‘Ill-thought-out and impractical scheme’ was condemned by the classical music community for tearing at ‘the flesh of our culture’
Arts Council England has backtracked on its original plans to cut English National Opera funding and move the company outside of London.
There were fears for the future of the ensemble in 2022 after the Arts Council announced a widely criticised plan to pull the entirety of the company’s funding unless it found a base beyond the capital, which left a choice between relocating and closing down.
Arts Council England has now backtracked on the plans that were condemned by the classical music community, instead promising English National Opera (ENO) the same funding it would have received prior to the controversial cuts, and delaying any move outside London until 2029.
Sources have claimed that it is a case of kicking relocation plans into the long grass, and suggested that by the end of the decade the leadership of the Arts Council and the Government may well be different, and unwilling to pursue moving the ENO outside the capital.