Arts Council England funding changes 2015-18

[John Mallinson]

Changes announced today

 

Opera and ballet review

 

ENO cut by £5m to £12.4m per year

Welsh National Opera £6.1m (no change)

Opera North £10.4m, up £0.6m

 

Northern Ballet £3.1m, up £0.55m

BRB £7.9m, up £0.5m

ENB £6.2m (no change)

ROH £24.77m, down £0.8m

 

 

 

[Pas de Quatre]

Thanks for posting that - a very interesting read.  It would appear that ballet is alive & well!

[Jan McNulty]

Great news for BRB and Northern Ballet and also for Matthew Bourne's New Adventures and Re-Bourne who join the ACE Nationla Portfolio.

[Two Pigeons]

Thank goodness the BRB budget isn't being cut. I was really getting concerned for the future of the company in its present form.

[Lynette H]

The detailed opera and ballet review (link supplied above by John) is very much worth a read, giving more detail on suggested tweaks to the schedules of ENB (an extra week in London ?) and BRB.

 

If you want a detailed look at the spreadsheet listing all portfolio organisations, it is here

 

http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/our-investment-2015-18/national-portfolio/new-portfolio/

[Bruce]

Rapid thoughts...

For ballet lovers this is the best doc to read - full of interesting observations:
Arts Council England’s analysis of its investment in large-scale opera and ballet:
Intro web age: http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/our-investment-2015-18/national-portfolio/opera-and-ballet-statement/
Pdf doc (what you need): http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/media/uploads/Analysis_of_Opera_and_Ballet.pdf


Although its not very overtly stated it seems to be a move of (ballet) money from London to the regions.

Pleased for Northern Ballet and think the strategy words chime with me: "...we believe that there is a strong case for additional Arts Council investment to enable the company to introduce new choreographers for its main stage work, to pay its dancers more, to invest more in productions, and to take more risks."

I would like to have seen BRB asked to widen its choreographic footprint for new work too, but pleased it will tour more.

Interesting that ENB looks to do an extra week in London and tour a week less. I understand it's attractive to the company but good that ACE show no hunger to reward a more London centred output with any extra money.

Interesting that RB/ROH are asked to work in partnership with other companies re developing new choreographers.

Sad that Ballet Black is not being given any money at all.

[Bruce Wall]

 

Sad that Ballet Black is not being given any money at all.

 

I agree.  I wonder what the justification on that was.  

[aileen]

There are some interesting comments about the relationship between the venues and the touring companies. There is obviously some concern about ENB's 'slots' at the Coliseum but I'm pleased to see that ACE is going to work with both ENB and ENO to reach a satisfactory solution. Although this is not directly within the remit of ACE there is also the question of venues for overseas companies. If the Coliseum is going to make fewer weeks available to dance companies then will they find space at Sadler's Wells or will they not come at all, which would have a detrimental effect on London as a centre for dance?

 

I agree that it is to be regretted that Ballet Black will not receive any funding at all.

[Jan McNulty]

"BRB’s touring itinerary varies, but this additional sum would ensure that it is able to serve Salford, Plymouth, Sunderland and Liverpool as well as Birmingham and add in Milton Keynes, Bristol or Norwich if ENB no longer visits. This would need to benegotiated between the two companies."

 

This is interesting:

 

• LIVERPOOL - YAY!!!  (But, huge fan of BRB that I am, I hope it doesn't mean that we would lose our ENB week)

 

• ENB does not currently tour to Norwich, but NB does twice a year.

[Jan McNulty]

I agree.  I wonder what the justification on that was.  

 

 

Ballet Black has tweeted that the company did not apply for NPO status.

 

https://twitter.com/BalletBlack/status/483950068589142016

[Jan McNulty]

There are some interesting comments about the relationship between the venues and the touring companies. There is obviously some concern about ENB's 'slots' at the Coliseum but I'm pleased to see that ACE is going to work with both ENB and ENO to reach a satisfactory solution. Although this is not directly within the remit of ACE there is also the question of venues for overseas companies. If the Coliseum is going to make fewer weeks available to dance companies then will they find space at Sadler's Wells or will they not come at all, which would have a detrimental effect on London as a centre for dance?

 

I agree that it is to be regretted that Ballet Black will not receive any funding at all.

 

 

See my post above.  It does not mean that the company would not qualify for project funding, if they applied on that basis.  (I posted above before I saw Aileen's post).

[aileen]

Well, I don't know why the company did not apply for funding but I do know that applying for funding (and submitting returns to funders) in any field is usually enormously time consuming and that larger organisations generally have part time or full time fundraisers which small organisations cannot afford.

[Jan McNulty]

Pleasure at gains for BRB and NB has now been tempered by heartbreak on seeing Edward Hall's statement about the truly magnificent Propeller Theatre Company being turned down for Arts Council funding:

 

http://propeller.org.uk/news/arts-council-npo-funding-statement-from-edward-hall

[sonik1965]

sad news

[John Mallinson]

Ballet Black has tweeted that the company did not apply for NPO status.

 

https://twitter.com/BalletBlack/status/483950068589142016

 

Also from BB on Twitter: 

 

  BalletBlack

@judithmackrell we are on Grants for Arts for now. Need to build up additional staff before we could manage NPO

1/7/2014 11:18 am

[Jan McNulty]

A report that summarises the opera & ballet review:

 

http://www.artsprofessional.co.uk/news/opera-and-ballet-review-exposes-venuecompany-friction

[Jan McNulty]

The view from the Midlands.  Please note that the amounts quoted in the article relate to the total funding for the 3-year period not per annum:

 

http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/local-news/midland-arts-groups-futures-secured-7372490

[Barnes2]

I am enormously relieved about Northern and BRB. Birmingham has been asked to do more split touring so it would have been outrageous if it had not been protected. I gather that it is looking at Norwich as part of that commitment.

[Jan McNulty]

When I read the report I found a couple of things confusing in relation to BRB.

 

1. Liverpool is mentioned as a current venue even though the Company has not visited the city since 1999 (the year before The Lowry opened).
2. It says that the Company may tour an extra week with Milton Keynes, Norwich and Bristol being specifically mentioned as current ENB venues.  It says (obviously I'm paraphrasing) that the 2 companies will have to negotiate between themselves as to which venue BRB will take up.  ENB's current tour schedule does not include Norwich but NB visit there twice a year.

I hope mention of Liverpool means that we may see BRB back in my home city but not if we lose ENB instead.  I also hope that if the company does start visiting Norwich that it does not affect NB's twice-yearly visits. 

[Coated]

Could the negotiations involve the dates and programmes that the two companies bring to venues? You wouldn't want both ENB and BRB to arrive in December with a Nutcracker, but having a ballet company visiting with different programmes every 3-4 month sounds like a good plan if you're hoping to build up regular ballet audiences.

[Jan McNulty]

I would agree with you there Coated but the report says that BRB should pick up the venue that ENB drops.  (ENB is dropping a provincial week to do an extra week in London)