Equity Singers Committee have condemned BBC plans to cut Classical Music at the BBC including BBC Singers, the UK's only full-time professional Chamber Choir.
The proposal by the BBC will not only see BBC Singers disbanded but also cut its three English orchestras by 20% as part of a new Classical Music Strategy.
In a statement our Singers committee have said:
Equity’s Singers Committee condemns the proposed cuts to Classical Music at the BBC, including the loss of 21 permanent jobs for singers in the UK’s only full time professional Chamber Choir. These proposals will be devastating to those whose jobs are at risk, and will also be deeply concerning for the Equity members who make up over 200 freelance singers earning their income by appearing alongside the permanent choir, some of whom will already have been impacted by Arts Council England’s catastrophic announcements about Opera funding in November, the after effects of the reduction in work post pandemic and the ongoing impact of Brexit and its associated barriers to working in Europe.
These proposals will be devastating to those whose jobs are at risk, and will also be deeply concerning for the Equity members who make up over 200 freelance singers earning their income by appearing alongside the permanent choir
Whether through funding bodies or public services such as the BBC, offering secure jobs with fair and dignified terms and conditions should be a central part of public spending on the arts and is vital to make careers in classical music accessible to all. The Singers Committee, alongside Equity’s wider membership and other entertainment unions will fight to defend jobs and protect dignified working conditions in the sector.
The committee have urged members to sign and share the petition to stop the closure:
Sign the petition to stop cutsOr you can make a complaint to the BBC directly:
Make a complaint to the BBC
