Annual Report 2015 – 2016

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Chairman’s Introduction 1 Contents General Director’s Report 2 Director of Opera’s Report 6 Review Highlights 8 Inspire and Community Work 10 Theatre Hire & Other Projects 13 Communications and Development 14 Financial Performance 16 The Business Model Going Forward 18 Company Information 21 Donors and Supporters 22

cover: Iris, 2016 left: La bohème, 2016 Photography © Robert Workman

CHAIRMAn’S InTRODUCTIOn

Since Opera Holland Park’s birth in 1996 the company Without the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, has grown immeasurably and now stands proudly Opera Holland Park would not be the very successful among the finest opera companies in the UK. For the opera company it is today and it is thanks to them that first 20 years of that astonishing development, Opera we have been able to establish ourselves as an Holland Park was part of The Royal Borough of independent charity. The Friends of Opera Holland Park Kensington & Chelsea and financially underwritten by charity were champions of the company since 2003, it, itself a unique and remarkable situation. raising significant income to support its work. Investec Wealth & Investment have been our excellent title In October 2015 Opera Holland Park became sponsors for the last six years, and we are delighted independent of the Royal Borough, merging the that they have just renewed for a further three years. company into the existing Friends of Opera Holland Our Founders have pledged significant support to Park charity. The 2016 Season was highly successful, ensure the continuing development of our artistic as you will see highlighted later in this review, with the excellence for which we are particularly grateful. And five main-stage operas all critically acclaimed. And we our other donors – Benefactors, Ambassadors, Envoys, played to packed and appreciative houses with an Friends, Trusts & Foundations and Corporates – have average seat occupancy of 98%. So our first Season as also continued to be very valued supporters. And our an independent charity has demonstrated even more many volunteers play such an important role in so compellingly the very distinctive character of Opera many areas of our activity. To all these supporters, a Holland Park – outstanding artistic excellence huge thank you. combined with a unique mission of accessibility and affordability – to which we remain fully committed. Lastly, a tribute to those working at Opera Holland Park itself. Our two Directors, our Management and Staff Our Inspire programme of Outreach and Education produced our best ever Season while at the same time work continues to go from strength to strength and working extraordinarily hard to set us up as an this year worked with over 30 organisations across the independent charity, with all the staff, systems and Capital, taking opera to those who would not normally processes required to take us forward – no mean task. experience this wonderful art form. And our new Trustees have rapidly coalesced into an Of course, none of this would have been possible effective, constructive and committed Board, working without the huge support that we have received over closely with the Directors and Management. the years. So, on behalf of all of us at Opera Holland Park, I should like to thank most warmly all of our key supporters.

Charles Mackay CBE Chairman, Opera Holland Park

left: The Queen of Spades, 2016 Photography © Robert Workman 1 GEnE RAL DIR ECTOR’S REPORT A first year of challenge and success

Opera Holland Park was first established under the auspices of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in 1996. The company was a department of the Libraries and Arts Service, which was responsible for How we managing the series of events at the outdoor theatre in Holland Park. By 2000, after a series of successful productions, including several in the got here late Italian repertoire for which the company has now become well-known, Opera Holland Park was producing the entire season at the theatre. In 2007, as success grew, a new 1,000-seat auditorium and extensive new canopy roof was purchased by RBKC.

By 2014, it was decided that the future of the company would be better served by becoming an independent charity.

The first, challenging year of any company is often said to determine the future of the entire enterprise. Opera Holland Park began the journey of independence from The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea on 1 October 2015 and since then a great deal has been achieved.

2 opposite and left: Die Fledermaus, 2016, top: La bohème, 2016, bottom: Iris, 2016 Photography © Robert Workman

Extracting the company from council structures presented unique Introducing services and facilities previously provided by the Royal problems but we were able to smooth this transition by absorbing the Borough meant that our first year was more administratively-expensive company into the structure of our existing Friends organisation, already an than previously and with increased fundraising targets, our staff structures independent charity. This meant that creating the functional charitable, were adapted to provide the human resources required to begin this financial and legal entity was a smoother process and was achieved in strategic process. Further on in this report you can read about the excellent time for the official handover date of 1 October 2015. progress we have already made in this respect. We have also been able to introduce the technical/IT structures necessary in a cost-effective and We have negotiated a lease of 25 years for the use of the theatre, which is efficient fashion and to acquire support services for HR, Legal and renewable. Office and Box Office space continue to be within council Accounting necessities. buildings, although we maintain entirely separate IT systems. The new Board of Opera Holland Park has quickly understood the unique A departure sum of £5 million was agreed between RBKC and the nature of the festival and has begun to contribute significantly to the company. £3.85 million was granted in cash, with transitional costs paid on strategic planning of the company. Led by Charles Mackay, the Board behalf of the company by the borough. £1.055 million was retained to functions in a flexible and efficient way, and Managers of the company are cover the costs of various infrastructure and facilities projects that are able to find quick resolutions to issues of importance. currently being explored (should these fail to proceed, this money will be paid to the company). Challenges have been faced , too; producing, marketing and operating a full opera season with much of the transition work still underway presented obstacles that the company needed to overcome to ensure that a successful season on stage – our core work, of course – would not be

3 jeopardised. Further in this document, I am pleased to say that you will find In the 2016 season OHP continued our long tradition of presenting rare, reports of a magnificent season both artistically and from an audience late Italian repertoire with a new production of Mascagni’s Iris , an opera support point of view. We also faced many staff changes as part of the that was last performed at OHP in 1997 and 1998. The season was natural progression of careers and the need to introduce new personnel to generally believed to be one of the strongest ever at OHP with great critical the company. This process is only now coming to a conclusion. acclaim for all of the productions.

The strategic overview of the company expressed in the original Business There were 32 performances, including that of the Young Artists, with Plan and as presented in 2014/15, is now supported by key individual and operas being sung in Italian, English and Russian. The City of London comprehensive strategic plans covering the crucial Development, Sinfonia performed as our house orchestra for the 13 th year. Individual Giving and Marketing functions . New administrative processes introduced include: Administrative and technical strategies to provide greater economy and • A significant change towards online supporter recruitment processes, efficiency in the production of the season, the building of the theatre and freeing up significant administrative working time in the Friends office the management of out of season work are in progress at the time of writing . • Earlier booking periods and communications processes Our producing model has been adapted to allow for more focused • Longer-term planning seasons and space for further community and year-round work. From 2017, OHP will trial a season of four operas, increasing performances for Key staff structures and roles and working practices have been adapted the more in demand productions. A Schools Matinee will also be mounted and/or introduced in order to fulfil the increased targets that have been set. for the first time in 2018.

4 La Cenerentola , 2016 Photography © Robert Workman

All are committed to working to the aims set out in three new and Audiences have been strong in 2016, with just under 92% paid occupancy interconnected five-year strategies to ensure that the company is on a across the season (£1.68 million ticket revenue) and our long-term course to produce break-even seasons by 2021. fundraising activity has produced almost £1 million additional funds pledged for our Founders Fund . Our outreach work via our Inspire Project The company has also engaged the services of several specialist has continued and our accessible tickets schemes, offering thousands of companies to deal with our HR, Legal and IT functions. people free or cheap tickets continues to be a core part of the company’s The transition year and the need to ‘catch-up’ as a company entity meant aims. that our cost base increased, as was planned and expected. The year has been an exciting and challenging one, but all of our staff and Importantly, we were extremely pleased to successfully conclude artists have risen to the task at hand, producing a memorable first season negotiations with our long-term title sponsor Investec Wealth & under independence. Investment who will continue as our principal partner for a further three seasons from 2017. This will take their involvement to a total of nine years. We are grateful for their continuing role as a committed partner to the arts.

Michael Volpe General Director

5 DIRECTOR OF OPERA’S REPORT Our work on stage and other core activity during the year

The 2016 season has generally been acclaimed as one of the strongest and most consistent seasons in the company’s history, with every production receiving four-star reviews. That this was the reaction to the opening season as the new company is even more pleasing.

We have continued to nurture talent both on and off stage. The sheer number of Young Artists alumni now working in principal roles at Opera Holland Park and other opera companies in the UK is testament to the scheme and the professional development we have given them.

Across every aspect of the company – on stage and backstage – we have continued to mix experience with youth, established artists with young artists, thereby creating a powerful blend of talent.

By employing many designers new to Opera Holland Park and working even closer than usual with the production teams, we were able to take bold calculated risks that paid off handsomely. Opening the season with a new production of the rarity Iris – with the extraordinary ‘Hymn to the Sun’ – set a benchmark for the season and the company. The increased orchestra and chorus – due to support from the Founders – helped open

6 opposite: La bohème, 2016 left: The Queen of Spades, 2016 Photography © Robert Workman

the season with a bang. Even though the piece features a dark and By updating and setting Die Fledermaus in the glamorous era of Art Deco, disturbing subject matter, audience and critics alike were profoundly we were able to create another beautiful production that enabled us to affected by the production, admiring the handling and performance of the remain faithful to the feel of the original setting. Working with a playwright subject matter. In January 2017 Iris was awarded the Broadway World UK to hone some of the dialogue and create some new contemporary award for Best new Opera Production. references worked well. Setting The Queen of Spades in the era of Tchaikovsky’s life gave a clarity to the production. As a first full directing Inverting the usual custom of updating opera productions, we backdated role from Rodula Gaitanou, who has come through the ranks at Opera La bohème to the 1600s as a reference to the 400-year anniversary of Holland Park, this production engaged and delighted critics and audiences. Shakespeare's death. Whilst remaining completely faithful to the story of a poet falling in love, we were able to surprise and entertain audiences. In its fourth year, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland continued to sell out, be Based on a setting at Shakespeare’s Globe, the production was an excellent introduction/gateway to opera for children and families and distinguished by beautiful and sumptuous sets, costumes and lighting. continued to be reviewed well in national press.

La Cenerentola was our first co-production – with Den Jyske Opera in Denmark. For the production of La Cenerentola , we used a team that had delivered the 'classic with a twist' production of The Barber of Seville in 2014. This extremely well-sung, visually-striking and imaginative show James Clutton delighted audiences in London and Denmark. Director of Opera

7 THE 2016 SEASOn Iris La bohème Review Mascagni Puccini “The action is bookended by a massive choral “What makes it so engaging are some terrific Hymn to the Sun, almost Mahlerian in its performances and a fine sense of ensemble. reaching for transcendental splendour. Stuart Patalong sounds utterly gorgeous, and Dixon…. Highlights Stratford conducts with exemplary firmness, is all twinkly-eyed virility and gleaming high never forcing the temperature above boiling notes. Together they are entirely convincing as a point and drawing idiomatic playing from the couple for whom a calculated pick-up unleashes City of London Sinfonia. The chorus was radiant emotions that neither can quite contain. Finden in sun worship, and that wonderfully intelligent is swaggeringly attractive and Pritchard lets fly singer and imaginatively resourceful actress at Quando m’en Vo for all she’s worth. Waldren Anne Sophie Duprels gave a heartfelt conducts with real passion. It’s funny, sad and performance in the title role.” sweet all at once. Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph Tim Ashley, The Guardian

“Fuchs explores its dichotomies clear-mindedly “Shaun Dixon as Rodolfo is a stalwart and and without sensationalism in a staging, her sympathetic partner for Mimi. His fellow finest of recent years, that is at its most students – Andrew Finden’s artist Marcello, bass unbearable when it is most restrained. She’s John Savournin’s philosopher Colline and helped immeasurably by a performance of Frederick Long’s lutenist Schaunard – almost terrifying intensity from Anne Sophie complement each other well. Musetta’s waltz, Duprels in the title role. Stratford conducts with delivered by Pritchard from the tavern’s table top, dogged commitment and the choral singing, is every bit the showstopper Puccini intended. above all in the hymn to the sun is glorious.” Good work too from the City of London Sinfonia Tim Ashley, The Guardian under conductor Matthew Waldren and the massed OHP Chorus.” Clare Colvin, The Sunday Express

from left to right: La bohème, La Cenerentola, The Queen of Spades, 2016. Photography © Robert Workman

8 8 La Cenerentola Die Fledermaus The Queen of Spades Rossini Strauss Tchaikovsky “From the start Oliver Platt’s staging hits the “It’s acerbically funny, rather sexy and superbly “Hallucinatory intensity that chills the soul.” right note. Simmonds is superb, her voice performed by one of those fine ensemble casts Evening Standard encompassing the smoky wistfulness of the first that Opera Holland Park always seems so good “Opera Holland Park delivers a corker with its aria… and the dazzling coloratura of the final at assembling.” sumptuous new production of The Queen of aria. nico Darmanin is a thrilling Prince Ramiro. Tim Ashley, The Guardian Spades. The atmosphere was richly Venetian, Jonathan Veira is sensational as Don Magnifico. “…stand-out performances were those of Gavan with a bal masqué in decadent black – nothing The City of London Sinfonia gives an inspired Ring as a beautifully suave Falke, whipping up detracted from the overall power of an performance under the young Australian the gorgeously creamy kitsch of “Brüderlein und enthralling performance.” conductor Dane Lam. The zip never falters and Schwesterlein” with consummate grace, and Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph the pace is sustained on stage by the chorus. Jennifer France as the maid Adele – her Opera Holland Park should be proud of this dispatch of her two soubrette showpiece arias dazzling Cenerentola , which captures Rossini’s was spot-on and dazzling.” generous spirit.” Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph Clare Colvin, Sunday Express

“Oliver Platt’s sparkling new production of La Cenerentola … seduces with its suave stagecraft Young Artists and deft, but never hyperbolic, wit. The “A dozen former young artists are performing in cumulative effect is as magnificent as the the main productions at Opera Holland Park this ‘Wicked Stepfather’s’ nomer.” year, as well as conductors and directors, Claire Seymour, Opera Today showing just how the scheme is maturing.” Robert Hugill

9 9 COMMUnITY WORK Inspire The Inspire Project continues to be the vehicle for delivering our accessibility aims for the community, as well as for developing our audiences. It reaches over 5,000 people per year. As well as the family production Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (which falls under the Project’s auspices) we continue to provide 1,000 free tickets for young people between the ages of 7 and 18 years, 400 for 60+ and over 2,000 InSPIRE seats at just £18.

The variety of work is astounding, covering speciality work with the visually-impaired, our Playlist for Life project with dementia patients and many other groups. A full Inspire Report is available at www.operahollandpark.com/ publications-inspire-report-2016/.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Todd Since its premiere in 2013, OHP have staged the popular family opera, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland each season in the gardens of the Yucca Lawn in Holland Park. The production was our first original commission and is inspired by Lewis Carroll's classic story, with music by Will Todd and libretto by Maggie Gottlieb.

In november 2015, the production also went to the Royal Opera House's Linbury Theatre, for a hugely successful sell-out run, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the publication of Lewis Carroll's book.

“Every singer brings maximum energy and commitment to this enchanting show” Nick Kimberley, Evening Standard Alongside our ticketing schemes, Inspire also:

Worked with more Delivered 109 Visited 8 different than 30 organisations Inspire sessions schools

10 Inspire photography © Alex Brenner 10 Reached over 1,800 people Organised concerts Provided workshops Reached over 200 with our outreach and and workshops in 19 for 300 children people with Sheltered education programmes different care homes Housing recitals 12 Theatre Hire & Other Projects The Royal Ballet School returned to OHP for 2016 whilst their current performance space at the ROH (Linbury Studio) is refurbished. They last appeared in Holland Park in 2001 (after a long, sustained stretch of seasons) and audiences were very strong for these four performances in the summer. The school are confirmed to return in 2017.

Opera Holland Park Theatre continues to be a hire space for corporate hospitality, charities and other national businesses. In 2016, OHP were pleased to host the Luna Cinema once again, who used the theatre space to show four screenings of notting Hill, The Blues Brothers, Blade Runner and Moulin Rouge. Child Bereavement UK also sponsored a performance of La bohème, hosting the show as a charity gala and selling tickets to their members and supporters.

OHP’s out of season work is an area in which we aim to extend our output in coming years. Our events during 2015/16 were essentially those aimed at fostering relations with donors and fundraising. This included the traditional Prelude event, which in 2016 returned to Leighton House Museum, and there were three lectures in the spring which were all fully booked.

In October 2016, we will produce a concert at the Royal Albert Hall (Elgar Room) which we hope will be the first in a series of such events. These concerts are designed to introduce audiences to works that are not traditionally produced at OHP. For the first event, we will hold an evening of English Opera, featuring composers such as Vaughan Williams, Delius, Britten and others. In March 2017 we return for a performance of Poulenc’s La voix humaine .

13 COMMUnICATIOnS AnD DEVELOPMEnT

Building a team This team, have now put in place robust strategies to build on the work of the company and Friends, to: The departure from the council coupled with natural turnover of long- standing staff members meant that the first part of the year was spent • Double voluntary income by 2021 forming a new Communications & Development team responsible for all • Increasing donations towards our key areas of work including Young Marketing, Press, Fundraising and Box Office for the company. Artists, Productions and Inspire new or adapted roles that have been introduced include a new Head of • Maintain our full-house policy and the high-level of customer satisfaction Communications & Development with responsibility for all giving and and experience commercial income, and a new Head of Finance, a role previously provided • Increase engagement with our audiences throughout the year (online, by RBKC. A new Events and Visitor Services Manager, responsible for offline and in-person) managing events at the theatre and elsewhere – commercial, fundraising • Increase new audiences, both making opera accessible to all and building and community – will provide a valuable resource to our aim of extending our core audience base the company’s activity outside of our traditional season. This new team also includes a full-time Corporate Development Manager, Individual Giving • Continue to develop the close-knit community feel of the season Manager, Membership & Development Coordinator, Marketing & PR now the teams and direction are in place they are working to build the Manager, Marketing Coordinator, Box Office Manager and a part-time foundation on which these objectives will be achieved. Trusts & Foundations Manager.

14 Performances Seats available Seats Occupied % Occupied

IRIS 5 5005 4880 98

LA BOHÈME (including YA) 9 9009 8595 96

DIE FLEDERMAUS 6 6006 5869 98

LA CEnEREnTOLA 6 6006 5908 98

THE QUEEn OF SPADES 6 6006 5894 98

TOTALS 32 32031 31146 98

Achievements in Development 2015-16 Achievements in Communications 2015-16

We were delighted that our title sponsor, Investec Wealth & Investment, The 2016 season was extremely well received with 98% occupancy across announced the renewal of their support for a further three years in June. By the shows and 92% seats sold in the house. All the shows received at least the end of their contract (which covers 2017/18/19 seasons) Investec 4* reviews from the critics and acclaim from attendees. Wealth & Investment will have been our sponsors for nine years. They have In May, OHP received a nomination for the Royal Philharmonic Awards for Il been wonderful supporters of the company over that time and we are trittico and we were delighted that Christine Collins was posthumously proud to have them with us for the next three years. awarded the Philanthropy award for her support of our Young Artists Our independence from the council led to the creation of a new way that programme by the International Opera Awards. Christine was a wonderful people can support OHP. Our Founders are a group of individuals who supporter of Opera Holland Park for many years and we were delighted donate to a restricted fund dedicated to ensuring the continuation of our that she was recognised in this way. artistic excellence. Our aim is to raise £1 million for this fund. At the end of In the spring we continued to showcase our work making opera accessible 2015/16 financial year 15 Founders had confirmed their support giving to new audiences with a short film, working in collaboration with the Royal £410,500 to the fund in 15/16. We are hugely grateful that so many have Opera House, taking three Chelsea fans and introducing them to opera. already come on board. A new scheme called Benefactors has also been From Footy to Verdi , was picked up by the BBC – and is featured on their launched towards the end of the financial year and early indications are BBC Arts website – The Sunday Times and Evening Standard, receiving very promising. over 12,000 views on our YouTube account with tens of thousands more The 2016 season also saw the continuation of support from our Friends, seeing it across our partner platforms. It has since been given four awards Envoys and Ambassadors. Between them they donated £230,000 to Opera including the Best Documentary Short at the London Film Awards. Holland Park. Many of these supporters have been with the company for Opera Holland Park continued to receive positive coverage in the press with many years and it is wonderful that they have stayed with us as we start articles in The Sunday Times, Independent, Guardian, Telegraph and Opera this new chapter in our history. now. Coverage was particularly noted around our independence and our rarity, Iris . 15 FInAnCIAL PERFORMAnCE

top left: The Queen of Spades, 2016 Income Expenditure top right: Die Fledermaus , 2016, bottom right: Iris, 2016. Photography © Robert Workman Our ticket income targets were over-achieved. Expenditure was largely on target for 2015/16 We aim to achieve high audience numbers as and savings were made over previous years in The financial performance of the company has an indicator of our performance generally as the area of theatre build. Staff costs rose as been, to a large extent, affected by the an opera company and as an indicator of our expected and other consultancy was necessary transitional nature of this year. As alluded to success in our core aims – namely to bring (Gift Aid Recovery for example, which produced elsewhere, many additional costs were taken on opera to as wide an audience as possible. substantially more than had been expected). as a consequence of the creation of a new Our Founders Fund was a great success, but Production expenditure was slightly more than company. However, many achievements were some of the income was diverted from other expected but was small as a percentage of made in the areas of Development and ticket schemes which had a small effect in those overall spend. sales as well as shaping the expenditure model areas. Corporate Development and Hospitality of the future. Our Finance, Audit and Risk Committee has incomes were down on the targets, but the begun its work and systems for monitoring and Comparisons with previous years are unhelpful transition and the lack of personnel (now authorising expenditure are now in operation. because the previous company, the Friends was remedied) was a key factor in this shortfall. much smaller. Growth was seen in Gift Aid recovery, and benefit from the new Theatre Tax Relief scheme.

16 The charity’s income and expenditure for the 2016 season is broken down as follows:

Income £ Expenditure £ MOVEMENT IN FUNDS -656,816

● Box Office 1,681,308 ● Opera Production 2,029,844 Donation of Assets from RBKC 250,000

● Fundraising 567,417 ● Inspire 29,956 NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS -406,816

● Friends Schemes 230,003 ● Staff including contracted/Agency 785,674 Release from one off RBKC grant 406,816

● Corporate Sponsorship and ● Marketing 90,048 NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS 0 commercial activities 439,954 ● Fundraising 143,073 Note ● Investment 23,891 The Charity received donation in kind worth £250,000 ● Theatre/Operations 543,030 on 1 October 2015. This included the canopy and the ● Gift Aid & Theatre Tax Credit 541,806 ● seating stand. These were valued at £250,000 and Other Overheads inc VAT 469,772 depreciated accordingly. TOTAL INCOME 3,484,379 ● Depreciation 49,798 The Charity also received a “one off” grant from RBKC on 1 October 2015 to fund its activities. The charity TOTAL EXPENDITURE 4,141,195 draws down on this grant when necessary.

17 THE BUSInESS MODEL GOInG FORWARD

La bohème, 2016 The new season length and producing structure Photography © Robert Workman A key part of the OHP strategy for the next five years is to increase the amount of work we produce outside of the summer season and in support of the festival itself. Plans for this includes a small concert series, community productions and singer development events. We are also keen to provide space in the season for new initiatives like the School Matinee and our Open Day. The first Schools Matinee is scheduled for the 2018 season and our next Open Day is in July 2017.

When we became an independent charity, the management decided that it was a good moment to conduct a review of our working practices and our resources to find out where capacity weakness and risk became prominent. Therefore, Michael Volpe and James Clutton proposed to the board that an examination of our season was timely. At the heart of the study was the desire to increase the quality and quantity of our work and to ensure it can be sustained through an entire year, not just the summer season.

18 Some complex modelling of producing practices, the best use of restricted from investment in equipment and facilities that mean, for example, that time on site, audience demand and behaviour, the growth of our Inspire we don’t have to hire them. Project, repertory going forwards and many other aspects of the company The cost of productions will change only moderately since there is a were completed. complicated financial model that involves Theatre Tax Relief, scheduling of The results of this work offered a number of potential future routes but productions, performance numbers etc. OHP does not have a permanent that, essentially, we had two choices: expand our staff establishment to chorus or orchestra (we contract the City of London Sinfonia) and engage better cope with the demands of a five opera season and the new projects these artists on a per-season/production basis. we envisage, or use our human and financial resources to improve the Reducing and controlling risk factors is an important part of achieving work that we do. Investing in more staff has its risks of course and we long-term financial sustainability, and there is no question that audiences explored ways in which we could concentrate our efforts into a season that have become more discerning in their choices and that the wider operatic had more or less the same number of performances but less productions. landscape is challenging, but we hope this change will mean people can We felt it was more responsible at this stage of our development strategy feel able to support all of the productions within our festival season, rather to focus, rather than expand, our resource and expenditure and this was than just two or three. It also has to be acknowledged that despite our proposed to the board, who agreed it was expedient to explore the concept. record of rarities, more people wish to see the great operatic ‘pops’ and we The theatre build process and the core cost of running it will not change need to also provide the opportunity to do that (works, we should since the length of the season is the same, bar one or two evenings. The remember, that work brilliantly in introducing new audiences). process of building and dismantling the theatre is one we have developed into something of a fine art and any future savings in this area will come

19 The Queen of Spades, 2016 Photography © Robert Workman

We remain fully committed to maintaining the variety of repertoire that we are renowned for, especially with the late Italian rarities. Indeed, having a more balanced and focused season means we can probably be even bolder and more interesting than before. Reducing the cost of the theatre and other operations A key area of work for the company over the next two to three seasons is to explore ways in which our fixed costs can be reduced. We have made significant headway in establishing new, more efficient contracts which have produced substantial savings from these core costs. This has become possible as contracts agreed under the council have expired. There are many items of expenditure under review given the scale of the build and this will continue to be scrutinised. Projects exploring the use of capital for permanent ancillary buildings and toilets have been largely unsuccessful. The buildings project proved, at this point, to be excessively expensive and would have met with planning objection. Permanent toilets are also difficult from a planning point of view, but we intend to look at purchasing equipment that will nevertheless offer annual savings as well as improvements to services. 20 COMPAnY InFORMATIOn Board of Trustees Remuneration Committee Development Board Ms Fiona Campbell (Company Secretary) Mr Anupam Ganguli Mr Stuart Corbyn Mr Anupam Ganguli Dr Martin Lockett (Chair) Mr Tim Corner Ms Jessica Hepburn Mr Charles Mackay CBE Ms Jessica Hepburn Mr Martin Kramer Mrs Lynne Gillon Nominations Committee Dr Martin Lockett Mr John Glencross Mr Martin Kramer Mr Charles Mackay CBE (Chair) Mr Martin Kramer Dr Martin Lockett Sir Trevor Macdonald Mr Charles Mackay CBE (Chair) Mr Charles Mackay CBE (Chair) Miss Mei-Sim Lai OBE Finance Audit and Risk Committee Senior Management Mr nic McElhatton Mr Anupam Ganguli (Chair) Mr James Clutton – Director of Opera Lady Ridley Ms Jessica Hepburn Mr Michael Volpe – General Director Ms Isabelle Schirmer Dr Martin Lockett Mr Pradip Rajah – Head of Finance Mr Anthony Spiro Ms Felicity Sutherland – Head of Sir Robert Wilson Communications & Development

21 DOnORS AnD SUPPORTERS

Title Sponsor Ambassadors Mr and Mrs Vincent Oratore Investec Wealth & Investment Mr and Mrs Anwar Al Qatami Michael and Amanda Parker Christopher and Cynthia Bake Posgate Charitable Trust Founders Mr Philip Bowman Mr Derek Power Fiona & Andrew Brannon Mark and Rosemary Carawan neil and Julie Record Timothy Corner Sir Peter and Lady Cazalet Mrs Susan Price Dr Genevieve Davies Mr nicholas Chan Sir Timothy and Lady Sainsbury John and Clare Grumbar Graham Child and nicola Heywood Mr and Mrs Michael Salmon Jenny Hodgson Sir Malcolm and Lady Colquhoun Mr Ian G Salter Christopher and Jo Holdsworth Hunt David Colver Thomas Schoch Javett Family International Charitable Trust Claire and Ivor Connick Ms Jane Dawson Shang Angela and Richard Lascelles (Chorus Founder) Mrs Joan Constantinidi Mr Martin Sherwood Mrs Sally Lykiardopulo Mr and Mrs Andrew Cormack Sir David Sieff Charles and Annmarie Mackay David and Suzanne Cowan Susan and John Singer Alan and Jan Morgan Mr David Emmerson Mrs Wendy Spackman Ginny and Richard Salter Mr Patrick Ferrall Helen and Anthony Spiro Rupert J Wilson Pat and Linda Farrell Mr Jose Alvarez Stelling Maureen and Tony Wheeler Mr Tony Fathers Mr William Stockler And those who wish to remain anonymous. Mr and Mrs Richard Fernyhough Peter Stormonth Darling Corporate Supporters Mrs Elena Ferrall Ms Eileen J Taylor Mr and Mrs Henry Tinsley Phillimore Successors Settlement Colin and Sylvia Fletcher Mr Antony Thomlinson Russell-Cooke Solicitors Mrs Eve Fowler Mr and Mrs David Freeman Lady Walters Gourmio Mrs Jacqueline Gee Mrs Maureen Wheeler Inspire Mrs Lynne Gillon Sir Robert and Lady Wilson A4 Altruistic Patricia and John Glasswell Mr Rupert Wilson Boshier-Hinton Foundation Mr John Glencross Antony and Carla Withers The Worshipful Company of Grocers Mrs Grete Goldhill Mr & Mrs Jan Woloniecki Veronica Metter Roger and Alison Heath Ms Anne Wood CBE Ofenheim Charitable Trust Clare Henderson And those who wish to remain anonymous Mr John Henderson Postcode Community Trust General Donations Mrs Wendy Spackman Mr and Mrs John Heywood Fiona & Andrew Brannon And those that wish to remain anonymous Mr Allan Hodgson The Adrian Swire Charitable Trust Christopher and Jo Holdsworth Hunt Jackie Michaelsen Young Artists Mr and Mrs Denzil How Mr James Shaw Murdoch D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust Mrs Kay Huffner Phillimore Charitable Settlement Garrick Charitable Trust John and Rowena Jackson Ms Jane Dawson Shang Leche Trust Mr and Mrs nigel Keen Eric Reynolds Mercers’ Company Mrs Latifa Kosta Mr Spyros niarchos And those that wish to remain anonymous Martin and Wendy Kramer The Swire Charitable Trust Mr and Mrs George Law Benefactors And those who wish to remain anonymous Paddy and Sue Linaker Mrs Latifa Kosta Charles and Annmarie Mackay Mr Antony Thomlinson Mr and Mrs Henry McWatters And those that wish to remain anonymous Sir Brian neill Mr and Mrs John O’Connell

right: Iris, 2016 Photography © Robert Workman

22 23 Contact us Investec Opera Holland Park 37 Pembroke Road London W8 6PW

Tel: 020 3846 6222 Email: [email protected] Charity Number: 1096273

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