The Stage

Opera nets £2.4m extra subsidy to ease it through recession

Published Friday 31 July 2009 at 15:24 by Alistair Smith

Opera has emerged as the big winner in the first round of Sustain funding from Arts Council England, the new cash pot set up to help cultural organisations combat the effects of the recession.

The first tranche of £4 million from the £40 million fund has been announced, with £2.4 million of it going to opera companies.

Welsh National Opera received the largest single award, with £900,000 given “as bridge funding to mitigate loss from development funds, box office income and bank interest”. Meanwhile, English National Opera has received £750,000 in recognition of “the impact of the economic downturn on corporate fundraising” and the Royal Opera House has been given £700,000 to support its opera development programme for two years while it secures alternative funding. British Youth Opera has also received £75,000 “to maintain the quality of artistic output and resolve cash flow problems caused by a recessionary decrease in income from trusts and foundations.”

A spokesperson for ACE said that the reason that opera took up such a large proportion of the initial round of grants was that “opera is the most expensive art form to bring to an audience and so grants for that art form do tend to be larger”, but stressed that “looking at the applications currently under consideration, we are confident that when all the awards are made there will be a good geographical and artform spread.”

Others so far receiving awards include Nottingham Playhouse (£362,572), South Hill Park Arts Centre in Bracknell (£114,000) and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (£649,000). The awards decisions are judged chronologically as applications are received by the arts council, with £36 million of other requests currently under consideration. Further awards will be made in mid August and early September. A total of 87 applications have so far been received and the arts council is still accepting submissions.

ACE chief executive Alan Davey commented: “The aim of Sustain is to keep excellence, innovation and ambition alive for artists and arts organisations, drawing on lessons from previous recessions. The number of applications to the fund illustrates how this recession is challenging the capacity of our arts organisations to continue to deliver the bold, ground breaking and excellent art that audiences demand.

“The creative economy is the fastest growing part of our national economy, so it is no fond thought that arts organisations should see themselves as a key part of this country’s recovery from recession. However, the mixed economy in which they live means they need a balance of proper support in order to fulfil that potential. As a finite fund Sustain cannot provide the whole solution – that comes only with continued levels of public and private investment in the arts – but it does offer a stitch in time to help excellence flourish.”