ENO chorus to vote on strike
OperaThe chorus of English National Opera are to be balloted on industrial action at the start of January.
The singers are facing an immediate 40 percent pay cut, along with job losses and the prospect of abolition when the company is relocated to Manchester.
Ronald Nairne, ENO Chorus member and workplace representative for Equity says: ‘There is currently no suggestion that we the chorus, the orchestra or the technical teams will be involved in anything at all in Manchester. Cuts to the chorus and stage management will do nothing to level up culture. Instead these cuts will leave the chorus in London with half a job and Manchester audiences without a full experience of ENO. We are asking ENO management to be more creative, and remodel a company that can deliver opera by everyone, for everyone.’
I am sure we join them in wishing the chairman and chief executive of Arts Council England a very festive season and a self-satisfied New Year.
Throughout my life in this profession I have witnessed and fought against incompetent administrations, including Arts Councils, that don’t respect the artform and the practitioners of it. Audiences, and artists, want incredible performances of great works, how is that so difficult for administrators to understand and appreciate? A sports team wouldn’t make cutbacks on the field by reducing the number of players on the field and reducing the size of the pitch to cater for it. I wholeheartedly support and wish these incredible artists the platform and ability to bring joy to their audiences and hope that ENO supporters and lovers of music and opera show their support.
Only the administration are going to Manchester. The orchestra and chorus are being made redundant.
An administration doesn’t make an arts organization. The blood, sweat, tears and creativity that previous generations have invested in ENO will be lost forever. The culture, and following, of any organization takes years to build – they have no idea how the Manchester public will respond to them. I give it no more than a couple of years to survive. The creative team (musicians, costumes, scenery etc) would be better spending their energies in creating something out of these ashes – there artistry cannot be replaced overnight. Too many leaders have walked away from this company!
“An administration doesn’t make an arts organization.”
So true. An administration doesn’t make a national health service either. The success of administrators is judged by the size of their empires, not their achievements, so they just go on expanding, looking for things to interfere with to justify their existence.
HR departments in private companies are the same.
HR = Human Remains in my book!
When they had proper jobs it was simply called “personnel”.
Keep their London or Home Counties homes, and either work from home or commute to Salford and stay over in one of the expensive Salford Quays hotels, claimed on the expenses, costing more money. You think they’d learn from what happened with BBC TV move to Salford Quays, and the Radio 3 Breakfast Show.
The photo is from the company’s recent production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD.
The orchestra has already voted: 92% in favour of striking.
https://musiciansunion.org.uk/news/union-members-vote-yes-to-potential-strike-action-at-english-national-opera?utm_campaign=News+roundup+for+musicians%2C+22+December&utm_content=mail.themu.org&utm_medium=email&utm_source=The+Musician%27s+Union+&wp-linkindex=6