The Rose Theatre - Case Study Example

The Rose Theatre, Kingston The Rose Theatre Pestel Analysis-Evaluation of the Macro environment P-(Political Factors)-The performing arts in general make a significant contribution to the economy in the UK, therefore there are political factors involved. Those include funding sources for subsidized theatre and better facilities for the arts and education. The Rose has also become a great community resource as it fills the schedules for drama students at Kingston University. There is also, at this time some political controversy in the change of leadership between Hall who was very much an artistic dictator to the replacement Stephen Unwin (Taylor, 2008) which could in fact affect the Rose. E-(Economic factors)-There has been a drastic change in the world's economy in the last year, the UK is no exception and public entertainment like that at the Rose is affected. The pound fell to the lowest level in 10 months against the dollar on Monday before it began to recover on Wed (Ewing et.al., 2010). A sovereign debt crisis similar to the one in Greece is a concern at this time. The Bank of England has halted buying government bonds (Ewing, 2010). All of these economic factors affect every part of the economy and most often those that are considered entertainment or leisure. The Rose Theatre still show high attendance levels but most open for opening showings and with higher income audiences. Decisions on financial stability are difficult to make at this time, but certainly it will be affected one way or another (Smith, 2008).There are in fact difficulties at the Rose as the Peter Hall has been to the arts council for funding and there have been many new funding ideas set up such as training for the unemployed in the arts industry. Hall believes, however, that the arts council has not done enough (Kennedy, 2008). There are many jobs lost in the UK and at this point in time there are 10 jobseekers for every vacancy which certainly affects the number of people who can afford the theatre (Grice, 2010). S-(Social Factors) - The history of theatre in the UK has been long going. Admissions to London theaters reached 13.6 million in 2007. Opening showings at the Rose have been extremely well attended. Sell out productions have been noted on a regular basis. Theatre also remains a strong draw to the country for tourists. There are some concerns to be considered here, especially with the advent of the electronics age. There are still barriers to attending the performing arts. Some of those are financial and some of them are access as well as political and social. Even with increased arts funding, and initiatives to widen the audience, there have not been increases in the types of audiences that are attending. This will remain a challenge for theatre management (UK Market research, 2008). In most countries, especially the United States there has been a consistent 5 year decline in attendance (Treanor, 2008). This has to remain a consideration to management in the UK. T-(Technological factors).The age of electronics has definitely affected the theatre although in many other countries it is much worse than the UK. With the advent of television, video, internet there has been a decreased need to go to the theatre. There are many productions that are putting the production right on the web with fees for watching the production. This can be done in the convenience of home or car. This is where access to the theatre is so important. When challenged by access technology will surely win (UK market research, 2008). E-(Environmental factors)- Other than the melting of the ice caps and the possible flooding of London, there are many other issues noted in the news that might affect the management of the theatre over many years. Methane emissions from livestock creates more greenhouse gas than cars. Global meat production will double by 2050 because of a population explosion that will continue (Wilson, 2010) The world has 6.8 billion people and that will expand to 9.2 billion people in 2050. In the UK population which is presently 60.7 million, the expectation is for it to grow to 77 million by 2050 (Wilson, 2010). The earth cannot support more than half these numbers in fact it is estimated that a sustainable population for the UK is 30 million. These factors will affect the ability to produce food as well as to stay healthy. Funding in the UK will need to go to such things as soil erosion and sustainable housing as well as buildings that are green. As wonderful as the Rose is, it is not a green building. L-(Legal factors)-Presently in the UK as well as in the United States there is a great deal of controversy going on for laws on entertainment payments and copyright. Media and entertainment laws are developing rapidly and it is unknown what they might look like in a short time. Broadcasting and advertising codes are changing and the public is being allowed more ability to voice concerns. The press and broadcasting are running up against stronger defamation laws. Overall, it is difficult to see what the final picture will look like which makes it difficult to plan for (contraclaw.co, 2010). SWOT Analysis S-Strength-The greatest strength for the Rose is the historical use of theatre by the people of the UK. This is not likely to change in the foreseeable future. The building is new and quite beautiful and the programs provided have already been quite popular with most being sold out (Kennedy, 2008). W-Weakness- The economy is definitely the weakness that must be closely monitored. Many people are out of a job with 10 job seekers for every open position. The pound has fallen against the dollar and there is a great deal of argument in the government right now as to how this will all be handled, so it is unknown as to what the outcome will be and when (Ewing, 2010). O-Opportunity-The Rose is designed in such a way and is placed in a position of use to more than the theatre productions. There are educational uses for the University as well as the public at large. There is great opportunity to expand these uses in the future. The theatre is still a great tourist draw and should be utilized as such. There may be opportunity to increase business at a time when many are losing business (Ewing, 2010). T-Threats-The environment is a threat to everyone at this time and again, another unknown. There is much ignoring of the facts but there are major issues to be confronted and it is not known how future green laws will affect a building like the Rose. International law toward changes in how business is operated, when it is operated and how efficient buildings are as well as transportation could very well affect this business. Resources Billington, M. (2004). Rosy Future Available at http://www.rosethreatrekingston.org. Ewing, J., & Werdiier, J. 2010. Uncertain of recovery, Europe and Britain keep interest rates unchanged. World Economics. Pg. 1-2. Available at http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/Staticp-product=Economic&f_location Grice, A. Recent events make me feel ashamed to be a Labour MP. Available at http://inforweb.newsbank.com Kennedy, M. 2008. It's business as usual for the Rose Theatre. Guardian.co.uk. Available at http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2008/jan/22/theatre2 Pearman, H. (2007). The Rose in Full Bloom. Available at http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts and entertainment/visualarts/architectureanddesign/article3099781.ece Performing arts in the UK market research report. Available at http//:www.marketresearch.com Taylor, P. 2008. Uncle Vanya, Rose Theatre, Kingston. The Independent. Pg 1-3. Available at http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/uncle-vanya-rose-t Treanor, L. 2008. Theatre attendance is declining. News and Views. Available at http://dctheatrescene.com/2008/04/24/theatre-attendance-is-delcining Wilson, H. The environmental issues we ignore. Available at http://environment.uk.msn.com/climate-change/article.aspxcp-documented=8983708 http://www.rosetheatrekingston.org/primary-links/the-rose-a-brief-history http://www.contractlaw.co.uk http://www.rosetheatrekingston.org Read More