Madam, – Michael Dervan considers it a high point for opera in 2009 that Minister for Arts Martin Cullen has said we are to get a new national opera company based in Dublin (Arts, December 16th).
The new “national opera company” will, according to the Minister, emerge from Opera Ireland (OI) and Opera Theatre Company (OTC). This merger he says will be “driven from the department, working with the Arts Council and the two opera companies”.
Opera-goers as well as opera reviewers, need to have a say. As an opera-goer, I give it a cautious welcome.
Resources are scarce for the arts – everywhere. Opera Theatre Company is already part funded by the Northern Ireland Arts Council, (NIAC). Let’s build on that cross- Border operatic co-operation to build our “national” opera company.
Opera Theatre Company is de facto our “national” opera company already in existence; this aspect needs to be developed further. Opera Theatre Company is solvent and its raison d’être is to tour opera to all parts of our island. The company should be the platform to build our “national” opera company.
We can use these tighter fiscal times to forge an Irish opera company jointly funded from both sides of the Border; modelled on the two successful smaller UK regional opera companies – Opera North based in Leeds and Scottish Opera, based in Glasgow.
An opera company with a target to tour five or six productions to Belfast, Dublin, Cork and possibly Wexford (for a short spring season) should be what we are aiming for and not a mere reincarnation of Dublin Grand Opera Society.
I am sure such a positive North/South co-operation would be a very attractive target for much-needed corporate sponsorship. A flagship Irish corporate sponsor could also be sought for such a venture.
My fear is that the Minister sees Opera Theatre Company as an unnecessary expense and really as far as opera is concerned he is not prepared to look beyond the Pale. – Yours, etc,