BCCT Special Luncheon featuring Lord Tony Hall, Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House
2011-06-29
Date: Wednesday, June 29 2011
Time: 12:00–14:00
Venue: Grand Formosa Regent Taipei, 1F Noble House
(41 Chung Shan N. Rd., Section 2, Taipei / 台北市中山北路二段41號)
Cost: Members NT$ 1,300/ non-members NT$1,900
Includes: Lunch & free-flowing juice and wine
Lord Tony Hall will talk about the changing economic and artistic times at The Royal Opera House with reference to cuts in government funding and the arrival of new Artistic Directors for both The Royal
Opera and The Royal Ballet. He will talk about the mixed funding model for the arts in the UK and the relationship between public funding, fundraising and commercial revenue at the Royal Opera House.
Lord Hall will describe the importance of artistic risk-taking to attract audiences and bring in funding; our commitment to education and skills and the value of cultural exchanges like the current Royal Ballet tour to Taiwan.
Lord Tony Hall CBE is one of the UK’s foremost cultural leaders. In his position as Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House, a post he took up in April 2001, he is widely credited with building the organisation into a global centre of excellence for opera and ballet, and a beacon of creativity and best practice within the arts sector.
Over the last nine years, Lord Hall has brought financial stability to the Royal Opera House, balancing the books for a tenth year in succession and developing fundraising and sponsorship models to ensure that the organisation is not solely dependent on public subsidy. This all-important financial security has enabled artistic excellence to flourish, with both The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera achieving critical and commercial success with newly commissioned and established repertory. The world’s greatest opera stars flock to perform at Covent Garden under Lord Hall’s leadership and Antonio Pappano’s musical direction, whilst The Royal Ballet is a world leader in nurturing new choreographic talent as well as performing ballet at the highest international standards under Dame Monica Mason’s direction.
Creative, dynamic and entrepreneurial, Lord Hall has shaped the 21st century arts organisation placing education, training and skills at its heart and a huge focus on offering access to as wide an audience as possible. This outreach has extended to supporting international touring by the Companies of the Royal Opera House as well as developing key international partnerships with major performing arts centres around the world.
Initiatives such as the partnership with the Helen Hamlyn Trust in association with the Sun newspaper through which thousands of people who have not been to the Royal Opera House before have the opportunity to see an opera or ballet for greatly subsidised ticket prices, and BP Summer Big Screens in which live opera and ballet is screened free on big screens in city centres throughout the UK, reflect Lord Hall’s ambition for the Opera House to become a true resource for the whole nation.
In 2007,Lord Hall masterminded the Royal Opera House’s acquisition of the DVD production and distribution company Opus Arte. This was a landmark move that has allowed the Opera House to film and market DVDs of its productions and those of other arts organisations using High Definition technology, as well as screen performances in cinemas across the UK, Europe, the US and Australia. In recognition of the potential commercial possibilities presented by further digital developments, this year Lord Hall set up Royal Opera House Enterprises which brings all the organisation’s commercial activities including Opus Arte, retail, licensing, and hospitality under one banner. Through this endeavour new commercial lines will be developed and further international expansion is planned.
Lord Hall is passionate about the importance of education and skills within the cultural industries. As a testament to this, he was the found Chair of the Cultural & Skills Council and is also Chairman of the Music and Dance Scheme and conducted a review of dance in secondary education in 2006/07. At the Royal Opera House, more than £2 million per annum is now invested in education projects. ROH Education offers people of all ages and backgrounds an opportunity to learn about opera and ballet through creative processes and participation. It engages new audiences and nurtures new talent in singing, music, dance and backstage skills.
The development of the new Royal Opera House Production Park currently underway in Thurrock in the South East of England was spearheaded by Lord Hall and is accompanied by a long-term community engagement and education programme for local residents. This world-class facility - a model of modern cultural regeneration - will become the new home for scenic painting and set building teams as well as provide education facilities and apprenticeships for the Thames Gateway area and beyond.
Lord Hall’s plan to develop a new Royal Opera House base in Manchester has gained support and praise from the arts world and politicians alike. With education and training at the heart of the concept, the Royal Opera House and its partner Manchester City Council are working with government to secure funding and if the project goes ahead, the new theatre and training facilities will open in 2014.
In addition to his leadership of the Royal Opera House, Lord Hall was appointed Chair of the Cultural Olympiad board in July 2009 with responsibility for delivering a series of cultural events in the run up to the London 2012 Games. He is also a non-executive director of Channel 4 Television and a Trustee of the British Council. He has been chair of Stratford East Theatre, an Honorary Visiting Fellow of Journalism at City University, a member of the Regeneration Through Heritage Steering Group, a board member for Race for Opportunity, former non-executive director of HM Customs and Excise, and was a member of the Council for Brunel University. In 2007, he conducted a media review for the Ministry of Defence on the HMS Cornwall affair.
Until 2001, Lord Hall was Chief Executive BBC News and launched Radio 5 Live, Britain’s first 24 News and Sport Radio channel, BBC News 24, BBC News Online and BBC Parliament. He built the BBC news gathering network to be a world beater.
Lord Hall is the author of King Coal (1981) – a history of the Miners Union, and Nuclear Power (1984).
He became a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 2005.
