Arts Council England Chief Executive Darren Henley wades in on the future of English National Opera, saying it must adapt to survive because he will “squeeze every ounce of value out of taxpayer’s cash”.
The fate of English National Opera’s chorus has stirred angry debate in the last week. Of course I feel concern for individuals in a company, but opera itself faces problems greater than ENO’s if it fails to make itself relevant to 21st century audiences. Arts Council England must keep its eye on the big picture.
Opera receives just under a fifth of the Arts Council’s investment in our national portfolio of organisations. Some say that’s too generous, especially when it delivers between 3% and 4% of live audiences in theatres. Many opera companies are responding boldly to this challenge. The Royal Opera House is full every night and has led the way in cinema and big screen broadcasts; Birmingham Opera Company is doing wonderful work... Keep reading on The Guardian
The fate of English National Opera’s chorus has stirred angry debate in the last week. Of course I feel concern for individuals in a company, but opera itself faces problems greater than ENO’s if it fails to make itself relevant to 21st century audiences. Arts Council England must keep its eye on the big picture.
Opera receives just under a fifth of the Arts Council’s investment in our national portfolio of organisations. Some say that’s too generous, especially when it delivers between 3% and 4% of live audiences in theatres. Many opera companies are responding boldly to this challenge. The Royal Opera House is full every night and has led the way in cinema and big screen broadcasts; Birmingham Opera Company is doing wonderful work... Keep reading on The Guardian