SPD444 Posted April 28, 2020 Share Posted April 28, 2020 Hope this doesn't sound mercenary but does anyone know whether they are extending the membership period since there have been no performances since March, which means that my renewal date of 31st May has been only 10 months of performances. Not their fault I know but I have not seen any word on it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onemouseplace Posted April 28, 2020 Share Posted April 28, 2020 I’ve had two renewal letters with no mention of extending to those who renew (my renewal date was 31 March). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted April 28, 2020 Share Posted April 28, 2020 have you written to ROH/Friends? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPD444 Posted April 28, 2020 Author Share Posted April 28, 2020 Yes, just now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onemouseplace Posted April 28, 2020 Share Posted April 28, 2020 I’d be interested to hear what they say. I was thinking about taking a year off my Friends Membership for personal financial reasons before this crisis anyway, so it was the deciding factor for me not to renew, so I haven’t contacted them myself. As a comparison, out of the various Arts memberships I have, I’ve heard from the V&A (no mention of extending the membership period) and Dulwich Picture Gallery (which will be extending theirs). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted April 28, 2020 Share Posted April 28, 2020 English Heritage are adding another three months onto their membership. Incidentally - I thought Delfont Mackintosh did a clever thing with their ticket refunds: if you chose instead to receive a credit, they threw in a year's free membership, which includes drink and programme vouchers. Maybe something for others, including ROH, to consider? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob S Posted April 28, 2020 Share Posted April 28, 2020 I have just had an email from my local Theatre Royal re cancelled performances, they go on to say that if we choose to take out a Theatre Friends Membership it will last for 15 months instead of 12 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted April 28, 2020 Share Posted April 28, 2020 33 minutes ago, SPD444 said: Yes, just now. I don't think you'll be in luck - they consider Friend membership as an act of philanthropy - and they are looking for lots of philanthropy at the moment! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneMarriott Posted April 28, 2020 Share Posted April 28, 2020 I had been thinking about not renewing my membership in protest at the notorious marketing strategy. The absence of any mention of what is happening to membership in view of the cancellation of the spring and summer seasons, the lack of any action on credit/refund etc. for cancelled performances and the plethora of begging emails (I've never felt so valued!) all combine to strengthen my resolve. I may be cutting off my nose to spite my face but still ... 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted April 28, 2020 Share Posted April 28, 2020 (edited) 19 minutes ago, zxDaveM said: I don't think you'll be in luck - they consider Friend membership as an act of philanthropy - and they are looking for lots of philanthropy at the moment! Maybe something along the lines of a drink voucher or two wouldn't go amiss though? If they don't at the very least acknowledge that Friends didn't receive the major benefit of membership for a third of the season - and counting - they will strengthen the view of many that Friends are being taken for granted. Edited April 28, 2020 by Lizbie1 Typo! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blossom Posted April 28, 2020 Share Posted April 28, 2020 I have communicated with the Friends team to let them know I'm awaiting some account credits for cancelled performances and will renew as and when this is with me. In their reply, they have copied and pasted a paragraph which has no mention of extended timeframes, just heartfelt thanks for any support they can get during this difficult time. That's not to say on renewing, that the membership won't be extended, but gut feel is it won't. I don't think it's a case of taking Friends for granted, but they are in an absolutely dire situation at the moment. I do think that there could be an additional programme of exclusive online events for Friends, leveraging non-furloughed staff (assume dancers not furloughed??) from home for interviews etc. As a general aside, if you look at the history of the Royal Ballet and how their growth and success is underpinned by their constant touring in WW2, it makes you wonder how they could capture and adapt a bit more of that wartime spirit in the Covid-era to gain a bit of traction with new audiences - even making more of promoting the existing content they have (insights etc). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beryl H Posted April 28, 2020 Share Posted April 28, 2020 My membership isn't due until the end of June but I have decided I will renew it, on the other hand I have asked for refunds on my ticket cancellations, the latest E-mail didn't really move me to change my mind, good on the anonymous donor though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted April 28, 2020 Share Posted April 28, 2020 Yes, considering Sander Blommaert is already doing his own thing, and Anne Diamond successfully interviewed Xander Parish remotely the other day, it can't be beyond the bounds of possibility. (In response to Blossom - Beryl obviously got in just before me) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninamargaret Posted April 28, 2020 Share Posted April 28, 2020 At the risk of sounding boring, I do feel the ROH could have done more to provide some interesting programmes to keep their loyal audiences interested. So many companies have gone out of their way to provide good things to see, but all we've been offered are a few showings of existing dvds! I'm afraid I've asked for the greater part of my tickets to be refunded and will be happy to donate to some of those companies who are keeping us happy with interesting programmes. I noticed this morning that The Times reviewed the Met opera gala and made the point that we seemed to be lagging behind somewhat. Having said that, I will renew my Friends membership in December unless it looks though the closure will continue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted April 28, 2020 Share Posted April 28, 2020 I got Friends membership for the first time last July. In hindsight I definitely picked a bad season to start! I don't think I'll be able to attend any theatres next season, unless a coronavirus vaccine is developed incredibly quickly, so if I renewed my Friends membership I'd be paying for nothing in return. I have a low income at the best of times & can't afford to effectively donate over £100 to the ROH on top of the donation I have already made by not requesting refunds for a proportion of my tickets for the rest of the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted April 28, 2020 Share Posted April 28, 2020 Unfortunately, when it might have been expected that the ROH would be a key player in connecting with its audience, I have found its offerings meagre - certainly in comparison with many far smaller dance/arts organisations. In contrast, the ROH has been very persistent (in regular e-mails) in its quest for donations. I don’t think that they’ve struck the right balance and reminders to renew memberships should perhaps have been slightly adjusted. Nevertheless, the news this week that the ROH was losing £3 in every £5 of its income brought me up with a start. It equates to about £45m down in a six month period and brings into sharp focus the likelihood that the RB as we know and love it may never be quite the same. i applaud the anonymous donor who will match fund all donations received up to 30th June and am glad that the ticket money I donated will therefore be doubled. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninamargaret Posted April 28, 2020 Share Posted April 28, 2020 Agree to a certain extent, but a few good things to watch, together with a gentle invitation to donate, as NYCB, Stuttgart, Hamburg etc have done would perhaps have made me feel more generous. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 To be honest, my main fear is that the RB may not survive in its current form. Large-scale indoor venues are likely to be at the bottom of the list in terms of re-opening, and I don't how long the ROH could continue with no performances and no audiences (and so very little income), and how long the RB (and its dancers NB) in anything like its current form could continue with no performances. My Friends renewal is due in October so by then there will have been 7 months with no performances, but frankly if the RB was starting up again at the ROH then I would be so surprised and happy that I would have no hesitation about renewing (whether or not I was able to attend performances myself). 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 10 minutes ago, bridiem said: To be honest, my main fear is that the RB may not survive in its current form I have had this fear too, but I remind myself that after the closure during WW2 the Lilac Fairy appeared and reawakened ballet at the ROH. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 5 minutes ago, Richard LH said: I have had this fear too, but I remind myself that after the closure during WW2 the Lilac Fairy appeared and reawakened ballet at the ROH. Yes, I've thought about that too, Richard LH! (I've even half hoped that we might have the same scenario again, to honour the SWB/RB's history at the same time as celebrating its present and future.) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oncnp Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 (edited) 11 hours ago, ninamargaret said: At the risk of sounding boring, I do feel the ROH could have done more to provide some interesting programmes to keep their loyal audiences interested...... The ROH is doing a great job as the American Friends newsletter informed me...…. "the Royal Opera House has come up with compelling solutions to keep the organization, its artists and members very much engaged and active in its mission to foster a connection with a global community of opera and ballet....….today and indeed at any given time, audiences everywhere are able to access and enjoy a packed schedule of free online Royal Opera House broadcasts, musical masterclasses and cultural highlights via the ROH's social media channels." Makes me wish they'd lose my email again as the begging for money was the first I'd heard from them since joining last June. To Bridiem's point there was an interview with Director of the Bolshoi who said the same thing...expect smaller companies and pay cuts at the very least Edited April 29, 2020 by oncnp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 (edited) 8 minutes ago, oncnp said: Makes me wish they'd lose my email again as the begging for money was the first I'd heard from them since joining last June. That's awful, oncnp! Very unfortunate. Edited April 29, 2020 by bridiem Amended post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 Well, I've renewed my Friends membership today. The quickest way to lose the companies that we know and love would be for them to run out of money. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 48 minutes ago, oncnp said: ...….today and indeed at any given time, audiences everywhere are able to access and enjoy a packed schedule of free online Royal Opera House broadcasts, musical masterclasses and cultural highlights via the ROH's social media channels." Well, in that case, perhaps they could put some more effort into communicating that to the population in general, because all I'm really aware of is the weekly transmission of former cinema broadcasts - and the online classes. Of course, I know that other stuff is available, and always has been, but I don't really know what, and where - and of course I presume all those useful links which used to be attached to production pages before the website redesign are no longer there. I mean, what about having a "discover [ballet/opera/composer/choreographer name]" email sent out once a week as well? It could have gone hand-in-hand with Cosi fan tutte, could do with The Winter's Tale ... "Here are links to [production page]/[masterclass]/[talk]/[rehearsal]/[other work by same person]" - just encourage people to explore more if they wanted. The links don't even have to be all ROH ones - I'm thinking of things like the MacMillan website, for example. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletfanp Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 From my personal point of view, whilst I may have some issues about the way the ROH approaches things, I am concerned about the future of the company, the dancers and the staff generally (who must be worried about their future and if they will ultimately have a job or not at the end of this). I do not think that now is the time (for me) to make any big points or gestures about some minor unhappiness with the way they do things, their presumed attitude to patrons etc. by not renewing membership/not donating, or any other way I may have considered “making my point.” They may not be perfect but I want them to survive. So I will be renewing my membership and I have donated the value of the one ticket I had purchased for the end of the season. I say this not to come across as holier than thou, but I want to help support them during this time and come out of the end of it with a company still worth seeing. Dissatisfaction can wait until this is all over..... feel free to disagree! 🙂 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 You have said what I was about to say Balletfanp. The terrible thought that we might lose our wonderful ballet companies is too awful to contemplate. They need our support at the moment. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 That's assuming we can afford to support them, of course, which sadly won't be the case for everyone. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletfanp Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 6 minutes ago, alison said: That's assuming we can afford to support them, of course, which sadly won't be the case for everyone. Of course not. I’m not in a fantastic financial position myself. But the ticket money had already gone, and I budget for Friends renewal anyway, so I just help where I can. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 2 hours ago, Richard LH said: I have had this fear too, but I remind myself that after the closure during WW2 the Lilac Fairy appeared and reawakened ballet at the ROH. I know and that was a beautiful, now historical, image, But the war had ENDED and the country could look forward. This virus currently represents an ongoing threat. My concerns for the future extend to ALL companies and freelance artists.. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 4 hours ago, alison said: I mean, what about having a "discover [ballet/opera/composer/choreographer name]" email sent out once a week as well? It could have gone hand-in-hand with Cosi fan tutte, could do with The Winter's Tale ... "Here are links to [production page]/[masterclass]/[talk]/[rehearsal]/[other work by same person]" - just encourage people to explore more if they wanted. The links don't even have to be all ROH ones - I'm thinking of things like the MacMillan website, for example. Seriously, though, if the ROH is genuinely interested in "opening up", this is a huge opportunity for them to reach potential new audiences, and lead them step by step into discovering more about the art forms, surely? They have plenty of content all there ready to go ... 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 To be fair, I have just fished this out of my Junk folder, dated yesterday afternoon: http://email.wordfly.com/view/?sid=ODBfNDg5MDJfMjkwXzcxOTU&l=a147f624-6289-ea11-bd94-e61f134a8c87&utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2020_April_Opera_Newsletter_28April&utm_content=version_A&emailsource=50252 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 I hadn’t seen that particular communication. Maybe the ROH offerings are satisfactory for opera-goers but I am not among them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninamargaret Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 4 hours ago, alison said: To be fair, I have just fished this out of my Junk folder, dated yesterday afternoon: http://email.wordfly.com/view/?sid=ODBfNDg5MDJfMjkwXzcxOTU&l=a147f624-6289-ea11-bd94-e61f134a8c87&utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2020_April_Opera_Newsletter_28April&utm_content=version_A&emailsource=50252 I've not received this, it's not in my junk file and I go to opera when I can afford it! So who's it going to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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