Will forcing English National Opera out of London help ‘level up’ the UK?

Imagine travelling to Paris and finding that the Louvre had moved to Marseille, or that the Bastille Opera had relocated to Lyon. “Tourists would be furious,” said David Lister in The Independent. Yet in the name of the “levelling up” agenda, officials are now seeking to deprive London of one of its major cultural attractions.

Last week, as part of a wider package of funding cuts, Arts Council England announced that English National Opera’s subsidy would be axed in April, unless it leaves its home in the London Coliseum and sets up shop further north, perhaps in Manchester.

To expel a “national flagship” from the capital in this way is bizarre. Hundreds of musicians, singers and technical staff could lose their jobs. ENO’s departure would mean that while European capitals such as Paris, Berlin and Vienna have three opera houses, London would have just one, the exclusive Royal Opera House.

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The Arts Council says the move isn’t just about redistributing London’s budget; it’s also about encouraging companies to temper their ambitions, and stage smaller productions away from the big cities, said Anita Singh in The Daily Telegraph. Even some insiders admit that quality can be achieved with less money. “A big opera might cost £1m,” says Michael Volpe, the founder of Opera Holland Park. “But actually, it could cost you £750,000 and no one would notice.” But in the short term, the future looks difficult for ENO and for Welsh National Opera, which is also facing major budget cuts.

The “levelling up” rationale is a nonsense, said Alexandra Wilson in The Critic. Manchester is already well served by Opera North. And how will taking money from Welsh National Opera, which tours from Southampton to Llandudno, help accessibility?

The irony is that ENO is already pursuing the innovative, inclusive approach that officials are calling for, said Melanie McDonagh in the London Evening Standard. The company puts on “edgy productions”, offers free tickets to under-21s, does outreach with local communities, and seeks out new audiences. Uprooting it from “one of the great cultural capitals of the world” won’t benefit anyone. “Time for another U-turn.”