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HOT OFF THE PRESS: Northern Ballet - No Friends Scheme


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I've just had a horrified phone call from a friend to say she has received a letter from Northern Ballet stating that the current Friends' scheme (£70 pa) is being discontinued with effect from 1st December.

 

There are 2 options given - to join the Patrons at £250pa or become a Friend for free with the only "benefits" being priority booking and some ticket discounts (usually the same as a seniors discount).

 

I hope Northern Ballet are fully aware of the goodwill that they will be losing.

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1 hour ago, Blossom said:

Interested to know what they used to get for their money. To be honest, i’d happily be a friend  for free if it guarantees booking priority and occasional discounts. 

 

A lot less than when I first joined but basically we could watch class most Saturdays when the company was performing.  It used to be every Saturday but that changed to a specified Saturday when performing in one city for more than one week and not when performing at Quarry Hill.  For Friends the day of open rehearsal used to be free but has been a chargeable event for the last couple of years.  Patrons still enjoy the benefits currently listed but for how long....

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10 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

A lot less than when I first joined but basically we could watch class most Saturdays when the company was performing.  It used to be every Saturday but that changed to a specified Saturday when performing in one city for more than one week and not when performing at Quarry Hill.  For Friends the day of open rehearsal used to be free but has been a chargeable event for the last couple of years.  Patrons still enjoy the benefits currently listed but for how long....

 

The price of success... 

 

 

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The membership fee was expensive for the level of benefits, as they were reduced at the time that the fee level was raised significantly to £70. Many NB supporters thought at the time that the motive for raising the fee to that level was deliberately to put people off.

 

Ironically the letter starts by thanking Friends for the key part in helping the company to grow and for our loyalty. It refers to the 50th anniversary next year. Some of us Friends, not least those of us helping in their archive work, are frustrated that so far there seems to be no planning for the golden anniversary. Yet Scottish Ballet which also celebrates 50 years next year (the 2 companies developed from Bristol-based Western Theatre Ballet when it folded) has announced an impressive programme celebrating this landmark.

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4 hours ago, alison said:

What happened?  I was a member of the Associates, I think it was called, I think from some date in the 90s, after they'd changed their name to English National Ballet.

It used to be the Friends. When it became the Association prices increased significantly and benefits were greatly reduced. 

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