English National Opera has been granted another reprieve and will be allowed to keep its headquarters in London for a further three years before it must relocate.
The company’s funding was slashed from £12.5 million a year to zero in Arts Council England’s (ACE’s) November funding round and it was told that it must leave the capital if it wanted to qualify for future grants, in reflection of the government’s levelling-up agenda.
In January, ACE relented, granting ENO £11.5 million to sustain its work in London in 2024. It also softened its stance on the opera’s relocation, allowing it to keep a base in the city while moving its headquarters elsewhere. Then, in April, it backtracked, promising it an extra £24 million to carry it
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