Covent Garden rolls out Black Lives scheme
OrchestrasThe following notice has been posted by the Royal Opera House. Once you overcome the euphemisms, you may catch the drift of things at the shamefaced elitist venue.
Are you aged 18-25 and can play a musical instrument?
We are excited to present a unique opportunity for young people from the UK who identify as being from the global majority background or from another underrepresented group, to learn with members of our Orchestra in collaboration with Black Lives in Music.
What is shamefaced about it? The ROHCG are not alone; many organisations link with groups such as Black Lives in Music to promote the uptake of learning music through the diversity agenda. Nothing wrong in that, unless you think only those that identify as middle class, white and male can play and perform. Now, that’s a shamefaced attitude to have if ever there was.
Simon, perhaps you could explain “being from the global majority background”?
ROHCG’s culture is white and Christian and European and has roots in the 9th century. It owes nobody an apology and has diversified splendidly and naturally all by itself.
Is this the same orchestra that is currently the subject of industrial action in a pay dispute, as reported at https://slippedisc.com/2023/07/covent-garden-orchestra-votes-9-1-for-strike/ ?
And the same ROH that employed temporary staff and also laid off staff in covid. It is also the ROH that employs many horrible directors to ruin opera. Lay off the management now!
A blatantly racist pronouncement which may well contravene the criminal law
Goodness, you really don’t know anything about the law, do you? Criminal law has no application here. Try this useful guidance:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/positive-action-in-the-workplace-guidance-for-employers/positive-action-in-the-workplace
The usual washing by a government that has destroyed everything from small business to education.
ROH GOING WOKE? ARE THEY TRYING TO MAKE US FORGET THAT THEY EMPLOYED ‘CASUAL STAFF’ THEN LAID THEM OFF?
Isn’t this a ploy to increase funding in the same way many mainstream schools apply for funding for special needs children and then provide little in return?
Most English children who are not in public or very good private schools find it almost impossible to access adequate music training let alone top training that will direct them to a music career.
Minorities or what is perceived as such are not more vulnerable to national problems than others.
Tokenism, racism (POSITIVE OR NOT) should never be tolerated. They are discriminatory, hypocritical and counter productive to a society’s progress.
It is curious how all of a sudden the Royal Opera House, London wants to be woke, democratic, fair and caring. Do they think that we forgot when they laid off staff during the pandemic despite all the money they get from the government? Could someone from ROH also explain why they were employing ‘casual staff’ and has this changed?
https://theviolinchannel.com/london-royal-opera-house-covent-garden-lay-off-causal-staff-job-loss-coronavirus/
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/jul/17/royal-opera-house-lays-off-entire-team-casual-staff-coronavirus
ROH employs black and asian ballet dancers, singers and FOH and technical staff and is not elitist as it has been doing work through its education department for years in the East End etc. This notice merely demonsrates that is trying to do more.
What does elitism have to do with black, white, blue, red, green, Asian, from Mars, African.. You need to employ the best people without giving any extra weight because of their background.
What the ROH seems to be doing is get more funding and also trying to make us forget how they laid off staff during COVID.
“Who identify as being from the global majority background.” I have a PhD but I’m going to need help from anyone who has a degree in Orwell-speak to explain what the hell that means.
It’s the most recent way of belittling the importance of white, European people.
I actually find it extremely patronising to be grouped within an amorphous mass of people who are simply defined as “non white”. I am not part of any such “majority”.
Google is your friend. This definition is from Britt Hawthorne.
‘People of the Global Majority (PoGM) refers to Black people, Indigenous people, Brown people, Latinx peoples—particularly Indigenous and Afro-Latinos —Pacific Islanders, Native Hawaiians, the Inuit communities/Alaska Natives, Native Americans, Arabs, Western Asians/Middle Easterners with dark skin, North Africans, Southeast Asians, South Asians, East Asians, Africans with dark skin, and biracial and multiracial people who are mixed with one or more of the above, and people and groups who can’t access white privilege.
This isn’t a perfect definition. It’s important to keep in mind that there are both white and non-white folks who hold different ethnicities that are also targeted by white domination.’
I don’t know if this happens elsewhere, but in NYC you rarely hear someone jewish say they’re caucasian, when you ask about their background the answer is almost always Jewish. If you want to where in Europe their family originated you usually have to ask that as a follow up.
What about WHITE lives in music matter…..??!!
Getting bored with the black lives dominance now
Now?! In Australia we’re saturation-bombed about aboriginal exceptionality. They’re telling us all that they’ve had an ‘advanced’ culture all along. Now it’s the equal or ‘superior’ of this!!! OK they had their heads lopped off, but even tribes kill each other:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWb0lQcoEKc
Are they also going to roll out a scheme for Asian musicians and if not, why not?
why is it a ‘shame”? Working with kids is a win-win for everyone.
Indeed it is and anything that creates opportunities for the socially disadvantaged is to be welcomed but to restrict such opportunities to ethnic minorities is racist.
Under the current government, anyone who isnot rich is disadvantaged.
The term “The Global Majority” manages to insult all races and colours at once, and will drive another wedge of resentment between all of us. Please drop it – I dislike it intensely!
Black people are a minority, White people are a minority, Brown South Asian people are a minority, Chinese/Korean etc. East Asian people are a minority. Arabic people are a minority etc. etc. All of us are part of a minority.
Majorities are artificial political constructs and have little value.
What on earth is wrong with accepting and appreciating difference and treating everyone with decency and respect.
We do not need these loaded, political terms from academics who aim to promote themselves and an agenda of their own.
DH: “It’s important to keep in mind that there are both white and non-white folks who hold different ethnicities that are also targeted by white domination.”
………
Huh? In the 1960s when Mao Tse-tung unleashed his Cultural Revolution, I didn’t realize he was trying to get back at both Asian and non-Asian folks who held different ethnicities and were also targeted by white domination.
However, there was the Boxer Rebellion in the 1800s. But I don’t think there were too many white foreigners (particularly from England) in China when Mao took over. But who knows?
White domination is a horrible thing, and progressives, whether in 2023 Europe or 1966 China, have every reason to rail against it. But white liberals should be spared. Thank you.
Thanks for your response, Karden. That paragraph is not mine – it is part of the definition. See: https://britthawthorne.com/blog/people-global-majority/
Thanks for the clarification, DH. I read your other post and I winced. Social-political extremism is a very dark part of human nature.
Europe in the first half of the 20th century was shredded by it, and so was China, etc. I can tell that certain people in 2023 are way too easily into the phrase: “Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.”
I should add: “…certain people are way too easily IGNORING the phrase…”
Why does “the global majority” HAS TO like and play European classical music?
Feel that liberal guilt…
Or the heavy hand of the Arts Council.
All the bitter white people crying racism here is hilarious – your empathy for those who have historically been denied any opportunities to join orchestras simply beggars belief.
Aside from the jargon (which is no worse than trendy), it seems a worthy undertaking.
Will they be teaching drug-dealing, looting and use of