Choristers at the English National Opera are to be balloted for industrial action to save their jobs and pay.
The board of the ENO wants to slash the wage bill and reduce the size of its permanent chorus from 44 members to 40, following a cut in funding.
The Equity union has warned the cuts could push the could push the world renowned body into "terminal decline".
Members of Equity will vote in the coming weeks on whether to launch a campaign of action. Productions could be cancelled if any action goes ahead.
In April 2015, Arts Council England cut its grant to the ENO by 29% to £12.38m per year, citing concerns about the company's "governance and business model" and warned it "could face removal of funding" if there was no improvement.
Almost 3,000 people - including directors and performers - have signed a petition calling on the ENO to reconsider its plans to downsize.
Arts Council England hands out £326.1m a year in grants, supporting 663 arts organisations and 21 major museums.
The ENO had been included in this group of funded organisations until April 2015.
An Arts Council spokesperson explained: "The Arts Council's National Council decided the ENO had failed to satisfy the conditions of National Portfolio membership for the period 2015 to 2018.
"These include having robust business plans and governance in place. Instead, they were given special one and two-year funding agreements respectively.
"The Arts Council's National Council reviewed their decision in November 2015, and noted that the ENO has made good progress in improving their operations.
"They will continue to be closely monitored by the Arts Council over the next two years as they review their business models and plans for the future.
"Given the progress made so far, the Arts Council has confirmed an additional year (2017-18) of funding for the ENO of £12.38m."
In a blog posted this morning on the ENO's website, chief executive Cressida Pollock said she was committed to preserving a permanent chorus but added: "Whilst we remain committed to our permanent ensembles, we also recognise that we have to make significant cost savings in order for ENO to be a more sustainable organisation in the long-term.
"We are working towards a solution with the ENO chorus which would see them maintained as a permanent ensemble but with a greater degree of flexibility in their contracts, which reflects the economic reality of ENO's situation."
Ms Pollock and her team are now looking at a series of measures to bridge the funding shortfall, including more performances of popular shows which is an idea that has not gone down well with some purists.
Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard will occupy the Coliseum - the home of the ENO - for 43 performances over five weeks in April, ensuring rent and wages are covered for that period.
0 nhận xét:
Đăng nhận xét