Several London venues have lost out to arts funding in a major shake up.
The English National Opera is to move its headquarters outside London and have a drastic budget cut as part of a major shake-up of English arts funding.
ENO chief executive Stuart Murphy told BBC News he was surprised the Arts Council had cut a company that gives free tickets to under-21s and is "way ahead of other opera companies" in bringing in diverse audiences."I'm slightly confused why we'd have a reduction on an arts company that has so successfully brought in people of colour, brought in young people, and done things like ENO Breathe with the NHS to help people with lung Covid," he said.
He added: "They are capable of responding, in our view. They've got great leadership. They have great achievement, and there seems to us to be an opportunity here that we should grasp."Places like Blackpool are beneficiaries of the new funding announcement It comes after former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries instructed the Arts Council to redress a "huge historic imbalance" in cultural funding.
But what's been announced today ties in clearly with the government's "levelling up" strategy. Nadine Dorries made it plainOne fifth of the cash that used to go to institutions in the capital will be shifted elsewhere by 2026. That can't come without an obvious cost for the likes of the National Theatre, the Southbank Centre and other renowned centres of culture.
Meanwhile, the Hampstead Theatre said it was "considering how best to ensure the future" of its company after it was "saddened" to not be granted funding from 2023. The Gate, another London theatre, has also lost its grant.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
English National Opera could move to Manchester as arts funding is divertedThe prestigious national institution said it was considering moving its headquarters to the city
Read more »
Flooding in London: Heavy rain causes travel disruptionSeveral roads and rail routes in London have been partly closed due to flooding caused by heavy rainfall overnight. We'd love to see images or video of what things are like in your part of London this morning. More here:
Read more »
Flooding in London: Heavy rain causes travel disruptionRoads are blocked and some London Underground services suspended after heavy rain overnight.
Read more »
i morning briefing: Why was a group of asylum seekers abandoned in central London?📨 i morning briefing: Why was a group of asylum seekers abandoned in central London? 📬 Sign up for our Early Edition newsletter here ⬇️
Read more »