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The English National Opera (ENO) has revealed that Arts Council England (ACE) has agreed to invest \u00a311.46m (\u20ac13m\/$14m) between April 2023 and March 2024, to sustain a programme of work at ENO\u2019s current London home while starting to plan for a new base outside of the English capital by 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Further investment for 2024 through to 2026 is also available in principle, though this is subject to discussion and application.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The ENO has said that investment will help the transition to a model where it can deliver an innovative opera programme, from a base outside of London, while also continuing to perform at its current London Coliseum home.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It is hoped that the ENO will be in a strong position to apply to the Arts Council\u2019s National Portfolio of funded organisations from 2026, from a new base outside of London.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The funding will aid ENO\u2019s initial development work on a new business model from 2026-27, which will outline the level of public-facing work it hopes to deliver in and outside of London. There will also be an analysis of options for the future use of the Coliseum, and an outline of the revenue and capital needed for the transition to a new business model.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis grant will provide the ENO with stability and continuity, while they plan their future,\u201d said Darren Henley, chief executive of Arts Council England. \u201cWe want to back an exciting programme of work from the ENO in a new home, and make sure it stays part of the brilliant London arts offer, at the Coliseum. We know this means a challenging period of change for the company and its staff, but it will also mean opera for more people in the long term and contributes to the levelling up of cultural\u00a0investment.<\/p>\n \u201cThe funding announced today is on top of a \u00a330million per year National Portfolio commitment to opera and the many talented people who work within\u00a0it.<\/p>\n \u201cOur financial resources are finite, and today\u2019s investment balances the public\u2019s desire for high quality arts and culture of all kinds in towns and cities all over England, and the ambitions of artists and creative professionals working across England\u2019s arts, museums and\u00a0libraries.\u201d<\/p>\n Stuart Murphy, CEO of the English Nation Opera, added: \u201cWe are pleased to have agreed \u00a311.46m of funding from Arts Council England to take the ENO through to 1 April 2024. Negotiations now turn to investment for 2024-2026, which, in opera planning terms, is\u00a0imminent.<\/p>\n \u201cThis funding level for 23\/24 will allow us to continue to make incredible opera available for everyone, in English, with hugely subsidised tickets, completely free for Under 21s and with 10% of all seats available for \u00a310. \u00a0It will also allow us to continue the award-winning ENO Breathe, available in 85 NHS Trusts across England, and \u2018Finish This\u2019, available in over 200 schools\u00a0nationwide.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile we fundamentally disagree with ACE\u2019s decision to remove the ENO from the NPO list having met or exceeded all success criteria laid down, we nevertheless continue discussions with ACE in good faith and look forward to agreeing funding levels for 24\/25 and 25\/26 which would allow us to continue to deliver the best of the ENO for out-of-London audiences \u2013 at a level London audiences have experienced for almost 100\u00a0years.\u201d<\/p>\n