“While we understand the company urgently needs more financial support, depriving its audiences of live music cannot be the answer". Image credit: © Jonathan Stewart for the Musicians' Union.
Tonight sees the first time the Northern Ballet will be using recorded music for most of its performances, following real term funding cuts from Arts Council England.
Supporters of live music will be leafleting outside the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon ahead of tonight’s performance of Romeo and Juliet to ask audiences for their support, and to remind Northern Ballet why they need to keep the orchestra.
We are calling on Arts Council England and Northern Ballet to agree to a realistic funding solution that protects jobs and enables theatre goers to enjoy the full live ballet experience every time.
The core group of musicians for the Company, Northern Ballet Sinfonia, have been campaigning since last year to protect their jobs and to raise public awareness of their plight.
Unlike other Northern Ballet employees, the musicians are on freelance contracts and with these changes affecting their job security, some now even rely on food banks to survive.
Replacing live music with a recording is a betrayal to its audience
Naomi Pohl, MU General Secretary said: “Replacing live music with a recording is a betrayal to its audience. The opportunity to enjoy live music experiences should be available to everyone and as soon as you begin to scale this back, you start to erode access to culture. Not only that, musicians’ livelihoods are on the line. Our data shows that musicians, on average, earn £20,000 a year – so any cut to this impacts them heavily.
“While we understand the company urgently needs more financial support, depriving its audiences of live music cannot be the answer. That’s why we’re calling on Arts Council England to provide a sustainable funding package to support the Northern Ballet, enabling it to keep its orchestra live.”
Add your voice to the call
Members from Northern Ballet’s orchestra, alongside the MU, are calling on the public to take a stand with musicians who are fighting to protect their jobs and save live music.
Sign the petition and share online using #KeepNorthernBalletLive.
Sign the petition to show your support