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Dateline: 12th March, 2009
ROH Manchester Report Arts Council England has released the report commissioned into the feasibility of creating an outpost of the Royal Opera House based at the Palace Theatre in Manchester. The report concludes that the costs of refurbishment are likely to be at least £100m with a continuing annual subsidy of £12m to £15m required to cover running costs. In addition, there is likely to be a substantial impact on other arts organisations and venues in the region, in particular the Lowry in Salford which currently provides the largest high-profile programme of the works of leading dance and opera companies. The report states that it doesn't make sense to be taking away a large part of the Lowry's business so soon after it was opened at considerable public expense. It also mentions the negative response to the plans from other local arts organisations, which it concludes are "understandable", but the universities have greeted the idea with more enthusiasm. Others have seen it as an opportunity to raise the profile of the city. The plan features a surprisingly small number of performances from the companies behind the venue, with just 16 performances by Royal Opera and 31 by Royal Ballet. There will also be visits from other companies to fill the rest of the programme, but a large part of the Palace's existing audience base is expected to go elsewhere for its entertainment. It is unlikely that ACE will be in a position to provide extra funds at this level, and so the government together with Manchester City Council would have to provide up to £20m per year from 2013 or 2014 – when the refurbishments are expected to be complete if the plan goes ahead – as well as contributing substantially towards the initial costs. The report's conclusion says that the plan is not viable as it stands at the moment until further work is done to establish how it can proceed without damaging the existing arts infrastructure in the area. Despite this, the reports writer Graham Merchant ends by saying that further work should be done by ACE to create what could be "the most significant arts development in this country for a generation". David Chadderton
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