Business Plan

Issued to

March 2015, Anglo Portuguese Ensemble

04 Summary

05 The Ensemble

06 Project Idea

08 The Market

09 Project Example

12 Project Timeline

13 Cash flow Projection

14 A look into the future

Appendix

4 Proposal for Deutsche Bank Award for Creative Enterprises

Summary

The Anglo-Portuguese Ensemble is a string formation made

up of students and young professionals from Portugal and

the United Kingdom. The group intends to work both as a

career-launching platform for its members as well as a hub

for cultural exchange between Portugal and the UK. Our

main focus will be centered in presenting high-level concerts

in both countries, combined with educational activities

directed to local communities in order to disseminate

characteristic elements of both cultures.

Anglo Portuguese Ensemble 5

The Ensemble

Our group is formed of 12 passionate young musicians, both students and

professionals. Many of us have worked with some of the best orchestras in the

world! You can read a bit about each of us in the appendix.

Lourenço Sampaio | Artistic Manager

Lourenço is a seasoned violist with significant

orchestral experience, having worked with

renowned orchestras and opera houses such as

London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris

and Staatskapelle Dresden. He is the first student

of the new Artist Diploma at the Royal Academy of

Music.

Pedro Silva | Project Manager

Pedro Silva is a cellist currently in the 4th year of a

Bachelor of Music Degree at the Royal Academy

of Music. He has performed extensively

throughout Portugal and the UK, both as an

orchestral and chamber music player.

Heloísa Ribeiro | Artistic Director

Heloísa has an international career as a violinist

with performances in Switzerland, Israel, USA,

Netherlands, Italy and Germany. She has a wide

experience as an orchestral player as well as a

chamber musician.

6 Proposal for Deutsche Bank Award for Creative Enterprises

Project Idea

In an increasingly competitive and global market, musicians nowadays are

expected not only to deliver high-level performances but also to engage with

society in a meaningful way. Live performances rely on a strong connection

with the audience. An ensemble that carries an idea, a cause, a meaning, will

establish that connection with great effect.

ur idea started to come together

after noticing an increase in both

number and quality of

Portuguese string players seeking to

study at the Royal Academy of Music. As

friends and fellow students we had always

talked about playing as a group and thus

organized a concert entitled "Strings from

Portugal", featuring a string piece from

the Portuguese repertoire alongside a

fantastic chamber music work by

Tchaikovsky. It had great attendance and

the audience highlighted how fantastic it

was to have something bringing us

together, that our friendship came across

beautifully on stage.

With the help of the Portuguese Embassy

in London, we started discussing a series

of performance opportunities in a church

that used to belong to the Embassy back in

the 18th century1. As the idea developed, it

only made sense to extend this

opportunity to our fellow UK students in

order to strengthen relations amongst

musicians from both countries and

leverage on the heritage value of the

centuries-old alliance between the two

1See appendix for more details

nations - the Anglo-Portuguese Ensemble

was born.

After the inaugural concert in January 2015,

which was exceptionally well received, we

realized we had a really exciting concept and

were ready to pursue more ambitious

projects. Our vision is to grow the Ensemble

into a symbol of cultural exchange

between Portugal and the UK as well as a

platform to provide its career-starting

members visibility through paid high-profile

performance opportunities.

The group will be composed of 12-16

members, according to the demands of the

repertoire performed. Although some

positions are permanent, there will be a

member pool from which we can book new

players, depending on everyone’s

availability.

The Ensemble will be based in the UK with a

typical charity structure. We intend to

develop our activity on a project by project

basis, organizing concert tours in the two

countries. Each tour will have a theme that is

both marketable and agrees with the

Ensemble's core values.

O

Anglo Portuguese Ensemble 7

Activities in the UK

We plan to programme concerts and

develop interactive events (narrated

concerts, masterclasses in music schools

and other educational events) , promoting

the Portuguese culture and encouraging

the cross-fertilization of music from both

countries by commissioning original works

from young and up-and-coming

composers. These lesser known

compositions would be performed

alongside standard repertoire. With this

structure we intend to make the concert

programme as appealing as possible while

also introducing new works in a

commercially successful mix between the

familiar and the new.

Activities in Portugal

In Portugal, we aim to organize concert

tours and educational activities in

collaboration with major venues in the

country (Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon,

Casa da Música in Porto). The concerts would

follow the previously stated structure, only

with more emphasis on works by British

Composers. Activities in the local

communities (Educational Departments,

Music Schools, Conservatories, etc.) would

highlight a more educational version of our

programme and share the knowledge

acquired in a different cultural

environment.

8 Proposal for Deutsche Bank Award for Creative Enterprises

The Market

It is worth dividing the potential market between Concerts and Educational

Activities as these events work in financially different ways.

Concerts

Concert Halls would be the most important client for us. They

provide excellent conditions to perform and already have the

marketing strategies in place to advertise the event more

affordably. Being able to secure the best venues we can is a key

factor in establishing credibility for the group. It would be of

interest to sell concert and educational event as a package as

it represents better value to the venue and is compatible with

the schedule of a concert tour (i.e. educational activities in the

morning and concert in the evening).

Other potential ways to supplement the Ensemble’s revenue stream would be selling

advertising and creating special promotional concerts to corporate partners with

interests in both the UK and Portugal. This would present a good opportunity for

companies to reach out to potential clients abroad (i.e. a port wine company being

promoted on a concert brochure) in exchange for sponsorship - financial or other.

Educational activities

These events would be sold to the Educational Departments of

the venues we work with, adapted to suit their needs and always

in line with our core principles.

The educational concerts could also be performed at schools -

namely music schools and universities - where our work would

be showcased and the concept behind the theme of the tour

explored in depth. To complement, Masterclasses featuring

members of the Ensemble and, at a later stage, relevant British and Portuguese soloists

could also be given at these institutions.

Project details

Let’s take a look at one of our projects in detail :

“A British look on Fado”

This project would represent a British take on this famous Portuguese folk genre by

commissioning arrangements of popular Fado songs to a young British composer. These

would be accompanied by two of the most popular string works by Benjamin Britten and Joly

Braga Santos.

Concert Programme:

Joly Braga Santos (1924-88)

Concerto for Strings in D (circa 28’)

New commission* (circa 20’)

Canção Verdes Anos

Fado da Mariquinhas

Feitiçeira

Menina das Tranças Pretas

*Arrangements commissioned by the Ensemble to a young British composer.

Benjamin Britten (1913-76)

Simple Symphony Op. 4 (circa 20’)

Educational Activity

Short narrated concert introducing the various composers, highlighting the stylistic

differences and providing an historical context to each of the works. This would be perfectly

suited for a School, as well as a Family Concert event (due to its short duration and

educational component).

10 Proposal for Deutsche Bank award for Creative Enterprise

Tour Plan

1 Concert + Educational Activity

Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon, Portugal†

1 Concert

Auditório de Espinho, Espinho, Portugal†

1 Concert + Educational Activity

Casa da Música, Porto, Portugal†

Total duration: 5 days†2

Budget†

Costs

Flights* £1680

Hotel* £1142

Food £615

Travel £337

Fees (Musicians’ Union Rates) £3420

Score hire and performance rights £750

New commission £750

Other Costs* £800

Total £9494

† See appendix for more details

*Note: These costs are not

reflecting possible partnerships

with TAP Air Portugal or with a

hotel chain, which would

substantially decrease the

projected costs. We believe

that, due to the relatively small

size of the Ensemble against

the marketing potential of this

initiative, such a partnership is

foreseeable.

Other costs include the printing

of marketing materials as well

as a contingency reserve.

Income

1 Concert + Educational Activity (CGF) €3500

1 Concert (AE) €2500

1 Concert + Educational Activity (CDM) €3000

Main Sponsor €2500

Sponsor 2 €1500

Total €13000

Total (£) £9518

These income projections take into account the size and standard fees offered by the

venues mentioned above. A higher level of sponsorship could be offset against the concert

fee charged to the venues in order to make the proposal financially more attractive.

12 Proposal for Deutsche Bank award for Creative Enterprise

Project Timeline

M-7 M-6 M-5 M-4 M-3 M-2 M-1 M0 M1 M2 M3 M4

Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4

Set programme, tour theme and

educational activities

Preliminary budget

Find sponsorships

Enquire venues on interest

Negotiate programme, dates and

fees with the venues

Player booking

Travel and accommodation booking

Schedule

planning

Designing

Marketing

Materials

Ordering

marketing

materials

Rehearsal

period in the UK

TOUR

Review the

results achieved

Discuss renewal

with venues

Plan next

projects

The £10000 Deutsche Bank Award money would be used as seed capital to fund the costs of the first series of concert projects.

YE

AR

Marketing campaign

Phase 4

Tour Phase 3

Planning and funding the first concert

series We believe that the first concert tour can be realized in

less than six months. The reason for the required lead

time has to do with the availability of the concert

venues which are fully booked 3 months before the

beggining of their new concert season. The tour

planning will develop as follows :

Cash flow Projection

Tour 1 (PT) Tour 2 (UK) Tour 3 (PT)

Jul-15 Aug-15 Sep-15 Oct-15 Nov-15 Dec-15 Jan-16 Feb-16 Mar-16 Apr-16 May-16 Jun-16 Jul-16 Aug-16 Sep-16 Oct-16 Total

Income

DBA £10.000 £10.000

Sponsorship £2.929 £2.000 £4.000 £8.929

Concert fees £6.589 £4.000 £6.589 £17.179

Total Income £10.000 £0 £2.929 £0 £0 £0 £0 £6.589 £2.000 £0 £4.000 £0 £0 £4.000 £0 £6.589 £36.108

Expenditure

Flights £1.680 £1.800 £3.480

Travel £337 £620 £337 £1.294

Hotel £571 £571 £571 £571 £2.284

Food £615 £240 £615 £1.470

Musician's Fees £3.420 £2.850 £4.320 £10.590

Music Hire £750 £750 £1.500

Comissions £375 £375 £375 £1.125

Other Costs* £200 £300 £300 £150 £150 £300 £300 £1.700

Total Expenditure £200 £2.251 £1.050 £375 £1.823 £3.795 £0 £150 £0 £1.760 £2.850 £2.371 £300 £0 £1.823 £4.695 £23.444

Monthly Balance £9.800 £7.549 £9.428 £9.053 £7.230 £3.435 £3.435 £9.874 £11.874 £10.114 £11.264 £8.892 £8.592 £12.592 £10.769 £12.664 £12.664

Profit/Loss -£200 -£2.451 -£572 -£947 -£2.770 -£6.565 -£6.565 -£126 £1.874 £114 £1.264 -£1.108 -£1.408 £2.592 £769 £2.664

*printing programmes, setting up the charity, contingency

costs, etc.

The grey area refers to possible future concert series

A look into the future

What’s next?

Our vision for the Anglo-Portuguese Ensemble is, after establishing itself as a true hub of

cultural exchange, to extend its reach as far as possible whilst continuing to help new

students finishing their studies in the UK.

Our short-term goal would be to establish strong relationships with the venues we work

with, building up a reputation and securing higher profile venues in the UK.

In the mid-term, we want to have planned a tour to specific British and Portuguese

Communities in other European countries and, in the long term, to perform in other

continents where our cultures are present (i.e. Angola, Brazil, India, etc.). The support from

institutions like the Portuguese Embassy or the British Council will be invaluable to develop

connections in such markets.

The Deutsche Bank Award plays a fundamental role in the future of this project. Both the

seed funding and business mentoring would be instrumental to grow this project in a

sustainable way from its early stages.

Anglo Portuguese Ensemble