Protect Orchestras Under Threat

The UK’s arts and culture sector is facing a perfect storm.

Funding cuts, rising touring costs, energy costs, the ongoing impact of pandemic closures and the cost of living crisis are threatening the future of the UK’s world-renowned orchestras.

And right now, musicians are feeling the effects:

• Musicians in the Northern Ballet orchestra are fighting to protect touring jobs and keep Northern Ballet Sinfonia live
• Musicians in the Welsh National Opera orchestra are campaigning to protect jobs and secure the company’s future, including touring

While every job loss is on management, this is a sector-wide problem. That means ultimately responsibility lies with the governments and arts councils making existential funding decisions.

Protect jobs. Support touring. Keep music live.

Being a musician should be a viable career option. And everyone in the UK should have access to high quality live performances that are genuinely live.

That’s why the MU is calling on the UK government to:

• Provide specific funding for touring to cover increasing costs
• Make the orchestral and theatre tax relief extensions permanent
• Write off or delay repayment of Covid recovery loans
• Reverse Nadine Dorries’ instruction to Arts Council England that led to English National Opera being asked to relocate

The MU is also calling on the Scottish government to:

• Deliver on their promise of £100m funding for arts and culture
• Frontload the funding to save jobs and cultural organisations at risk now
• Work with unions to ensure that Fair Work principles are applied across the arts and culture sector

MU members have stepped up their industrial campaigning. It’s crucial that every musician shows their support.

• Sign the petition to keep Northern Ballet music live
• Sign the petition to protect Welsh National Opera
• Log in to My MU to opt in to news email for the latest campaign updates and actions

Together, we can get results

Musicians in the Royal Opera House orchestra campaigned for improved pay and conditions – and voted to accept a deal that represents a significant step forward.

Musicians in the ENO campaigned to keep it as a full-time company and get improved conditions from the employer. They reached an agreement for the orchestra and an offer in principle for music staff.

It’s not just orchestral musicians affected by the perfect storm of funding cuts and increasing costs.

The same issues are affecting grassroots music venues like Moles in Bath, which filed for insolvency in December 2023 after 45 years of championing live music.

It’s also affecting music education at every level. Recently, Oxford Brookes announced it would be next to close its music department because of financial challenges.

Together, we’re campaigning to protect jobs, fund the arts, improve access to music education and improve musicians pay and conditions across the sector.

Get involved:

• Join the union section for your area of work
• Sign up to one of the union’s equality, diversity and inclusion networks
• Explore more ways to get involved