ARTS COUNCIL FUNDING FROM APRIL 2023

[Emeralds]

There was also an interview with an Arts Council board member (didn’t catch her name) where she revealed  that a lot of money being taken away from arts organisations like ENO, Donmar, Glyndebourne, ENB, NT etc was going to groups and organisations providing arts therapy activities and performances  to the elderly, infirm and disabled. I note that previously such activities would have come from the NHS budget, but as the NHS budget has already been cut so severely to the point of being cannibalised in the last 10 years, the only way to continue funding these important and beneficial activities was to rename them arts activities (which technically they’re not) rather than activities for health (which they technically are). I’ve worked in both, so am definitely not partial to one or the other. 

 

The only good news in these reshuffles and chops is that Ballet Black is  getting a higher grant, which it has fully earnt - not because of its cause, though undoubtedly worthy but because of its commitment to pursuing excellence and finding its own unique voice and style, from the excellent and award winning creations by company member and choreographer Mthuthuzeli November, being adventurous and programming works from other eminent choreographers, to consistently presenting thought provoking and compelling performances.

[postie]

Lest we forget, another venue is opening a new site in less than a year: Sadler's Well's East (550 seats). I can't speak to the backstage facilities at the Peacock theatre (1000 capacity) but assume the new venue will have all the backstage trimmings/accoutrements.

 

There will also be another Sadler's Wells sized venue to the west (1,500 seats) at Olympia in the almost near future although the assumption there, so far, is it will be more West End-y in programming. I cycled past the enormous site at Olympia a couple of weeks ago and it's all-action.

 

I know I'm making the same point in a different way, but it is hard to imagine a theatre more inappropriate for, particularly ballet but opera also, than the Coli - it is a traditional music hall from 120 years ago.

 

Some might even argue the Coli - in terms of capacity and upkeep - is as much a burden as a delight for ENO: 2,350 is a lot of seats and the Gods there really is some distance from the action.

 

https://www.sadlerswells.com/about-us/our-theatres/sadlers-wells-east/

 

https://www.londontheatre1.com/theatre-news/trafalgar-entertainments-new-london-theatre-at-olympia/

Edited November 6, 2022 by postie
cycling + link

[capybara]

22 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

There was also an interview with an Arts Council board member (didn’t catch her name) where she revealed  that a lot of money being taken away from arts organisations like ENO, Donmar, Glyndebourne, ENB, NT etc was going to groups and organisations providing arts therapy activities and performances  to the elderly, infirm and disabled. I note that previously such activities would have come from the NHS budget, but as the NHS budget has already been cut so severely to the point of being cannibalised in the last 10 years, the only way to continue funding these important and beneficial activities was to rename them arts activities (which technically they’re not) rather than activities for health (which they technically are). I’ve worked in both, so am definitely not partial to one or the other. 

 

The only good news in these reshuffles and chops is that Ballet Black is  getting a higher grant, which it has fully earnt - not because of its cause, though undoubtedly worthy but because of its commitment to pursuing excellence and finding its own unique voice and style, from the excellent and award winning creations by company member and choreographer Mthuthuzeli November, being adventurous and programming works from other eminent choreographers, to consistently presenting thought provoking and compelling performances.

But ENB does quite a lot in terms of dance for health provision………

[Emeralds]

17 minutes ago, capybara said:

But ENB does quite a lot in terms of dance for health provision………

Very true- their ongoing Parkinson’s project. And likewise the ENO’s long Covid one.

 

I was actually referring to some semi-professional organisations that do arts therapy for groups in the community who need it for their health, and it’s technically not performing arts in the sense that I couldn’t buy a ticket to watch it if I wanted to, because the places are only allocated to audience members with certain health conditions. I don’t mind a very deserving section of the community getting the funding, but the government and Arts Council should be transparent and say “we’ve stopped finding one opera company so that you can no longer watch affordable opera, in order to give taxpayers’ money for the arts to patients and the disabled whose money was taken away from the health budget by the government in the first place”.

 

(One could also argue that all the arts are health provision in terms of being good for mental health.... just leaving the home to travel to a performing arts venue is beneficial. And I must say I always find that just seeing the friendly and welcoming ENO/Coliseum staff can help lift one’s mood. )

Edited November 6, 2022 by Emeralds

[Lizbie1]

I'm very aware of the problems the Coli presents but it has one major thing in its favour: location. There is not much that would draw me, a non-Londoner, to Sadler's Wells East, as getting there and back becomes too much of a headache. Likewise, I've been to shows at the Hackney Empire and Wilton's Music Hall but wouldn't readily do so again. I imagine most tourists and in fact many Londoners would feel the same. (Sadler's Wells itself is at about the limit of my normal range and I wonder how much tourist trade visiting companies such as BRB miss out on because of its location.)

 

One of the reasons I think the regional and national companies would be a good fit for the Coli is that their productions are designed for touring and they are used to operating away from base in often challenging circumstances.

Edited November 6, 2022 by Lizbie1

[Sim]

I am a Londoner (north) and even I would be hard-pushed to attend SW East.  It would have to be something incredible.  Pathetic, I know…🤦🏻‍♀️🙄

[postie]

1 hour ago, Lizbie1 said:

I'm very aware of the problems the Coli presents but it has one major thing in its favour: location. There is not much that would draw me, a non-Londoner, to Sadler's Wells East, as getting there and back becomes too much of a headache.

 

No idea where everyone is, but Stratford is 16-minutes direct from Kings Cross.

 

Between the station and the sign-posted venue is an humungous Westfields *shopping experience*,

 

For anyone who went to the Olympics, it's the same journey.

 

I think the idea is to level out east as well as level up north.

Edited November 6, 2022 by postie

[Pas de Quatre]

DD lives near Stratford and has freelanced in theatres all over London. She loves being there as there are so many alternative public transport routes. 

[LinMM]

How far is it into the park though? 

Although haven’t been since Covid I used to go to the Olympic Pool there…but mostly in the day time and mostly in the summer…so lighter.. months. 
I would hope it’s not too much further than the pool because it can then be a bit of a trek from the station not something particularly inviting on a dark and cold ( or wet) winters night and trekking home afterwards. 
It’s a bit similar to going to the new ENB space. I dislike the exit from the station at Canning Town especially when it’s dark. It’s put me off attending regular classes there in the winter months though might consider again in the summer. Okay for a few one off visits to see something like a master class by the Company but I’d rather go to somewhere like Central who also have brand new studios than trek out to the island …though always enjoy a stroll around the Island in the daytime in summer and the nature reserve very nearby.

Its always the journey home afterwards that feeds into how much you may really want to attend a venue. 

[Lynette H]

After some further inspection of the recent Arts Council spreadsheet, It appears that the following dance companies or organisations will now receive some funding from 2023, after not previously receiving Arts Council funds. 

 

Amina Khayyam Dance Co

Blink Dance Theatre

CoDa Dance Company

Company of Others

DanceSyndrome

FRONTLINEdance

Gary Clarke Company Ltd

Humanhood

Impact Dance Foundation

IRIE! dance theatre

Jaivant Patel Company CIC

Just Us Dance Theatre Company

Kala The Arts

Magpie Dance

Nupur Arts Dance Academy

Pagrav Company Limited

Rhiannon Faith Company

Second Hand Dance

Seeta Patel Dance Ltd

Southpaw Dance Productions

Surface Area Dance Theatre CIC

 

The annual amount awarded to these is between £100K and £300K.  Five of these are identified as London based, the rest around the country. These are the winners: it looks as if the money trimmed from the bigger recipients is going to much smaller organisations. 

[LinMM]

Only recognise one of the above “Company of Others”

Never heard of any of the others. 

[postie]

2 hours ago, LinMM said:

How far is it into the park though? 

Although haven’t been since Covid I used to go to the Olympic Pool there…but mostly in the day time and mostly in the summer…so lighter.. months. 

 

It's next to the pool!

 

Edit:  On the same side of the bridge as you are, that big row of new building extending along the river. The first is Sadler's Wells, then the BBC concert hall, a bit after that the V&A extension ...

 

The pool is to the right in this topmost image (Westfields shopping megaplace is in the background) >>

https://www.queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk/east-bank

Edited November 6, 2022 by postie

[Guest oncnp]

2 hours ago, LinMM said:

How far is it into the park though? 

Although haven’t been since Covid I used to go to the Olympic Pool there…but mostly in the day time and mostly in the summer…so lighter.. months. 
I would hope it’s not too much further than the pool because it can then be a bit of a trek from the station not something particularly inviting on a dark and cold ( or wet) winters night and trekking home afterwards. 
It’s a bit similar to going to the new ENB space. I dislike the exit from the station at Canning Town especially when it’s dark. It’s put me off attending regular classes there in the winter months though might consider again in the summer. Okay for a few one off visits to see something like a master class by the Company but I’d rather go to somewhere like Central who also have brand new studios than trek out to the island …though always enjoy a stroll around the Island in the daytime in summer and the nature reserve very nearby.

Its always the journey home afterwards that feeds into how much you may really want to attend a venue. 

to go along with @postie  park-map2022.ashx (queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk)

[Guest oncnp]

11 minutes ago, postie said:

 

It's next to the pool!

 

Look right, on the same side of the bridge as you are, that big row of new building extending along the river. The first is Sadler's Wells, then the BBC concert hall, a bit after that the V&A extension ...

 

The pool is to the right in this topmost image (Westfields shopping megaplace) in the background) >>

https://www.queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk/east-bank

 

Thank you. I'd been wondering where the new V&A was.

[LinMM]

Thanks for the maps!! 
Have all those buildings where new Sadlers is been built since 2019!! 
I just don’t remember buildings being that close to the Aquatic Centre! 
At least it’s not too far then but actually further to walk than looks here I think! 

[MJW]

Some interesting comments from Rupert Christiansen in The Spectator

 

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/arts-council-england-and-the-war-on-opera/ (this is usually behind a paywall but I was able to access it)

[JNC]

Speaking as someone who used to live in London and now doesn’t, this announcement/direction maybe has good intentions but I fear will have overall negative consequences.

 

As much as I would love to have London level entertainment (theatre, ballet, opera, museums) in my city it simply isn’t financially feasible to do given smaller population, fewer tourists etc. It’s easier for non London people to travel to London and do several things over a weekend. It’s not really economical for me but to travel somewhere just for one show - but if I go to London I can try to combine multiple shows (ballet or museums or theatre) for the same travel cost. Trains are also (strikes aside) more frequent and “reliable” to London that other cities. Even on strike days if they run a service they will limit it to London running services, not other locations. 

 

I’d love to see more companies tour to a wider variety of cities bringing diverse programming (rather than the usual major cities outside London that touring is considered like Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Southampton etc). But for everything else I accept that it makes sense for me to go to London as a “hub” as it is a world city with the diversity of lots of different theatre options and other cultural events all happening within a relatively small (central London) location.

 

I think @Emeralds makes much of the same point above.

 

I guess my worry is moving more outside of London has the risk of an inevitable overall decline - who will travel from London to see ENO? And whilst some in the surrounding areas to Manchester (for example) may travel, train services between major cities often stop around 9.30 meaning even if you’re in the North, if you’re in a different city to evening shows you end up having to pay overnight costs (unless maybe you drive?), which means I often end up not travelling somewhere only 40 mins/1 hour away as it’s actually more practical to go to London and yes I spend a bit more but then it’s value for money as I see several things.
 

There are already good companies like BRB, Northern Ballet etc with non-London bases who should be supported, and we should be encouraging London based (and non London based) companies to tour to more diverse areas rather than the same big cities getting a variety of touring companies with others getting none for years. But I appreciate this is not probably financially viable either unfortunately. 

 

But having London as the hub makes sense - logistically and financially. Without being too gloomy if something can’t survive in London it’s unlikely to survive elsewhere - ENO despite the subsidies and difficulties in London will surely face the same, on a worse scale, elsewhere? 

[Emeralds]

On 06/11/2022 at 09:50, postie said:

Lest we forget, another venue is opening a new site in less than a year: Sadler's Well's East (550 seats). I can't speak to the backstage facilities at the Peacock theatre (1000 capacity) but assume the new venue will have all the backstage trimmings/accoutrements.

 

There will also be another Sadler's Wells sized venue to the west (1,500 seats) at Olympia in the almost near future although the assumption there, so far, is it will be more West End-y in programming. I cycled past the enormous site at Olympia a couple of weeks ago and it's all-action.

 

I know I'm making the same point in a different way, but it is hard to imagine a theatre more inappropriate for, particularly ballet but opera also, than the Coli - it is a traditional music hall from 120 years ago.

 

Some might even argue the Coli - in terms of capacity and upkeep - is as much a burden as a delight for ENO: 2,350 is a lot of seats and the Gods there really is some distance from the action.

 

https://www.sadlerswells.com/about-us/our-theatres/sadlers-wells-east/

 

https://www.londontheatre1.com/theatre-news/trafalgar-entertainments-new-london-theatre-at-olympia/

I could make it to this SWE location  if it’s a matinee (possibly an evening performance that starts and ends early). We could do with an alternative to the Peacock, which while  decent enough for college and school performances, really looks too dull and makeshift for professional performances. Let’s just say there are school halls that look more professional! 550-seating capacity seems a bit small though. Would it even be worth good ensembles/performers presenting shows there if their box office takings will be limited?  

[alison]

21 hours ago, Lynette H said:

After some further inspection of the recent Arts Council spreadsheet, It appears that the following dance companies or organisations will now receive some funding from 2023, after not previously receiving Arts Council funds. 

 

Amina Khayyam Dance Co

Blink Dance Theatre

CoDa Dance Company

Company of Others

DanceSyndrome

FRONTLINEdance

Gary Clarke Company Ltd

Humanhood

Impact Dance Foundation

IRIE! dance theatre

Jaivant Patel Company CIC

Just Us Dance Theatre Company

Kala The Arts

Magpie Dance

Nupur Arts Dance Academy

Pagrav Company Limited

Rhiannon Faith Company

Second Hand Dance

Seeta Patel Dance Ltd

Southpaw Dance Productions

Surface Area Dance Theatre CIC

 

I too have to acknowledge that I don't recognise most of those names.  So, to put it into context, they're now getting the sort of sums that Ballet Black were getting in the previous iteration, or will be getting in the next?  I hope that money is going to be used for performance-related matters.

[postie]

33 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

I could make it to this SWE location  if it’s a matinee (possibly an evening performance that starts and ends early). We could do with an alternative to the Peacock, which while  decent enough for college and school performances, really looks too dull and makeshift for professional performances. Let’s just say there are school halls that look more professional! 550-seating capacity seems a bit small though. Would it even be worth good ensembles/performers presenting shows there if their box office takings will be limited?  

 

I'm not by any stretch an expert. I would say the Peacock - ime - doesn't often sell out and if a production is popular perhaps SWE can extend the run or find some way to maximise the interest.

 

All productions are obviously budgeted  and, while public interest is likely always an educated guess, the added value at Stratford is pretty significant community engagement of the socio-economic groups ACE is looking for.

[Pas de Quatre]

If you look at the prices of property, gentrification is spreading East. I am not making a political point, just an observation. There may be many people who work in Canary Wharf and other new developments who live further East and would prefer something local rather than go into the West End.

[bangorballetboy]

4 hours ago, Emeralds said:

550-seating capacity seems a bit small though. Would it even be worth good ensembles/performers presenting shows there if their box office takings will be limited?  

 

There are six west end theatres with the same or fewer seats and they do pretty well (one of them is home to the Mousetrap!).  It's also significantly larger that the ROH's Linbury theatre, more than 2.5 times the size of SW's Lilian Baylis Theatre and 20% larger than the Theatre Royal Stratford East (which is a beautiful theatre that Ballet Black use).  I'd say it's just the right size for its intended use.

[JNC]

Given London has relatively good transport links I’d rather they focused on non-London cities rather than building more venues in different bits of London? Central London is a sensible hub for Londoners - will West Londoners (or south for that matter) want to travel over an hour to east London? It makes sense to congregate in the west end (which is central London not west London!). 
 

I don’t think it’s a bad thing to build more venues in London, but realistically when there is a limited overall pot it doesn’t seem practical or fair. I’d rather they focus on central London as a hub (including not just the west end but SW and theatres around London Bridge as that is central in my eyes), and then the “regions” after that. 

I can see the argument for building smaller, cheaper to run theatres with diverse programming and more local/smaller companies for only a few nights rather than long runs (compared to the existing larger theatres with long runs in the west end) - but for new projects I would like them to consider non-london.

 

now wondering if I have contradicted my earlier post but don’t think so - for existing London things that makes sense as a central hub (eg in my opinion eno should have been supported to stay in london). But for newer, smaller theatres and projects - I would like to see non-london locations prioritised - and for newer things you could hopefully tailor to what the local population is interested in, support local artists and rent would be cheaper too. Doesn’t stop them also travelling to other cities (including London). 

 

I’m now wondering whether ENB should have considered basing themselves outside London (probably was discussion on the forum about this at the time I imagine) when they moved east, but given they do still show a lot in London (at Coli and SW), and they were in London already so to uproot all the dancers and staff from their home city feels a little sad, so can see why their move east was good for them. 

[Emeralds]

3 hours ago, bangorballetboy said:

 

There are six west end theatres with the same or fewer seats and they do pretty well (one of them is home to the Mousetrap!).  It's also significantly larger that the ROH's Linbury theatre, more than 2.5 times the size of SW's Lilian Baylis Theatre and 20% larger than the Theatre Royal Stratford East (which is a beautiful theatre that Ballet Black use).  I'd say it's just the right size for its intended use.

That’s true...I noticed that the Linbury was smaller and seems to work well with the small-auditorium-more-performances model rather than the big-auditorium-one-or-two-shows-only model of something like the Coliseum for galas. It’ll be interesting to see how it looks when it’s completed and what sort of ambience it has. As much as I’ve enjoyed performances by excellent casts at some of the small West End theatres like St Martin’s Theatre (Mousetrap- went twice!), I don’t think I’d design a new theatre on those specifications if I wanted patrons to come back!

[Emeralds]

On 06/11/2022 at 17:37, MJW said:

Some interesting comments from Rupert Christiansen in The Spectator

 

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/arts-council-england-and-the-war-on-opera/ (this is usually behind a paywall but I was able to access it)

Good to see - if rather odd - RC doing a complete U turn on his previous article where he was the one actually proposing to close down or cut the grants of both ENO and ENB, and now trying to defend ENO! Perhaps he now regrets the error of his rhetoric, having gotten what he wished for. What RC, Nadine Dorries and many bureaucrats trying to transplant ENO onto a northern city forget is that you can’t force an art form onto a community or reproduce a creative organisation in a different location with different people just by uprooting or evicting an ensemble or throwing money at it, rather like some kind of alien kidnapping seen in films.

 

If you asked performers like Marianela Nunez,they talk about the Royal Opera House stage being special and having its own magic, and ballerinas at the Paris Opera have spoken of the Palais Garnier having its own magic too (something that visiting dancers have noted). It’s not the same as simply moving offices in a big corporation and going to another anonymous skyscraper.  But aside from the history and connection with special buildings such as the London Coliseum (which star ballerina Maria Alexandrova has said is one of her favourite theatres in the world- more so than Royal Opera House), transplanting arts companies to another city doesn’t always work. This isn’t an Amazon warehouse we’re talking about. Creativity can’t be forced. 

Edited November 7, 2022 by Emeralds

[Lizbie1]

While some of the actions that set in train the recent ACE actions may be laid at her door, I think it's probably worth a reminder that Nadine Dorries hasn't been in post as Culture Secretary since September and she was only there for a year. The current ACE "strategy" pre-dates her tenure.

 

I actually didn't find RC's article in contradiction with his earlier one. What he's railing against here is the idea that transplanting a company to the north is a fix - instead he proposes a merger of ENO and ETO.

[MJW]

I was thinking about this episode of Yes Prime Minister at work today and seems fairly apt - nothing changes !

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMBd7ecD2Q8

[Pas de Quatre]

Agreed, I often think of Yes Minister too. There is also an episode where there are plans to move some government departments to the North, and Sir Humphrey soon put a stop to that!

[MJW]

21 minutes ago, Pas de Quatre said:

Agreed, I often think of Yes Minister too. There is also an episode where there are plans to move some government departments to the North, and Sir Humphrey soon put a stop to that!

 

The Yes Minister episode "The Middle Class Rip-Off" is also very apt !

[ChrisG]

I know it’s not strictly ballet related but if any of you are concerned about the plight of ENO you might be interested in signing this petition - https://chng.it/NDtZmjKQyG

 

P.S. The petition was started by Bryn Terfel!

Edited November 9, 2022 by ChrisG

[LinMM]

Have already signed and shared this one ChrisG 😊

[Fonty]

So have I. 🙂

 

[Emeralds]

2 hours ago, ChrisG said:

I know it’s not strictly ballet related but if any of you are concerned about the plight of ENO you might be interested in signing this petition - https://chng.it/NDtZmjKQyG

 

P.S. The petition was started by Bryn Terfel!

16,165 signatures already when I last looked again after signing yesterday- great to see singers like Bryn Terfel, Sarah Connolly and Nicky Spence being vocal in their opposition, with Simon Callow adding his support among many others. 

 

Just to add, although the ENO singers don’t dance ballets, the ENO Orchestra showed this year - twice and unexpectedly - what an outstanding ballet orchestra they are by playing unfamiliar repertoire to them (eg Don Quixote, Le Corsaire, Tchaikovsky pas de deux, etc) once for Ivan Putrov and  Alina Cojocaru’s Dance for Ukraine Gala, and again for United Ukrainian Ballet in their week of Giselle performances, so beautifully. So the ballet world definitely would not want them disbanded or scattered (not everyone can afford to uproot to  Manchester or some other “not London” region).

 

On 07/11/2022 at 19:46, Lizbie1 said:

While some of the actions that set in train the recent ACE actions may be laid at her door, I think it's probably worth a reminder that Nadine Dorries hasn't been in post as Culture Secretary since September and she was only there for a year. The current ACE "strategy" pre-dates her tenure.

 

I actually didn't find RC's article in contradiction with his earlier one. What he's railing against here is the idea that transplanting a company to the north is a fix - instead he proposes a merger of ENO and ETO.

Merging ENO & ETO is also a crazy and bad idea. That basically means many of ETO personnel will lose their jobs, as big company plus small company often means the directors  and creators in the smaller group get chucked out as they get swallowed up by the bigger institution. The two companies couldn’t be more different in their mission statements and both do excellent jobs. It’s like an arranged marriage forced on two unwilling people and one forced to give up his/her career to support the spouse’s job. A mixed bag of an article but at least he echoes what many have rightly pointed out are the illogicalities of such plans.

 

So moving to see the love for ENO from so many who signed the petition and wrote a note in support. I must say, every single time I’ve seen the ENO, whether or not I liked the production, I have always ended up spending far less than I planned on tickets (and still great sight lines), which is never the case for any other theatre, performing art or company! So far they have still scored better than RO in terms of productions I liked versus ones I didn’t. I’m going to book to see their award winning Akhnaten in case it’s lost to us forever.  And theirDie Tote Stadt, which has a gorgeous aria for the tenor, and hasn’t been mounted here since I started watching opera. Their Tosca was incredible (and I say that having seen Pavarotti as Cavaradossi, who was also incredible for the sheer beauty and mastery of his singing.)