'A healthy ecosystem for opera': Opera UK's next steps

The volunteer directors of Opera UK, launched last autumn as Britain’s first support organisation for opera, have spent many hundreds of unpaid hours listening to opera professionals in their quest to form a bold strategy for the group’s future. This month, that busy overture came to an end and the curtain rose on Act 1 as the directors announced a long list of major ambitions – not least to dare to reimagine the entire artform’s future. 

In February, four of the seven founders gave their first media interview to Classical Music. They all felt passionately that opera needed a single body for those who work within it; one that would speak for its members and for opera, campaigning for it as an integral part of the cultural life of the nation.

Individuals and companies flocked to join, and today 348 singers, conductors, directors, designers, stage managers and other opera professionals currently make up the membership, alongside 47 opera companies – from Britain’s biggest-hitters to the smallest touring outfits. Anyone who works in opera is welcome to join and increasing the membership is a key priority for Opera UK.

Launching during Covid meant that all consultation with members had to be online, but this proved to be advantageous, as it brought people together from all over the country to talk through the many challenges facing opera. In all, 189 roundtable discussions on 68 different topics produced the strategic plan announced last week. Clearly, a lot of frustration with current conditions were voiced during those discussions.

The strategy doesn’t mince words. Opera UK’s ultimate ambition is to shape the future of opera collaboratively, with a mission to be a change-maker, champion and advocate.

It states: ‘We want to see a sector that is representative, equitable, sustainable and open to all. We will provide the leadership needed to make this happen. It is our ambition to nurture a healthy ecosystem for opera and to future-proof the industry and the artform.’

Placing its members at the heart of all of its ambitions, Opera UK says it wants to make positive change in the industry, listing collaboration among its key values. ‘With a diverse and fully representative sector the possibilities are endless. We represent and celebrate opera makers and their work in all locations, places and spaces. We take a democratic approach and value all members equally. We are a safe, respectful, inclusive space where challenging discussions are possible. We dare to reimagine the sector.’

But to make all this work, Opera UK is going to have to expand its expertise. Its current board of seven volunteers – Emily Gottlieb and Nicholas Simpson of the National Opera Studio, Genevieve Raghu of Into Opera, Henry Little, CEO of Opera Rara and chairman of the National Opera Coordinating Committee, Kate Wyatt of the Royal Opera House, Michael Harper, principal study vocal tutor at the Royal Northern College Of Music, and Nicola Candlish, CEO of British Youth Opera – say they need experts in fundraising and finance to help them become a charitable company by August next year, with a clear business strategy.

Pointing out that there is currently a distinct lack of research and evidence specific to opera, the directors aim to collect data to better understand the sector, inform future decision-making and to position the organisation as a knowledgeable advocate for opera in the UK. Over the next year, they want to develop a fully-mapped, national picture of the UK opera industry and make Opera UK a destination for data and information to increase knowledge about opera, both within the industry and externally, hoping to build ‘a public narrative’ about opera in the UK.

No doubt reflecting some of the key concerns of the membership, Opera UK says it is determined to embed equality, diversity and inclusion, both within its own organisation and within the wider industry, offering to support members by sharing examples of best practice. As an example of this, during a question and answer session after the launch of the strategy, one member asked how Opera UK would promote equal opportunities for those opera roles which are not normally auditioned – for instance, conductors, chorus masters and composers. The directors replied: ‘More work and more changes are required to ensure the opera sector becomes a more equal sector. Many of the opera companies in the UK are already looking at these questions and we look forward to supporting this process. By hosting training and sharing case studies and reports of the work of our members, we hope this will enable supportive conversations to take place which bring about greater understanding and in turn, positive changes across the sector.’

Membership costs £30 for an individual (reduced to £25 for those who were founder joiners), with a £15 fee for those on low incomes. Opera companies pay between £50 and £1,500, according to income. In return, Opera UK says it offers members a voice and a role in changing the sector. It plans webinars and discussions around key topics and access to training, social events and networking. Each member will have a profile on an online membership platform and access to company and individual membership listings. There will also be opportunities to post and search for jobs.

Promised soon is the Opera UK hub, where members can connect with each other and find useful material, such as example documents, factsheets, case studies and links to existing information. Specialist networking groups are also planned, bringing together, for example, arts administrators, fight directors, chorus masters and wig makers to discuss their individual concerns. And reciprocal membership with Opera America and Opera Europa is also offered.

In its ambition to be the leading voice for the sector, Opera UK says it will share stories about the opera industry, reflecting the breadth of work that takes place across the nation. And it aims to form what it calls ‘meaningful relationships’ with government, audiences and funders.

In the words of Kate Wyatt of the Royal Opera House: ‘We are not here to reprimand or criticise. We want to gather data, make it publicly available and highlight what is best. We want to ensure that collectively we can make a responsible, sustainable, representative, equitable and forward-thinking opera sector thrive.

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