On Saturday 22 July, in between performances of the "'Orrible Opera" children's prom in which they were performing, Equity and Musicians' Union members from the English National Opera lobbied audiences to sign a petition for additional funding to protect jobs.
Permanent jobs are threatened by Arts Council England's ill-conceived demand that the company relocates. The plans will also impact freelance workers, including stage management and singers who work regularly at ENO and rely on the ecosystem of opera work in London to make a living.
Though limited funding has been made available for ENO to apply for, it comes with the condition that the company establish a new primary base. They are being asked to do more, across two locations, with less funding.
The 'Orrible Opera prom is a great example of the work ENO do in producing opera for new audiences from their London base - work threatened by the new funding settlement.
The petition will be open until Wednesday 26 July. At the end of the month, union members will hand deliver the petition to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Sing the petition before Wednesday 26 July!
