Orchestral funding

The majority of the public (65%) believes that orchestras are an important part of British cultural life even in a recession, according to an ICM poll carried out in February for the Association of British Orchestras (ABO). Over 53% of the 1,039 adults surveyed said it is “important to support the arts in the downturn”. Speaking to AP following the ABO’s annual conference, Director, Mark Pemberton, said that “there is no evidence of a decline” in orchestral ticket sales, based on evidence from the past six months, but that he was “still nervous” about what the next six months might bring. Individual giving also remains stable. Pemberton adds that cuts in sponsorship by beleaguered companies such as RBS have been triggered because “it’s seen as in some way being frivolous to sponsor the arts while they’re laying off staff”. He believes that the survey “proves that this isn’t what the public is angry about – they understand private and public funding for the arts”.