Orch boss warns against northern fudge
OrchestrasBob Riley, CEO of Manchester Camerata, has warned strongly against a proposed deal with Opera North that would demolish Northern Ballet Sinfonia. He’s calling for greater transparency and an awareness of the impact of any deal on the entire northern musical environment.
Good for him. Glad that somebody with a voice near the high table is using it to highlight the plight of the musicians. Essentially Northern Ballet/Opera North tie up would be a “fire and hire” situation. It risks pushing a group of highly skilled musicians further into financial crisis. There is a massive big-picture problem with arts funding and support in the UK which has been brewing for a long time now.
The regular members of the NBT orchestra worked under a formal agreement, albeit for part of the year. They have been an essential part of the NBT company, with an established appointment process. A tie-in with Opera North would effectively replace one set of contracted musicians with another. The whole situation is a farce. It’s been brought about by a combination of the Arts Council’s slash-and-burn policy towards established opera and ballet companies, and an attitude from NBT management towards the distinctive identity and tradition of the company that is frankly scandalous. Do Arts Council officials care about demostrating they are worthy of their roles? If so, I think they should withhold some of the NBT funding unless the live orchestra is reinstated.
Admirable words but beggars can’t be choosers ….
Is the Northern Ballet orchestra not a freelance group of musicians making this not a “fire and rehire” situation?
Not a nice situation by any means, but is this not a classic example of the risk of being a freelancer where we enjoy the freedoms of picking and choosing our work in the knowledge of losing that work if the situation changes?