Liverpool makes case for English National Opera

Political leaders in Liverpool have written to government highlighting the lack of exisiting opera provision in the city as it bids to become the new home for English National Opera (ENO).

A letter sent by city leaders to Arts Minister Lord Parkinson said that, as a Unesco City of Music and home to the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, the city "goes hand in glove with the aims of the ENO and its drive to take opera to the masses".

"At present, there are 1.6m people in the city region who are not currently served by opera despite the presence of a strong regional interest," the letter, penned by Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram and Liverpool City Council leader Liam Robinson, states.

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"Touring performances by the Welsh National Opera and Glyndebourne have regularly been very popular, though their withdrawal now means that there is no opera company serving this part of the North West, stretching beyond our city region and into areas such as Cheshire.

"Indeed, among shortlisted areas, ours is the only one currently lacking any opera provision as well as the only core city with no Arts Council-funded touring opera."

Liverpool is one of five cities that have been shortlisted as a potential new home for ENO's headquarters alongside Birmingham, Bristol, Greater Manchester, and Nottingham.

The organisation has said it hopes to make a final decision by the end of the year, before moving to its new home early next year, to meet the funding conditions of the £24m offered by ACE for 2024/25 and 2025/26.

Rotherham and Robinson's letter also calls for transparency in the decision-making process, describing it as "complicated", with the government, Arts Council England and the ENO all taking part.

Government pressure

The letter also references rumours government officials had sought to apply pressure for Manchester or Birmingham's bid to be successful.

"Wherever the ENO next calls home, it should be about choosing the place that offers the best fit for the opera to thrive with a sustainable future – and not simply the place that offers the biggest short-term financial incentives," the letter states.

"While we do not place too much truck in rumours, it would be remiss of us not to seek your assurances that there is no substance to the reports we have heard of government officials seeking to apply pressure for Manchester or Birmingham's bid to be successful as an addendum to their Trailblazer Devolution deals.

"We would appreciate if you were able to clear up some of the uncertainty surrounding the bidding process and give your assurances that the best bid will be successful. If the process is conducted on a truly level playing field, then we are confident that the ENO will soon be calling the Liverpool City Region home."