Stirrer Campaign

SAVE OUR OPERA COMPANY

05-01-2008

As we revealed recently, Birmingham Opera Company faces closure because its Arts Council grant is being cut. Your beer-loving, football mad Stirrer says – it must be saved.

There are no two ways about it – opera is an expensive business. BOC mops up £324,000 from the Arts Council, and £193,000 from the City Council.

There again, saving money is the easiest job in the world. The hard bit is spending it creatively, and with enough imagination to reach out to broad cross-section of the general public. On those criteria, the Company is a huge success.

It’s not simply the thousands of non-traditional opera fans who warm to productions like La Traviata that count – although they are important; it’s also about BOC’s ability to engage with the wannabe singers, actors and performers who all have the chance to share in their performances and enjoy their moment in the spotlight. (They'll be sharing some of their experiences over the coming weeks).

We need bold, big budget companies doing landmark cultural work in Birmingham – and BOC fit the bill perfectly.

Bear in mind that they consume just over half of one per cent of the Arts Council’s opera budget – and join The Stirrer is saying Save Our Opera Company.

Also see “19 Days To Save Opera Company” see link here