Report for the five Scottish national performing companies: April 2015 to March 2016

4. About the National Performing Companies

4.1 The five National Performing Companies are the National Theatre of Scotland ( NTS) the Royal Scottish National Orchestra ( RSNO), Scottish Ballet, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra ( SCO) and Scottish Opera. The Companies have been funded by Scottish Government since April 2007 and they support the Scottish Government's policy aim of Scotland being 'renowned at home and abroad as a creative nation, with a rich heritage, contributing to the world as a modern dynamic country' through making a significant contribution to cultural life in Scotland and regularly producing work internationally. The relationship between the Scottish Government and the Companies is managed by the Sponsorship and Funding Team within the Culture, Tourism and Major Events Directorate.

4.2 The Companies operate on a scale which distinguishes them from other performing arts organisations in local communities, across Scotland's largest stages and through UK wide and international tours. The Companies do this in partnership with other performing arts organisations operating in Scotland, many of which are funded by Creative Scotland and local authorities. The role of education, learning and community involvement is central to the artistic purpose of all five companies and they all share a desire to communicate with as large and diverse an audience
as possible.

4.3 The five Companies have the same constitutional structure, being independent private companies limited by guarantee and registered as charities in Scotland. They are each governed by a Board of voluntary, non-executive Directors, which may include some designated local authority Councillors. The Scottish Government plays no part in the recruitment of any Board and does not attend Board meetings. However officials do receive Board papers as part of the on-going grant monitoring process.

4.4 The Companies all receive income from a variety of sources in addition to the grant from the Scottish Government. They are required by the Scottish Government to seek to increase income from private sponsorship and non-public income year on year. These sources include earned income from ticket sales, performance and education fees, fundraising, commercial and merchandising income.

4.5 Since coming into a direct funding relationship with Scottish Government, the five Companies have also been encouraged to find ways of working together to maximise the impact and effectiveness of their operations. This led to the formation of the National Performing Companies Forum in 2007. The Forum brings the Chief Executive Officers together regularly, occasionally bringing in the Company Chairs. This relationship extends down within the Companies, with similar regular meetings of Marketing, Education, Production and Finance personnel.

4.6 Each of the organisations operates on a different business model with a distinctive set of aims and objectives. A summary of each of these models for each Company is described in the next section.

The National Theatre of Scotland

4.7.1 NTS operates on an exceptional building-free model, producing, co-producing, investing in and initiating a range of productions and the work of established and emergent theatre-makers. The organisation was established in 2006 and has its headquarters in Glasgow. The Company has an education and community strand called Learn running alongside the main productions, and both tour in venues large and small across Scotland often leading to UK wide and international opportunities. The Company also operates a flexible business model working on a project basis to engage creative teams and performers as required to deliver each production. NTS commissions new plays, new versions of classic texts and co-produces with other Scottish-based, UK and international theatre companies to enable contemporary theatre making of the highest quality for all ages.

The Royal Scottish National Orchestra

4.7.2 The RSNO is Scotland's national symphony orchestra and was formed in 1891. Their new Glasgow headquarters, education and rehearsal spaces are now located within a dedicated space at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. The Company employs over 80 full-time musicians and the education and community programme called Engage reaches a diverse group of individuals. The Orchestra performs across the country with a wide range of repertoire including seasons in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen, Perth and Inverness, a programme of regional and international touring and regular appearances at the Edinburgh International Festival and BBC Proms. In addition, new works from contemporary composers are regularly commissioned.

Scottish Ballet

4.7.3 Scottish Ballet is the national dance company for Scotland. It was founded in 1969 and has Glasgow headquarters in its own dedicated space within Tramway. The Company employs 36 full-time dancers and regularly performs across a variety of stages in Scotland, the UK and internationally with strong classical technique at the root of all of its work. Its broad repertory includes new versions of the classics, seminal pieces from the 20th century modern ballet canon, signature pieces by
living choreographers and new commissions alongside an extensive education programme, which offers a range of access points for people of all ages and abilities. Scottish Ballet is typically on the road six months every year.

Scottish Chamber Orchestra

4.7.4 The SCO is Scotland's only professional chamber orchestra and continues to be an ambassador for Scottish cultural excellence, through its innovative approach to music-making. The Company was formed in 1974 and has Edinburgh headquarters. The orchestra has a regular membership of 37 players and performs throughout Scotland at least 28 weeks of the year, giving regular seasons of concerts, annual summer tours as well as touring internationally. Outside the concert hall, SCO musicians inspire people of all ages in schools, universities, hospitals, care homes, places of work and community centres through the work of SCO Connect, the Orchestra's Creative Learning team.

Scottish Opera

4.7.5 Scottish Opera is Scotland's national opera company and the largest performing arts organisation in Scotland. It was founded in 1962, and has Glasgow headquarters across a range of buildings, including the newly transformed Theatre Royal on Hope Street. It has a considerable reputation for its productions of all scales, alongside its education programmes. The Company programmes a range of mainstage operas and commissions new work to appeal to the varied tastes of the audience. It regularly performs in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness, as well as undertaking annual tours of smaller-scale productions providing performances in up to 40 local theatres, village halls and community centres across Scotland. Scottish Opera's education and outreach programme consistently works in the majority of Scotland's local authority areas every year.