AGENDA REPORT
Meeting Date: November 7, 2024
Item Number:
To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
From: Christopher Paulson, Deputy Director of Community Services Gregory Barton, Fire Chief
Subject: REQUEST FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER A FREE USE DAY FOR FARHANG FOUNDATION’S CELEBRATION OF SHAB-E
YALDA (WINTER SOLSTICE) ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2024,
AT THE WALLIS ANNENBERG CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING
ARTS
Attachments: None
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council approve the allocation of one of the City’s free-use days at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (“The Wallis”) for Farhang Foundation's 12th Annual Celebration of Shab-E Yalda (Winter Solstice) on Saturday, December 21, 2024.
INTRODUCTION
This item is a request for the City Council to consider an approval for a free-use day of The Wallis’ Bram Goldsmith Theater for Farhang Foundation's 12th Annual Celebration of Shab-E Yalda (Winter Solstice) on Saturday, December 21, 2024. The free-use day is part of Farhang Foundation’s in-kind request as part of their Community Assistance Grant Funding (CAGF) award for Fiscal Year 2024-25 (FY 24-25).
BACKGROUND
Farhang Foundation is a new CAGF partner with the City for FY 24-25. In their grant application, Farhang Foundation requested monetary assistance and one of the City’s free-use days at the The Wallis.
At the June 5, 2024, meeting of the City Council Liaisons/Human Relations Commission Committee, Vice Mayor Nazarian and Councilmember Mirisch recommended a $15,000 grant and one of their in-kind requests, a use day at The Wallis (pending availability).
Meeting Date: November 7, 2024
The City Council Liaisons recommendation was approved by the full City Council at the June 27, 2024, meeting, as part of the approval of all twenty-three CAGF agreements for FY 24-25. Since the monetary grant and in-kind request were approved as part of a group of agreements, this report seeks to consider and formally approve the allocation of one of the City’s free-use days at The Wallis for Farhang Foundation, based on precedent of freeuse approvals.
Farhang Foundation plans to use the Bram Goldsmith Theater on Saturday, December 21, 2024, for their 12th Annual Celebration of Shab-E Yalda (Winter Solstice). This is a public, ticketed event hosted by Farhang Foundation in collaboration with the City of Beverly Hills’ CAGF, to present the 12th Annual Celebration of Shab-e Yalda, an ancient Iranian tradition celebrating the arrival of the winter solstice, filled with enchanting music, evocative poetry, and captivating storytelling.
Tickets will be sold through The Wallis' ticketing services, and start at $29 per person. The event will be marketed by Farhang Foundation on Farhang.org, via email, as well as on Farhang Foundation social media accounts, and it may also be advertised in local Persian language publications.
Through the City’s lease agreement with The Wallis, the City may sponsor or host up to ten (10) daytime events and up to ten (10) evening events in the Bram Goldsmith Theater, the Lovelace Studio Theater, or any other interior portion of the property, or the exterior Promenade Event Terrace or other grounds of the property, during each calendar year.
To date, three free-use days have been approved for this calendar year, for City Council Installation (April), for the Nova Exhibition (September), and for the City’s Innovations Day (October).
This event plans to utilize the Bram Goldsmith Theater and related facilities, non-hosted valet parking, and other related areas for logistical purposes. While the City’s agreement with The Wallis permits free use of the space, there are additional costs for labor and production associated with the event, such as ticketing, private security, and cleaning, that the organizers (Farhang Foundation) would bear. The preliminary estimated production cost Farhang Foundation will be responsible for is $13,230, and could increase as Farhang Foundation solidifies their program and entertainment lineup.
FISCAL IMPACT
Outside the free-use day at The Wallis from the City, and the already-approved CAGF grant funds, any additional costs associated with Farhang Foundation's 12th Annual Celebration of Shab-E Yalda, currently estimated at $13,230, will be funded by the Farhang Foundation.
Gregory Barton,
Fire Chief
Approved By