. This includes $2.3 million on the 2009‐2011 Triennial grants

program. This new pilot program provided an additional $117,000 to assist five key arts festivals

program late night activities as part of their existing festival programs. It was envisaged that these

additional festival activities would be developed to encourage vibrancy during the late night and early

morning. There was thus support for events that entertain rather than disrupt, that encourage people

into the city rather than discourage them, adding richness to the culture rather than detracting from it.

The City of Melbourne sought, through this funding, to initiate a number of events, each running later

than would normally be planned by the festival organisers, to meet the principle that:

1 Melbourne City Council ‐ The City of Melbourne’s Policy for the 24 Hour City – A framework for action April 2010 2 Ibid. p.10 3 Ibid. p.12 4 City of Melbourne Arts Strategy 2010‐2013

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A diverse range of recreation, leisure and cultural activities will provide a variety of options

for city users throughout 24 hours in Melbourne.5

Five festivals were selected by the City of Melbourne to stage events that would fit with the policy

objectives of activating the CBD to become a 24 hour city. This evaluation has focussed on the following

four programs that are summarised below. As the Melbourne Fringe Festival event was due to be

staged after the due date of the evaluation report, it was not included as part of the evaluation.

Melbourne International Comedy Festival

Funded $40,000: 2 events, 28 performances, featuring 11 artists Ticket price $25‐$35

Headliners was a showcase of America’s hottest comedians with a monster rotating triple bill headlined

by US stand‐up star Greg Behrendt and including Mitch Fatel, Tig Notaro, Nick Thune, John Mulaney and

others. Headliners segued into the Festival Club where participation continued with

Silent Disco ‐ a unique way to party using wireless headphones.

Hours: Headliners 9.45pm to 11.30pm, Festival Club 11.30pm on, Silent Disco 1.00am to 4.00am

Melbourne International Jazz Festival

Funded $20,000: 1 event and 4 performances, featuring 63 artists Free

The Cave was a late night hub experience in the tradition of the jazz caves and art action parties of

1940s and 1950s Europe where late night conversation gives way to programmed and spontaneous live

performances and interdisciplinary presentations. Audiences were invited to step into a timeless

tableau of warbling songbirds, filmic rites, decadent dances and faded virtuosos.

Hours: 10.30pm to 3.00am

Next Wave Festival

Funded $22,000: 1 event and 3 performances, showcasing 102 artists Free

The Ultimate Time Lapse Megamix comprised three video‐art screening marathons, showcasing cutting‐

edge works by Australia and Asian artists under 30. The screenings were free and were presented in two

parts: Next Wave Time Lapse works from the last 12 months and an international showcase of curators

presenting experimental video‐art drawn from their respective countries.


5 Ibid. p.11

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Melbourne International Film Festival

Funded $15,000: 1 event and 1 screening, introduced by the film director Ticket price $20‐$25

The Movie Orgy (1968) has seldom been screened and sometimes is thought to be nothing more than

an urban myth. The Movie Orgy is a mind‐boggling patchwork of 50s 60s and 70s television and cinema,

carefully hand‐crafted by Joe Dante (Gremlins, The Howling) during his college years. A rare cinematic

treat for film geeks, and (for the baby boomers among us) a slightly skewed trip down memory lane.


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2. Evaluation Methodology

2.1 Evaluation Design

The primary objective of the evaluation was to establish the success, benefits and outcomes of the 2010

Late Night Activation pilot program. The secondary objective of the evaluation was to demonstrate the

return on investment to Council, arts and the broader community from the initiative. It was intended

that the emergent evaluation findings would be used to inform formal reporting to Council and internal

planning for 2011 in the context of the City of Melbourne’s Policy for the 24 Hour City.

The evaluation was intended to provide analysis of existing data and reports triangulated with the

analysis of data derived from the conduct of semi‐structured interviews held with a range of

stakeholders including City of Melbourne personnel and festival directors. It was acknowledged that

there were significant limitations in the quality of the performance monitoring data available for analysis

and that there were further limitations as one festival could not be included in the evaluation due to

reporting timelines.

It was also acknowledged that a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework that clearly specifies the range

of monitoring data that should be collected to establish outputs and the range of evaluative data that

would supplement monitoring data in establishing outcomes and impacts could be an objective should

the initiative continue to operate. This would avert that challenges faced by this evaluation in basing its

findings on solid and robust monitoring data collection and analysis.

The approach to this evaluation has included the identification of a Program Logic for the initiative

followed by the development of a range of evaluation questions. These processes were necessary to set

the context for the evaluation and the development of semi‐structured interview formats. The Program

Logic diagram and the evaluation questions are presented below.

Please see Appendix 1 for the list of participants in semi structured interviews.



evaluate the appropriateness, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of the initiative over

time.

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2.2 Program Logic

The Program Logic below was developed in consultation with City of Melbourne staff to reflect the

intent of the Late Night Programming Initiative. A Program Logic is a visual method that is used to

describe the relationship between the elements necessary to operate a program, essentially the

program's inputs, outputs, outcomes and impacts. These components can then be examined during the

evaluation within the structure of the evaluation questions established using the domains of

appropriateness, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability.

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2.3 Evaluation Questions

Appropriateness

• Was the model of funding the 5 Festivals to extend their programming the best approach for influencing the late night culture of the CBD?

• Were there other ways to achieve the same objectives?

• How does the Late Night Program fit in with the Festival agendas

Effectiveness

• What were the strengths and limitations of the Late Night Program as a whole? In relation to particular events?

• How was the event targeted to participants and marketed?

• What was the profile of people who responded?

• Did it attract new audiences?

• Did it attract existing festival patrons?

• Did it provide a different offering for what is normally available at night?

• Did the funding enable extension of the Festival offerings into new programming?

• Did people attending behave responsibly?

• Were there changes in perceptions of the CBD at night as a result of the events?

Efficiency

• Was funding sufficient to achieve the objectives of the Late Night Program?

• What were the constraints?

• Were the time frames and human resources conducive to good creative outcomes?

• Did the additional funding add value to normal festival offerings?

Impact

• Has the Late Night Program made a contribution to: ‐ The diversity of arts offerings and entertainment?

‐ Influencing late night culture to create a vibrant 24 hour CBD?

‐ Reduction in anti‐social behaviour?

• If it has made a contribution, how and if not, what more could be done?

Sustainability

• As a result of the Late Night Pilot Program is there a business case for Arts organisations joining with venues to operate late night events?

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• As a result of the Late Night Pilot Program has interest been sparked for the acquisition of other funding sources (e.g. From Arts funding bodies, Arts Victoria, Australia Council, Philanthropic funds)

• As a result of the Late Night Pilot Program would licensed premises consider hosting other forms of entertainment?

• Does the state government have a role to play in the late night area? If so, what would their role be in terms of their contribution to influencing late night culture in the vibrant 24hr city context?

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3. Appropriateness of Model

3.1 Funding Process

With an intention of influencing the late night culture of the CBD, the model chosen by Council was to

fund five established festivals and request each to extend their programming to include late night

activities. Due to the short time frames that took place between funding and programming, rather than

fund through a grants application process, the City of Melbourne considered it appropriate to nominate

selected festivals with existing infrastructures and whose programming provided a good fit with a late

night program. This selection process, although not following usual practice, was based on a long

standing relationship that had developed between the City of Melbourne and the festival organisers.

Offering late night events to attract new audiences was considered to provide a good fit with the

programs of these festivals as each festival that was funded had the following characteristics:

It had an existing significant target audience of 18 to 35 year olds, the group most likely to attend

late night activities;

it had designed events that were aimed at late night audiences who liked to access the CBD; and

it had a program that ran late, although at least two of these events were later than usual.

Festival Directors were thus able to present an event that met Council’s criteria as they were either

already planning to stage the event and the additional funding added value or were able to take an idea

that had been discussed previously but not pursued due to lack of funding.

Council staff and some of the festival organisers suggested that in future a more equitable approach

may include a call for funding applications. This would counter potential criticism from organisations

that had not been selected and provide a longer time frame associated with an application process that

could potentially provide an opportunity for different ideas to emerge. As one producer commented:

There is no shortage of good ideas that don’t get aired for lack of funding.

For one Festival the scheduled event was significantly enhanced by the funding and was accessed by a

more diverse group than anticipated. The following comment was made to illustrate this point:

Additional funding from Council enabled the hiring of deckchairs, heaters and blankets which

added to the appeal to a broader demographic which in itself helped diffuse any possible

aggression from late night revellers.

Recommendation 2: That further support is provided for the continuation of the Late Night Program

Initiative by the City of Melbourne in pursuit of the objective of adding vibrancy and entertainment to the


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Recommendation 4: That clear strategies should be provided in the application process detailing what

the City of Melbourne hopes to achieve through the programmed events. Sufficient time should be then

be allowed for discussion with applicants to clarify and refine these objectives.

3.2 Late Night Entertainment Activities

There was unanimous support for the notion that the problems associated with anti‐social behaviour in

the CBD were complex requiring a sophisticated and sustained approach. There was stakeholder

support for the philosophy that the CBD is worth the investment of resources, including financial and

artistic, to facilitate change. The following comments were made that illustrate this sentiment:

Changing perceptions of CBD at night will take a sustained effort and ongoing support. Then

people will accept that the City can be entertaining, vibrant and safe.

Good idea to tackle the problem (of alcohol and drug fuelled aggression) by turning the problem

on its head and influencing change in a positive way.

Feedback from those attending events (captured on DVD, surveys and sent to festival organisers)

provided an overall positive picture that people appreciated the opportunity to attend late night

functions in town that were safe. Further, many ventured that they would consider coming to the CBD

more often if the same atmosphere of fun and safety was apparent.

Stakeholders interviewed supported the City Of Melbourne’s strategy to assist the normalising of

behaviours at night in the CBD by providing safe and vibrant entertainment alternatives that were

attractive to residents and visitors. In addition, ideas emerged around supporting programs aimed at

normalising behaviour around the locations where anti‐social behaviour was seen to be generated.

Also need to look at trouble causers and address their needs. If intention is to change negative

environment, must also do that at source. This pilot program offers a beginning (a great idea)

take it to King Street and engage venues there as well.

It was considered by all interviewed that the approach to activating a safer CBD late at night through

arts and culture needed to be a component of other initiatives aimed at normalising behaviour in the

CBD. The following comment from one key stakeholder illustrates this perspective:

The late night programming initiative is one of the elements; there is a hierarchy of measures to

activate the normalising of behaviours in the city.

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Currently the City of Melbourne has a number of other initiatives to influence late night behaviours,

including the following:6

• Coordination of police and agency partnerships for improved support service outcomes;

• advocacy for improvements in late night services, including transport; and

• encouragement of responsible practices by licensees, including the establishment of the

Melbourne Licensees City Safety Summit

3.3 Timeframe

The short period of time between being offered funding and staging an event, as short as 7 weeks,

created problems for each event organiser. Although in each case the festival organisers responded

positively to ideas presented before them, each recognised that the lack of time for more considered

planning had a negative effect on attendance at the events.

We would have preferred to have had a discussion around MCC objectives and strategy. This

would have enabled more time to develop communication and marketing strategy to give best

leverage for the program and provide more time to develop alternate programs.

The problems that festival organisers encountered that were put down to a too short a time frame

included the following issues:

• The short lead time allowed less opportunity for communications and marketing, which may

have led to larger audiences;

• with more lead time there would have been greater opportunity to attach additional sponsorship

(in‐kind or financial) to the event; and

• when logistical support and scheduled acts fell through, there had been insufficient planning

time to put effective risk management strategies in place.

Recommendation 5: That adequate lead time is provided between the offering of funding and the

staging of events to maximise the potential benefits of these events.

6 Melbourne City Council ‐ The City of Melbourne’s Policy for the 24 Hour City – A framework for action April 2010

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4. Effectiveness of Pilot Program Events

4.1 Strengths and Limitations of Pilot Program

Each of the festival organisers identified strengths in the pilot program as a whole and the event(s) they

had been funded to stage. The events were seen to add another dimension to entertainment in the city.

Both regular patrons of festivals and those who were new to the experiences commented on the

attraction of feeling safe in town so late at night.

The pilot program offered:

• A combination of indoor and outdoor and ticketed and free events;

• expanded festival programs, which offered patrons new experiences;

• safe, secure engaging events late at night;

• patrons who had engaged with events and performers;

• performers who were introduced to a different audience; and

• CBD venues able to offer something different to a new audience.

Most of the limitations were identified as arising from the 'novelty' of late night programming in an

environment that was not fully geared to support such a time slot. It was generally agreed that as late

night activities became more frequent, many of the limitations could be more easily managed.

Challenges included the following issues:

• Very late night events can be challenging for audiences, staff and performers who are not used to

them;

limited public transport options;

events were very resource reliant and costs were higher; and

events required different marketing strategies to reach late night audiences, who were a different

audience to day time and evening audiences.

Festival organisers also experienced problems with regulations that restricted late night events. The

Film Festival for instance could not screen The Movie Orgy at the Capital Theatre as originally intended

as the theatre was not licensed to operate into the late night.



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4.2 Targeting and Marketing

For each of the four festivals, marketing was targeted to the festival’s usual audience, predominantly 18

to 35 year olds. Three of the festivals traditionally commanded a wider age demographic but the late

night slot was more appealing to those under 35. The exception was the Film Festival where the appeal

was to a niche market of 'hipster film buffs'.

Although marketing was part of the funding agreement, two of the festivals believed that additional in‐

kind support from City of Melbourne Marketing Department would have helped them reach a greater

audience in short time‐frame. The following comment was made:

You need clever programming supported by communications and marketing to run a late night

event.

Marketing strategies employed included the following:

• mainstream and street press

• radio

• Facebook and Twitter

• festival’s own websites

• rock and on‐line posters

• existing mailing lists

• informal networking through performers contacts

• the Hi Fi Bar funded advertisements in MX to publicise the Comedy Festival’s Silent Disco

For entertainment audiences, one of the most effective marketing strategies were considered to be

word of mouth. Informal communication networks such as Facebook and Twitter took over when

formal marketing started to decrease. Where the events were delivered over a period of time, festival

organisers noted that there was not only a steady increase in audience numbers but the demographic

had changed. It appears that word was spreading from the well‐connected inner suburban crowd to the

suburbs.

The audiences were generally aged under 35 years of age and, as word spread, the audiences of The

Cave and Silent Disco both moved from an inner city arts crowd to people coming in from the suburbs.

Being outdoors The Ultimate Time Lapse Megamix attracted late commuters, people going to the Arts

Centre, late night diners and travellers. The following comment was made:

It was a pleasant surprise to see how well it engaged a greater audience.

The Movie Orgy was run for one night and attracted an audience from all over the Melbourne

Metropolitan area, from Werribee to Mount Waverley, regional centres and interstate.

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Statistics offered after the events tended to be general, or too small a sample to include as a definite

demographic breakdown. The most complete statistics were those offered by the Comedy Festival who

surveyed those purchasing tickets on line. These statistics provide a useful guide to the audiences

attracted to festivals with many of the events staged in the CBD. The statistics are presented below:

The number of surveys collected from those attending the events was too few for the data to be

included in this report.

The Film and the Next Wave Festivals were collating additional data that was not available in time for

this report.

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There were no reports received from Council staff, venue operators or festival organisers of any anti‐

social behaviour during or after the events. Both venue operators noted that those attending the events

were exceptionally well behaved.

Recommendation 7: That there is recognition that the expertise and in kind support of the relevant

Council Departments is required to provide assistance to the initiative in areas such as marketing and

promotional strategies.

4.3 Something new for CBD and Festivals

Each of the festival organisers believed the events offered something different to programs usually

available during the late night. The events were designed to fit with the Council's strategy of making

available new entertainment options late at night. Each event was either alcohol free, or licensed venue

operators reported less bar sales and more sales of food accompanying alcohol. New events included:

• A disco with music broadcast through wireless headphones, employing two ”competing” DJs

(Comedy);

• late night burlesque with indie artists engaging with a suburban and corporate after work crowd

(Jazz);

• screenings of works by emerging artists running until 8.00am in Federation Square complete with

deckchairs and blankets (Next Wave); and

• a landmark movie never screened in Melbourne before, introduced by its director and running until

4.00am (Film)

The following quotes from organisers and audience at The Ultimate Time Lapse Megamix sum up the

different 'buzz' that these events had.

Late night entertainment is often intense and dynamic; this event was more contemplative which

was good to be a part of.

That the event was free was really appreciated, especially from visitors and people who would

otherwise keep walking.

The table below illustrates the return on investment for the City of Melbourne’s late night programming

pilot program that received $117,000 in funding during the first quarter of 2010. A total of 36 nights of

entertainment were delivered between the period March and July 2010, attracting audiences of just

under 10,000 people. This involved 232 performances or works and the participation of 177 artists.

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The table below illustrates the range of events and audience numbers attending the events:

Festival and Event Number of Nights

Dates Audience Number of Performances/ Works

Artists


22. 25th March

to 18 April

5,000 88 9

– Silent Disco 6. 26th & 27th

March

1st to 4th April

3,000 6 2


4. 1st May

2nd May

7th May

8th May

300

190

210

240

39 63


3. 20th to 22nd

May

716 98 102


1. 31st July 82 1 1

Totals 36 March to July 9,738 232 177

4.4 Perceptions of the CBD at Night

While the sample was too small to evaluate an effect on perceptions of the CBD as a safe or unsafe

place, anecdotally there was a feeling that these events offered a safe environment and may have

contributed to a calming effect. The following comments illustrate this:

The deckchairs and blankets created a very non‐threatening, welcoming environment. A couple

of drunks were easily dissuaded from disturbance and joined the event instead.

Drunken teenagers sat near me and one of them asked me questions about the event while

telling his mates to be quiet (and more respectful).

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Although reviewing the literature on the effect of arts on anti‐social behaviour is outside the brief of this

report; there is significant research on the calming effects of urban design, community involvement and

providing positive engagement on anti‐social behaviour.

The majority of interviewees spent considerable time working in and travelling through the CBD late at

night. It was often mentioned that the trouble spots were localised and that media reports had often

exaggerated the danger. Public transport was seen as one factor that, if improved, could ameliorate

trouble hot spots. Regulatory initiatives were also raised for discussion. Generally it was considered that

a one size fits all approach to regulations actually may have a negative effect on existing late night

activities that do not threaten local amenity.

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5. Efficiency of Pilot Program Events

Due to the constraints in the time frame for this evaluation, not all the financial data was available to

enable the evaluation to provide full analysis of funding across the four programs. One of the four

events came in on budget, two recorded a loss and the final financial data for the fourth event was not

available at the time of writing this report.

Generally festival organisers considered that the funding provided had been sufficient for the scheduled

events, even where a considerable loss had been made. There were a number of caveats on this view,

illustrated through the following comments and perspectives.

The events were staged initially as pilot programs and ran more cost efficiently because of a high level of

'buy in' by personal and professional staff and contractors who were keen to support something new.

Each festival organiser commented on the general goodwill of festival staff toward the late night

initiative, as well as independent producers and venue operators. In effect, it appears that the capital

required to cover the risk was absorbed by enthusiastic and dedicated supporters.

The Cave maintained expenditure close to its budget as the venue waived its usual charge and the

network of late night artists were very supportive of the event. The following comment was made to

illustrate this point:

The funding was adequate as (the Jazz Festival) organisers and independent producers were able

to summon considerable support from the arts network. Tuscan Bar waived its fee and

budgeting was controlled extremely tightly.

Even where a loss had been incurred there was consideration that, with more time to plan, there could

be greater capacity to look at efficiencies, apply leverage with contractors and seek supporting

sponsorship.

The Comedy Festival Silent Disco ran at a considerable loss and the factors identified for this included:

• The festival program started in March and the time between the funding being confirmed and the

program being printed was too short to allow sufficient prominence to the event;

• the time frame was tight for communications and marketing for a late night event which needed to

be cleverly targeted;

• there was a perceived lack of ongoing mainstream publicity as media thought the story (of late night

activation) had been told in initial City of Melbourne press releases;

• running the events in the first weekend of the festival was problematic as there were so many other

activities going on at the same time, such as the weekend coinciding with the Grand Prix that in

effect kept many festival goers out of town;

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• there was the need for greater lead time to allow festival organisers to look more closely at the

program objectives and perhaps tailor events more closely to funding and objectives;

there was a need to keep audiences in town for the late night event so the Silent Disco was

partnered with Headliners, however the audience did not move from one to the other as

anticipated; and

there was a short period over which some events ran that then did not allow the usual word of

mouth publicity to work effectively.

It was agreed among festival organisers that late night programming was risky in its initial introduction

and although it was an effective strategy for bringing in a new audience to the CBD, it would take time

and risk capital. In addition to the limitations listed above, there were a number of constraints that

directly influenced the budgeting of the events.

Festival organisers agreed that without the late night activation program funding, events would either

not have been delivered, or not have run in the format they were presented in. Where funding was

provided to events that had already been scheduled, the organisers found that the additional funding

had created a more robust programming and attracted a more diverse audience. The following

comment was made:

The nature of the event (late night and outdoors) created a carnival atmosphere which surprised

and delighted people, including the organiser.

The following table presents a summary of the overall profit loss from the events.

Festival and Event Program Funding

Income Ticket Sales

Total Income Total Expenditure

Profit / Loss


$22,000 Free event $22,000 $22,000 $0


$20,000 Free event $20,000 $20,885 (‐$885)


$20,000 $95,755 $115,755 $124,256 (‐$8,501)

– Silent Disco $20,000 $26,720 $46,720 $84,732 (‐$38,012)


$15,000 $1,463 Information unavailable in time for this report

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The difficulties experienced due to the short time frames between funding being announced and the

running of the events have been identified and discussed in this report. It was agreed by festival

organisers that although on these occasions staff and venue operators had been very supportive of the

late night planning, including being available to work late and waiving or reducing fees, late night events

had been an expensive operation to deliver as staff and venue costs were higher than at other times.

Festival organisers recognised that the programmed events were the first 'toe in the water' for late night

entertainment. There was a lot of excitement in the entertainment industry as to the future possibilities

in this arena and it was anticipated that as the late night entertainment experience increased, with

commensurate longer lead times for planning, additional sponsorship and greater sustainable cost

efficiencies could be found.

Recommendation 8: Triennial funding should be considered to encourage Arts groups and festival



other.

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6. Influencing Late Night Culture

6.1 Expanding the Diversity of Arts and Entertainment

The pilot program was able to demonstrate that a more diverse range of arts and entertainment

offerings has been made available to a late night Melbourne audience. Each of the events brought

something new to the CBD late at night. Performers were introduced to a new audience and patrons

were introduced to new experiences. The festival organisers, independent producers and venue

operators were excited about what they had been able to provide and what was possible for the future.

Patrons and performers at each of the four festivals events were interviewed on DVD by City of

Melbourne staff and the following comments of their impressions on the night(s) were recorded.

It’s good to see a venue like this with potential like this such as Federation Square team up with

City of Melbourne and Next Wave to combine and produce something pretty awesome. (Next

Wave festival)

I think late night entertainment is brilliant to be quite honest. I think it’s a totally different time

and everyone’s relaxed; I think it’s great. (Jazz festival)

I think this is the greatest idea that the City of Melbourne has ever had. Silent Disco should be

going on every week. It’s the best night club in town. (Comedy festival)

Look it’s good to have different forms of entertainment in the city…we need a lot more of (this)

cultural stuff if Melbourne wants to put itself on the map… So invest some more money into

these sorts of events. (Film festival)

6.2 Creating a Vibrant 24 hour CBD

The feedback from patrons, performers and festival organisers suggested that there had been a definite

short term influence on late night culture for the period the events were operating. The sample was too

small to predict whether the pilot program could generate a lasting impression on the perceptions of

Melbourne being a 24 hour city or even whether Melbourne could sustain these types of events. There

is a risk that the initial excitement of delivering a new and innovative concept could dissipate over time

and be seen as a one off event unless there were more opportunities created and supported to attend

late night events.

The following comments were recorded on DVD.

Heard that there’s security around, and… they are looking after us. It’s a warm place, there’s

heaps of people here. We’re all from different cultures. (Next Wave festival)

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If you are having performance nights like tonight, people aren’t drinking as fast, they’re not

going out and getting smashed at the bar …It’s richer, a richer environment. (Jazz festival)

It’s good to have the opportunity for people that aren’t necessarily into the standard pub, club

scene to have somewhere to go. (Film festival)

Research carried by TNS asked a question about those likely to attend late night events in the CBD. The

following question “How often would you attend, on average, the following late night events in

Melbourne?” was asked of 2056 respondents and elicited the following results.7

6.3 Impact on Anti‐Social Behaviour

Although there were no related negative influences reported in noise or violence linked to the events, it

was offered by all those interviewed that it was still too early to establish whether there would be a

positive influence on behaviours in the CBD as a result of support for the events. Longer term gain was

considered to be possible through concentrated commitment by government, sponsors and arts

organisers to continue to provide late night entertainment options and from visitors and residents to

support them through their attendances.

7 Research by TNS for Melbourne International Comedy Festival April 2010

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There was strong support expressed for the underlying concept that late night cultural and arts activities

would contribute to the achievement of a safe and vibrant CBD. There was newness to the experience

that excited many and confused a few. There was a sense that patrons did not know how to engage

with some of the events offered, especially when the event was free and outdoors as was the Ultimate

Time Lapse Megamix. The following comments were made:

As the only late night events tend to centre on bars and clubs the public is used to a very

structured entertainment scene. If we are to offer something different, including free outdoor

events we need to be there to explain to people what is happening; to welcome them.

To assist in a normalisation process (for late night events) programming has to appeal to a

target audience and be clever on a number of levels. Programming that attracts women to bring

their partners is more calming than large groups of men going to functions.

There was a strong view expressed that the City of Melbourne by funding this pilot program had

initiated something exciting and achievable. There was also a perspective that any ongoing

achievements would come from a partnership and involve a long term commitment from all involved.

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7. The Future

7.1 Partnerships

Interviews held with festival organisers, independent producers and venue operators and interviews

recorded by City of Melbourne staff with patrons and performers at the events established an

overwhelming level of support for the concept of a late night entertainment program. There was strong

support expressed for the positive effects that such entertainment could have on the vibrancy and

safety of the city.

Each of the events was delivered in collaboration between festival organisers and a venue. Each venue

had either extended the boundaries of what they normally offered or contributed financially to the

event. The contribution made is identified in the table below.

Festival and Event Venue Contribution


Greater Union Cinema Ran later than usual and rostered

staff to cover the late night event.


Federation Square Required own technical support be

available all night. Although not a

saving to the festival it demonstrated

buy‐in.


Tuscan Bar Waived usual hire fee

Melbourne International Comedy Festival – Silent Disco

Hi Fi Bar Paid for advertisement in MX.

Management at the two venues interviewed for this report, the Hi Fi Bar and the Tuscan Bar, were

enthusiastic about the success of the programs and expressed their willingness to discuss other

collaborations.

It was noted frequently during interviews that responsible venue operators were often caught up with

the negative publicity linked with venues associated with late night anti‐social behaviour. Not only was

there a desire to distance their businesses from these venues but an expressed willingness to look at

more entertainment that offered a safe and fun atmosphere. The following comment was made:

I have children who are now going out to venues; it’s self‐interest to provide entertainment

options that are safe in an environment that is protective. There also needs to be good public

transport to get them home. (Venue Manager)

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For each of the festivals, partnerships already existed in various forms with Federation Square,

Melbourne Museum, Arts Centre, Cinemas and licensed venues. Festival organisers felt that although

venues were looking for creative alternatives, they would require funding support to develop these as

they were taking business risks. There was still a need to demonstrate that new ventures could work

effectively before they were fully and financially supported by associated participating businesses.

Three of the festival organisers interviewed had had initial discussions with other arts providers to team

up to provide late night entertainment at existing venues. In one discussion the idea was to maximise

the use of a venue, in another it was to take the event to a regional centre.

7.2 Role for the State Government

The role of the State Government was seen as integral to the development and vibrancy of late night

entertainment in the CBD. It was believed that a close relationship already existed between the City Of

Melbourne and the State Government and that each authority recognised their responsibilities for the

vibrancy and safety of the CBD. The following comments were made by festival organisers who

recognised that the responsibilities for regulatory measures and artistic development were shared.

This is definitely a State Government concern as well; problems of CBD violence are to be shared.

People may be entertained in CBD but they are residents of the suburbs and visitors.

Programs developed in CBD can be taken to regional centres to both provide Arts and Culture

and also calm and offer alternatives.

The lack of public transport options was a significant obstacle to further developing Melbourne into a 24

hour city. The NightRider bus was not considered to be able to meet the needs of all who wished to

attend late night functions. There was also criticism aimed at the taxi industry. During the peak times

when many venues turned out patrons there were too many customers for the available taxis. There

were many stories of people, particularly, the young, not being picked up or accepted as a fare when

hailing a cab outside of a cab rank precinct.





State Government and venues should be encouraged to form a summit to plan and develop the

activation of the 24 hour plan.

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8. Conclusion

There was a strong overall support for the Late Night Programming Initiative and its continuation and

further development. There was a view expressed by stakeholders that the City of Melbourne, by

funding this pilot program, had initiated something new and exciting that would potentially contribute

over the longer term to a safer and more vibrant Melbourne CBD. The events that were funded and

delivered were seen to add another dimension to entertainment options available in the city late at

night, though it was considered that activating a safer CBD at night through arts and culture should be

acknowledged as just one component of a range of initiatives aimed at normalising behaviour in the

CBD. The development of Melbourne’s CBD to a vibrant 24 hour city is a significant program that

requires long term commitment and sophisticated ongoing planning.

The evaluation considered that while it is premature on the basis of the data available to establish

whether there has been a positive influence on behaviours in the CBD as a result of the support

provided for these events, that long term gains are possible through a concentrated and ongoing

commitment to continue to provide late night entertainment options in the CBD. It was considered that

if this strategy is pursued, it would need to be carefully monitored and evaluated over time to establish

intermediate and longer term outcomes and impacts for the achievement of a safe and vibrant culture

in the CBD.

There were a number of limitations and challenges encountered during the implementation of the pilot

program that should potentially be ameliorated through more considered planning and preparatory

processes. One example was the short period of elapsed time that took place between funding being

offered and the staging of the late night events that created some problems for event organisers,

providing less time opportunity for communication and marketing; limited opportunities for additional

sponsorship and insufficient planning time to mobilise risk management strategies when logistical

support and scheduled acts did not eventuate. While late night programming is an inherently risky

venture it was anticipated that as the late night entertainment experience increased, with

commensurate longer lead times for planning and additional sponsorship, that greater sustainable cost

efficiencies could be found.

In conclusion, the potential benefits arising from the continuation of the Late Night Programming

Initiative appear to justify its continuation and further development alongside a monitoring and

evaluation strategy to establish its results in the longer term.

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Appendix 1 Interviews Held

Organisation Contact Interview

Method

Melbourne City Council The Lord Mayor Robert Doyle

Councillor Jennifer Kanis

Meg Simmondson – Program Manager

Mark Power – Senior Policy Officer

Melbourne Next Wave Festival Ulanda Blair – Program Manager

Jeff Khan – Artistic Director

Melbourne International Film Festival Petrina Dorrington – General Manager

Melbourne International Comedy Festival Virginia Lovett – General Manager

Melbourne International Jazz Festival Sophie Brous – Program Director

Dean Hampel – Marketing Manager

Duckpond – Independent Co Producer

Tom Supple – Independent Co Producer

Venue – The Tuscan Bar Jane Hutchings – Events Coordinator

Venue – The Hi Fi Bar Brendan O’Sullivan – General Manager

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FUNDING MODEL OPTIONS - DELIVERY OF 2011 LATE NIGHT PROGRAMMING OPTION ONE Capital City Stream Offer all Capital City Stream Triennial partners the opportunity to apply for up to $30,000 for late night programming in line with agreed criteria. This would comprise the following Triennial partners:

• Melbourne International Comedy Festival (March/April 2011) • Melbourne International Arts Festival (October 2011) • Circus Oz (June/July 2011) • Melbourne International Jazz Festival (May 2011) • Melbourne International Film Festival (July/August 2011) • Melbourne Fringe (September/October 2011) • Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (all year) • Malthouse Theatre (all year) • Melbourne Queer Film Festival (March 2011) • Melbourne Writers Festival (August 2011) • Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (all year) • Next Wave Festival (May biannual) • Chamber Music Australia – Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition (July

2011) • Melbourne Prize (September-November 2011) * • Little Big Shots Festival (June 2011) * * These two events are considered inappropriate for late night programming. One is a

prize (Melbourne Prize) and the other is a children’s festival (Little Big Shots). Process

1. Direct approach to each of the Capital City Triennial partners seeking Expressions of Interest.

2. Expressions of Interest would require a proposal outlining concepts, addressing selection criteria, and providing details regarding budget income and expenditure, capacity to deliver and marketing and promotion.

3. $200,000 total funding with a maximum of $30,000 per application available. This allows for a minimum of seven late night activities to be funded (six at $30,000 and one at $20,000).

4. Assessment via external assessment panel sourced from the potential panel members as endorsed by Council at its 11 May 2010 Future Melbourne Committee meeting.

5. Recommendations considered by Council in December 2010. Positives

• Demonstrated capacity to deliver events • Existing public profile and demonstrated capacity to attract audiences • Minimal impact on Council administration as process does not require advertising and a

maximum of thirteen applications is entailed Negatives

• Limited reach possibly resulting in a limited range of concepts • Perceived privileging of major festivals as opposed to smaller organisations and individual

artists.

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OPTION TWO Triennial Partners Offer all categories of Triennial partners the opportunity to apply for up to $30,000 for late night programming in line with agreed criteria. This would comprise the following Triennial partners:

• All Capital City stream partners as per Option One • Ilbijerri Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Theatre Company • Songlines Music Aboriginal Music Corporation • Multicultural Arts Victoria • Arts Access Victoria • The Centre (North Melbourne) • Club Wild • Jesuit Social Services (The Artful Dodgers Art Studio) • Living Music • The Boite • State Orchestra Victoria • La Mama Theatre • Experimenta • Melbourne Workers Theatre • Polyglot Puppet Theatre • West Space • Arena Theatre • Chamber Made Opera • Melbourne Chamber Orchestra • Platform Artists Group • Blindside Artist Run Initiative • South Project • Royal Philharmonic

Process As per Option One Positives

• Perceived as more equitable as includes all Triennial partners • Increased range of concepts • Increased diversity of communities/constituencies

Negatives

• Limited capacity to deliver significant events on the part of some organisations • Limited demonstrated capacity to attract target audiences on the part of some organisations • Inappropriate to some organisations e.g. Polyglot Puppet Theatre, State Orchestra • Increased Council administration as entails up to 36 applications

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OPTION THREE Expression of Interest Call for Expression of Interest from artists and arts organisations to apply for up to $30,000 for late night programming in line with agreed criteria. Process

1. Publically advertised opportunity to artists and arts organisations to submit proposals 2. Invitations to submit proposals also sent to all Triennial partners 3. Expressions of Interest would require a proposal outlining concepts, addressing selection

criteria, and providing details regarding budget income and expenditure, capacity to deliver and marketing and promotion.

4. Assessment via external assessment panel sourced from the potential panel members as endorsed by Council at its 11 May 2010 Future Melbourne Committee meeting.

5. Recommendations considered by Council in December 2010. Positives

• Broader, more exciting spectrum of concepts • Perceived as equitable and engaging with artists and organisations beyond existing

Triennial partners • Engages a broader arts constituency in Council’s 24 Hour City Policy

Negatives

• Limited organisational infrastructure capacity • Limited capacity to deliver significant events • Limited profile and therefore limited capacity to attract audiences • Significant administration required on the part of Council’s staff and high associated costs

as per an annual grant round • Significant timing implications as requires a public advertising process

LONGER TERM ADMINISTRATION OF LATE NIGHT FUNDING – POST 2011

OPTION ONE Incorporate late night activity funding into future Triennial Arts Grants Programs as a desirable selection criteria

1. Guidelines for the 2012 – 2014 Triennial Arts Grants program would include as a desirable criteria the ability to deliver late night programming as part of the applicant’s proposed program of activity.

2. The current funding committed to late night programming ($200,000) would be allocated to the Triennial Arts Grants Program to support additional late night programming initiatives on the part of Triennial partners.

OPTION TWO Establish Late Night Programming as a separate category within the Annual Arts Grants Program

1. Guidelines for the 2012 Annual Arts Grants Program would include a new category specifically for late night programming.

2. Applicants would need to address existing essential and desirable criteria along with the specific criteria associated with late night programming.

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3. A proportion of the current funding committed to late night programming (e.g. $100,000) would be allocated to this new category.

4. The remaining funds (e.g. $100,000) would be allocated to late night programming within the Triennial Arts Grants program.

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ASSESSMENT CRITERIA - LATE NIGHT PROGRAMMING FUNDING

Essential Criteria

• Arts based activity • Focussed on central business district • Demonstrated organisational capacity to deliver events/programming • Evidence of sound OHS and risk management planning and strategies • Existing or demonstrated potential to attract audiences • Sound financial planning/feasible budget • Ticketed events reasonably priced to ensure financially accessible for audiences • Timing of proposed programming commences no earlier than 11.00pm and ceases no

later than 7.00am Broader Assessment Considerations

• Use of public spaces • Diversity of targeted audiences • Diversity of artforms • Spread of activity across the calendar year

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