Opera

A legacy donation in excess of £3m has been left to the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama (RWCMD) and Welsh National Opera (WNO).

The organisations have said that the money, left by the late David Seligman, will be used to deliver lasting support to the training of singers and musicians and will also create future opportunities for young artists to perform on a professional scale.

RWCMD Director of Music, Tim Rhys-Evans said: "I had the very great pleasure of knowing David and [his late wife] Philippa for many years and saw first-hand their belief in young people and the power of singing to enrich young lives. 

"Their passion for opera in particular was something incredibly dear to them, and the need for this artform to be made accessible and relevant to young people of every background was a major driving force behind their philanthropy. 

"David knew the impact that legacies of any size can have, and now his exceptional gift will ensure that future generations of artists will continue to be supported for many years to come."  

WNO Youth Opera Producer, Paula Scott said: "We are incredibly grateful for this generous bequest. David and Philippa Seligman were passionate supporters of WNO Youth Opera, and we are delighted to be honouring them both by continuing our work with young artists." 

Most chorus members at the English National Opera (ENO) will be forced to leave their jobs with the company if it relocates outside London, a survey has found.

Three-quarters of the chorus, which is made up of 34 permanent employees and three on contracts, responded to a survey put out by performers' union Equity.

The findings, reported by the Guardian, show that 82.1% said they would have to leave their jobs if ENO relocated full-time or for the majority of time outside London, citing ties including children at school, caring responsibilities, and partners with jobs in the capital.

Only 21.4% said they would be able to move out of London part-time if ENO split its time between the Coliseum and another city. In this scenario, 75% said they would have to leave their jobs at ENO, with six in 10 saying they would leave the profession altogether.

Paul W Fleming, Equity’s General Secretary, said: “By pulling the rug from under the ENO, Arts Council England is asking a long-established workforce to upend their whole lives, for a vague promise of potential work, written in the sand.

“This highly skilled, diverse and world renowned chorus is expected to suddenly move to an unknown place, for an unknown reason by the Arts Council, who seem to have made this baffling decision with zero thought for its consequences for the workforce, the audience and the ability of people across the UK to access opera.”

A spokesperson for ENO said: “The ENO has made clear that to help support the government’s and ACE’s levelling up agenda we should sustain our base at the London Coliseum while increasing our activity out of London.

“At a proper funding level this would allow us to maintain our world-class chorus and orchestra and we continue to ask ACE [and the government] to recognise this to protect the livelihoods of this brilliantly talented group of people.”

The Royal Opera House is ending its sponsorship relationship with oil giant BP after 33 years.

In a statement the opera house said an agreement between the two parties to not renew the funding partnership has been made.

“We are grateful to BP for their sponsorship over 33 years which has enabled thousands around the country to see free opera and ballet through our BP Big Screens,” a spokesperson told the Guardian.

The move leaves just two major arts institutions – the British Museum and Science Museum – with fossil fuel sponsorships.

The British Museum is currently in a five-year funding deal with BP, which is due to finish on 19 February, but it is yet to comment publicly on whether or not the partnership will be extended.

The Science Museum is currently sponsored by Shell and Adani despite long-running protests and the resignation of several board members.

Director of Campaign Group Culture Unstained Chris Garrard said: “What we are witnessing is a seismic shift, a near total wholesale rejection across the arts of BP’s brand and the climate-wrecking business it represents.

“By bringing down the curtain on fossil fuel funding, the Royal Opera House can now play a leading role in creating the culture beyond oil we so urgently need.”

Buxton Opera House in Derbyshire has announced that it will close every Monday next month as part of efforts to reduce its "soaring" energy bills.

The BBC reports that staff at the venue will work remotely or at offices nearby while all of the building's lighting and heating are turned off.

The venue's management said the decision was taken to "lessen the impact of soaring energy costs".

The closures will be on days with no shows, with people being asked not to try to collect tickets in person on those days. The box office will remain open as normal on other days of the week.

Paul Kerryson, the venue's Chief Executive, said: "All our shows are happening but on those Mondays, we will be turning off the lighting and heating to save some money and keep our costs down."