Queensland Ballet posts record $9.45m deficit last year after 27 jobs axed

Queensland Ballet has revealed it posted a $9.45m deficit last year and confirmed that 27 jobs were axed at the company, as part of a restructure following months of turmoil.

Queensland Ballet executive director Dilshani Weerasinghe. Picture: Lachie Millard

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Queensland Ballet has confirmed it axed 27 jobs last year, including eight dancers, as part of a radical restructure following months of turmoil.

The company posted a total loss of $9.45m in 2024, a loss its executive director, Dilshani ­Weerasinghe, described as a “budgeted deficit”.

Ms Weerasinghe said last year marked the conclusion of a major period of infrastructure investment and leadership change, adding the company would break even this year. “Heading into 2025, we made purposeful decisions to position Queensland Ballet for a strong and sustainable future,” she said.

“We’ve taken decisive steps to reset our cost base, diversify revenue and embed a leadership ­vision that is already inspiring confidence across the company and its supporter family.”

Earlier this year, Queensland Ballet welcomed its newest artistic director, Ivan Gil-Ortega, after a year of controversy that saw the shock resignation of former ballet star Leanne Benjamin just months into the role.

Her abrupt exit from the company stunned the arts world.

In a letter to The Australian, the former Royal Ballet star attributed her shock departure to “funding constraints” that prevented her from realising her ­vision for the company.

Ivan Gil-Ortega joined Queensland Ballet as artistic director in February this year. Picture: Karine Grace

Funding constraints were also partly to blame for dance legend and former Queensland ballet ­artistic director Li Cunxin’s ill health. Also known as Mao’s Last Dancer, Li led the 65-year-old company through 11 years of artistic and financial growth, before stepping down in 2023 to focus on his health. He said the financial pressures “played a major part in my deteriorating health … It’s enormous stress. I just think … the lack of federal funding has played a part in that.”

Ms Weerasinghe said despite “softening philanthropy”, audience demand remained strong, with a 13 per cent increase in box office revenue year on year. “Long-term subscribers in our sector are changing … but audience numbers and audience growth is still there,” she said.

Ms Weerasinghe said the unexpected departure of Benjamin in July last year had caused a pause in “momentum” but the ­appointment of Gil-Ortega had energised the ballet’s community.

She described his vision as “fresh” and said the company was embracing it with “excitement”.

“And we’re loving the fact he’s in the trenches with us,” she said.

Asked how difficult the past few years at the company had been, Ms Weerasinghe said: “I’ve been in the arts for a long time and it was the hardest period. Artistic director transitions are hard anyway and someone as big as Li unexpectedly retiring … and we didn’t expect the artistic director next to happen so quickly.”