The Stage

Royal Opera House strikes deal with Lowry over Manchester outpost plans

Published Wednesday 9 December 2009 at 14:11 by Lalayn Baluch

The Lowry in Salford is to become the northern home of ballet and dance, in a deal that aims to protect its future if plans for a £100 million Manchester outpost of the Royal Opera House go ahead.

Lowry chiefs have raised serious concerns about the future of the venue since the ROH first announced its intention to establish a base in the north of England.

In June, Lowry chair Rod Aldridge said the ROH plan would “destroy” the venue. He recommended that the two organisations instead concentrate on creating a “dual house” model, which would see the ROH’s proposed base in the Palace Theatre dedicate itself to opera and music, while the Salford-based Lowry would become the home of ballet and dance, including the Royal Ballet.

Now, such a deal has been struck between the two sides. According to a statement issued by the ROH, its northern home will be a producing house, which will present opera and music. It will stage performances by the Royal Opera, and may also collaborate with the Halle Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic and the Manchester Camerata.

It will also produce premieres of work by Opera North, and provide a production centre for the Manchester International Festival.

The statement says that the Manchester venue will present work by the Royal Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet, but only for a total of four weeks. International companies will only present ballet and dance at the venue if previously agreed by the Lowry.

Meanwhile, the Lowry will present ballet, dance and drama. It will cease to stage opera once the ROHM is in residence at the Palace Theatre.

Commenting on the news, Aldridge said: “We welcome this agreement, which builds on the existing world class arts provision in the region. The agreement recognizes the importance of establishing a clear artistic identity for both the Royal Opera House Manchester and the Lowry.

“We are delighted that it will build on the Lowry’s enviable reputation for ballet and dance with the agreement that the Lowry will regularly present performances by the Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and others. We are mindful of the need for new funding for the scheme, and look forward to participating in those discussions.”

Meanwhile, the ROH and its partner Manchester City Council have met with culture secretary Ben Bradshaw, who has thrown its support behind the project.

Bradshaw said: “It is very good that all parties in this exciting project are working together, with the common aim of delivering world-class cultural facilities for the city of Manchester and the north west.

“There is still much to do, of course, but this has the potential to become something really special, and I am pleased to give it my whole-hearted support.”

Last month, it emerged that the ROH plan to base its northern outpost in the Palace Theatre had become uncertain, following the Ambassador Theatre Group’s £90 million acquisition of Live Nation’s theatrical venues.

While ATG co-founder and chief executive Rosemary Squire said the plan was “absolutely fantastic”, she added that a decision about the future of the venue would not be reached until after meetings with ROH chief executive Tony Hall and MCC leader Howard Bernstein.