Arts Facts using CADAC Data: 18 Opera Organizations

June 1, 2017

Prepared by the Research, Evaluation and Performance Measurement Section, this report highlights Canadian Arts Data/Données sur les arts au Canada (CADAC) facts on a sampling of opera organizations from across Canada. Using CADAC data, the report provides a picture of Canada Council funded opera organizations, their activities and organizational stability.

The data in the report centres on four themes: economic impact, Canadian artists reaching audiences; access to the arts; and public participation and support. Some key findings from the 2017 report on opera organizations are:

These 18 opera organizations saw total revenues increase 6.6% from $69.5M in 2009-10 to $74.1M in 2015-16 as a result of a 25% increase in support from the private sector and 9% increase in public funding in the same period.

A total of $22.1M was generated by admission and box office for this group in 2015-16, representing 79% of their earned revenue during this period.

Of the 415 public performances by these 18 opera organizations in 2015-16, 278 were programmed and presented locally and 133 were presented nationally. The total attendance at all performances produced by this group during this period amounted to more than 325,000.

In 2015-16, a total of 23 new works by this group were created by or commissioned from Canadian artists.

CADAC is a web-based system which has now been in place for eight years and is beginning to provide a rich source of reliable data on almost 2,000 Canadian arts organizations. CADAC partners include provincial, territorial and municipal arts funders (https://www.cadac.ca/).