As we open Patron and Solidarity tickets for The Kneebone Cadillac, we wanted to share more detail about what sits behind our radical pricing model, and what it actually costs to make work on this scale.
The total cost of producing this show is £105,000.
That covers the full creation and delivery of the production.
Paying artists and company members, design and build, technical production, rehearsal time, site infrastructure, transport, and the running costs of staging a large-scale outdoor show across a 25-performance run. Whilst also honouring our commitments to fair employment, the national living wage and environmental responsibility.
As a charity, Wildworks receives annual funding from Arts Council England and Cornwall Council. That funding primarily supports our core operating costs of staffing, administration and the infrastructure that allows us to make work, rather than covering the full cost of individual productions.
This means shows like The Kneebone Cadillac are financed through a combination of income sources:
- Ticket sales
- Company reserves
- Small-scale sponsorship (around £3,000 anticipated)
- Theatre Tax Relief (estimated approx. £17,000, received after the production closes and subject to HMRC approval)
Once the anticipated tax relief and sponsorship are accounted for, we still need to generate approximately £85,000 through ticket sales in order to break even.
With 25 performances and a capacity of 200 per night, that means we need to average around 136 tickets sold per performance, roughly 68% capacity across the run.
This is the financial reality behind the work.
It’s also why we’ve introduced radical pricing.
When full ticket release opens on 15th May, tickets will be available from £1 upwards. No eligibility checks. No questions asked. You simply choose what you can afford, or what you feel able to give.
Alongside this, Patron and Solidarity tickets help support the upfront cost of making the production, help us pay everyone involved fairly, and ensure that lower-cost tickets remain available for those who need them.
Patron £70
Invest in Wildworks, support others to attend and enable the development of our work.
Solidarity £40
A generous gesture. Your ticket helps someone else attend.
This model depends on a simple principle, that different people will contribute in different ways.
Some will pay more. Some will pay less. Some will pay what they can.
Together, that is what makes the work possible and what allows us to keep the doors open to as many people as we can.
BOOK YOUR PATRON OR SOLIDARITY TICKET HERE
If you or your organisation are interested in becoming a sponsor of the production then please contact us on gwen@wildworks.org.uk
