In the Arts: Staff and Budget Cuts at Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center
February 19, 2010 | Read Time: 1 minute
Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts has dismissed 15 employees, including its top artistic, marketing, and programming officers, and will curtail its schedule as part of a budget-cutting reorganization, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
The changes will trim spending by about $1.4-million, allowing the center to reduce rents for its financially challenged resident companies, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Pennsylvania Ballet, and the Opera Company of Philadelphia.
In other arts news, Britain’s chief heritage organization, the National Trust, is considering buying London’s Abbey Road Studios, where the Beatles recorded most of their work, reports the Associated Press.
The fabled studio has been put up for sale by its owner, cash-strapped record label EMI, raising fears that it could be purchased by private developers and demolished. Paul McCartney has stated support for preserving Abbey Road, and Bloomberg reports that Beatles fans have mounted Facebook and Twitter campaigns to save the West End facility.
Also, the Miami City Ballet will increase its budget for the 2010-11 season, according to The Miami Herald. The company this week unveiled plans to spend $15-million in the forthcoming season, which marks 25 years of operation, after firing eight dancers and slashing spending last year.
