The end of ENO?

[Ein Heldenleben]

The Arts Council are on In Tune now and Sean Rafferty is giving them something of a duffing up.

[LHC]

Other casualties include the London Sinfonietta, which has a 41% cut, and the Britten Sinfonia, which like ENO has been removed from the funding portfolio and so has had all of its ACE funding cut (about 50% of its income).

One winner appears to be the Chineke Orchestra, which has been added to ACE’s portfolio and will now receive an additional £700k a year.

[Dave2002]

I don't really know the details, but why Blackpool illuminations seem to be in need of funding while opera companies are allowed to wither away beats me. Or maybe I missed something?

It does probably make sense to strengthen the arts in parts outside London, but this does seem rather like Thatcher's approach to the economy, which one of my erstwhile friends suggested was related to businesses "poison them all, and see which ones survive"!
It administers the poison to every arts organisation in the country - but very few will actually survive - even if there is a differential in favour of organisations outside London.

There will be knock on effects in other ways too.

Yes - the UK is in a mess - but closing down whole areas of activity which would take ages to build up again - if at all possible - seems to be a poorly thought out policy.
Perhaps about what we are coming to expect from HMG these days.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Thank everyone for the figures. Even Opera North's tiny rise is well short of inflation, so that too is a cut in real terms. The money's been taken from professional musicians around the country, orchestral and operatic, and given to social service community projects ... and fairy lights. As Simon B has said, the politics are obvious.

What do you mean. . the Tories don’t like what they perceive to be opera loving toffs ( or in my case middle class former public sector workers )?
Weirdly and rather wonderfully the Huddersfield contemporary music festival has its budget bumped up…

[Master Jacques]

Thank everyone for the figures. Even Opera North's tiny rise is well short of inflation, so that too is a cut in real terms. The money's been taken from professional musicians around the country, orchestral and operatic, and given to social service community projects ... and fairy lights. As Simon B has said, the politics are obvious.

[Ein Heldenleben]

It's more profound than that. Without the touring in England, what's WNO going to do? Where's the money to survive going to come from? I doubt Mr Drakeford will be stumping up wads of cash. Even if I think I did see him at Butterfly in Cardiff last year sometime - unclear whether this was professional obligation or by choice. They do have an ally in the now King though - he was regularly seen at the Millennium Centre, particularly at Wagner and very likely by choice rather than obligation. Maybe that'll help?

Without the English touring, in a year they'd be doing 30 (a guess) performances at the Millennium Centre, a few in Llandudno and what else in the way of full scale opera*?

[*No criticism of WNO intended. Far from it, as a sometime Friend, regular attendee etc. They sometimes achieve a lot with £peanuts].

Didn’t realise they did so few CF perfs. In essence they are a touring company :
so how does it work with GTO, ETO, ON , WNO and now possibly ENO all on tour?
This just hasn’t been thought through has it?
Good theatre the millennium - probably my fave opera house .

[Ein Heldenleben]

Yes, I think we used to get 3 full weeks Mon-Sat a year. I recall seeing their Tristan on a hot summer evening when the Hippodrome roof was opened to cool the auditorium before the performance!

It's also been true for quite a few years that the productions of 20th-century operas aren't always brought to Bristol, though they may to go to Southampton, Oxford etc.

Saw Thomas Allen in Billy Budd at the HIPP once - I reckon Bristol is the place they might keep as there are no overnights out of Cardiff and it has a big population. To be honest it would make
a lot of sense for ENO to base in Brum and cover the Mids and South West .

[mopsus]

WNO used to bring us 5 nights of three to four operas. Next spring is two nights of one . I suspect that’ll be the last season.

Yes, I think we used to get 3 full weeks Mon-Sat a year. I recall seeing their Tristan on a hot summer evening when the Hippodrome roof was opened to cool the auditorium before the performance!

It's also been true for quite a few years that the productions of 20th-century operas aren't always brought to Bristol, though they may to go to Southampton, Oxford etc.

[Simon B]

I have an awful feeling that the touring part of WNO will fold.

It's more profound than that. Without the touring in England, what's WNO going to do? Where's the money to survive going to come from? I doubt Mr Drakeford will be stumping up wads of cash. Even if I think I did see him at Butterfly in Cardiff last year sometime - unclear whether this was professional obligation or by choice. They do have an ally in the now King though - he was regularly seen at the Millennium Centre, particularly at Wagner and very likely by choice rather than obligation. Maybe that'll help?

Without the English touring, in a year they'd be doing 30 (a guess) performances at the Millennium Centre, a few in Llandudno and what else in the way of full scale opera*?

[*No criticism of WNO intended. Far from it, as a sometime Friend, regular attendee etc. They sometimes achieve a lot with £peanuts].

[Ein Heldenleben]

Just had an email from WNO:

"… as we experience rising costs and reduced income in the current challenging economic climate, we will inevitably need to review the impact of this decision on the delivery of our services in England in light of the announcement. "

In fact their visits to Bristol had already been cut back several years ago, probably due to the fact that it was closest to Cardiff.

WNO used to bring us 5 nights of three to four operas. Next spring is two nights of one . I suspect that’ll be the last season.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Full list of cuts/ increases/ status quo

https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/investment23

Opera - cut heavily with the exception of the ETO
London Orchs cut
Regional Orchs up a bit e.g. BSO and Halle

Ooh Simon B got there first !

What have they got against opera . What have we ever done to them ?

[french frank]

Just had an email from WNO:

"… as we experience rising costs and reduced income in the current challenging economic climate, we will inevitably need to review the impact of this decision on the delivery of our services in England in light of the announcement. "

In fact their visits to Bristol had already been cut back several years ago, probably due to the fact that it was closest to Cardiff.

[Simon B]

In case it informs the debate, there are some interesting details in the specifics for the different orchestras and opera companies.

Approximate changes, 2018-22 average vs 2023-26 settlement, not adjusted for inflation (so all are cuts in real terms) E&OE:


LSO: 10% cut
LPO: 10% cut
Philharmonia: 10% cut
RPO: 2% increase
CBSO: 2% increase
RLPO: 11% increase
Hallé: 2% increase
Bournemouth SO: 2% increase

WNO: 35% cut
ROH: 10% cut
Opera North: 3% increase
ENO: Removal from NPO

The politics is mostly kind of obvious...

[Simon B]

I rather assume that Opera North won't have escaped severe pruning either.

Thankfully not. It is actually one of the few NPO Orchestras/Opera Companies to receive a (very small, cash not real terms) increase in both the 22/23 and 23-26 funding rounds.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Actually, for most people in England and Wales it will be cheaper to fly to Amsterdam or Germany, see an opera there, stay over and fly back, than it will be to pay for a couple of half-decent seats at Covent Garden, where the standards are in any case generally lower.

Except for those of us who have decided not to fly unless there is no alternative. I’m limiting myself to one medium haul flight every year and opera abroad doesn’t come into the no alternative category /