News and Events

Laidlaw Opera Trust announces appointment of new CEO

Laidlaw Opera Trust announces appointment of new CEO

[London, 21st August 2024] – Laidlaw Opera Trust is delighted to announce that Kate Roberts has been appointed Chief Executive Officer.

Kate’s exceptional track record in driving strategic change in the global events businesses at Informa and The Economist will be invaluable as she guides the Laidlaw Opera Trust into the next phase of its mission. Her expertise in market analysis, and customer engagement, combined with her dedication to quality and sustainability, align seamlessly with our mission to broaden the reach and impact of live opera.

Kate’s love of classical music started at age six when someone put a violin in her hand. She proved herself an exceptionally mediocre performer but developed a deep appreciation of classical music and, later, opera.

Most recently she has been working as Director of Research and Events at Laidlaw Opera Trust, coordinating research into the public perception of opera, and convening the opera ecosystem to face the extraordinary challenges that it currently faces.

As CEO, Kate will lead our efforts to make opera more accessible and inclusive, support innovative productions, nurture talented British singers, and foster a sustainable future for the art form.

Susanna Kempe, current CEO of Laidlaw Opera Trust will move to the role of Trustee. She said, “In launching the Business of Opera Summit, Kate has immersed herself in the world of opera; and become one of its fiercest champions. I cannot think of anyone better to lead Laidlaw Opera Trust into our next phase of growth and impact.”

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Kate Roberts, the incoming CEO of the Laidlaw Opera Trust, said “I am so excited to work with this unique, powerful art form at a time of great challenge and complexity. As organisations navigate today’s funding environment there is a great opportunity for new thinking and change to enable opera to continue telling great stories to future generations while upholding the highest standards of artistic excellence. I am looking forward to engaging with the sector and helping facilitate innovation, quality, impact, and sustainability. I feel so privileged to be able to work with the brilliant, creative, and passionate people who make up the opera ecosystem.”

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‍About the Laidlaw Opera Trust

Laidlaw Opera Trust champions live opera as a uniquely thrilling art form, accessible to all. We invest in opera companies and houses that believe that opera should be part of everyone’s cultural capital. Through strategic investments and grants, we aim to expand opera’s reach and self-sufficiency. Funded solely by our Chair, Lord Laidlaw, in 2024 we have supported The Met, ROH, Glyndebourne, Grange Festival, Savonlinna, Opera Monaco, and Diva.

Media Contact:

‍Keir Chauhan
keir.chauhan@laidlawfoundation.com

What the Public Really Thinks About Opera

Press release: Young people more up for a night at the opera than their older peers

Young people are more open to attending opera performances than their older peers, a major new research project has found.

The finding is based on a nationally representative poll by Public First for the Laidlaw Opera Trust exploring the public’s views on opera, one of the biggest surveys of its kind ever undertaken in the UK.

It will be a filip for opera bosses who have long battled the stereotype that the art form will only ever be the preserve of older representatives of the establishment.

Some 61% of 18-34 year olds say they would consider going to an opera performance in the future. The same age group were the most likely of any to say this. Indeed, 54% of 18-34 year olds who have never been to the opera say they would like to go at least once in their life, compared to 37% of those over 55.

The survey also revealed a gender divide. Given a choice as to what they would prefer a free ticket for, women are more likely to prefer the opera than a football match.

Other key findings include:

Opera struggles to cut through but the public are open to engaging with it - nearly half the public (42%) say they have never met an opera fan and only around a third claim to have attended a performance. 46% of the public say they would not notice if every opera house in the UK shut down. But even those who have never met an opera fan are open to engaging with the art form. 41% of this group say they would like to go to the opera at least once in their life.

The public see opera as unique - 71% of the public see opera as a unique art form, including 67% of those who have never attended a performance. The talent of performers, opera's artistic value, spectacle, cultural significance and tradition most drive positive perceptions.

More traditional operas drive interest but there is still space for innovation - when asked about a range of hypothetical operas, the public showed the highest levels of interest in more traditional performances rather than modern ones, as well as an appetite for operas performed in smaller, more intimate locations.

But opera's perceived expense is the biggest barrier to attendance - 50% of people say opera being expensive makes them feel more negative about it; by far the most important factor in driving negative perceptions. A majority expect an opera ticket in London to set them back at least £75; only 1 in 10 would be willing to pay that much but 50% would pay £10-£75. The public are almost twice as likely to say that lower costs would encourage them to attend an opera performance than any other change, with options such as more relevant stories or more diverse casts much less popular.

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Lord Laidlaw, Chair of Laidlaw Opera Trust said: ‍

“We commissioned this research because we believe that opera, as a uniquely thrilling art form, should reach a much wider audience. It is an important starting point therefore to understand where the real barriers to that ambition currently lie.”‍

Mike Crowhurst, Director at research agency, Public First, which conducted the research, said: ‍

"These findings show the potential for opera to connect with a wider audience but challenges some received wisdom about how to do this. The opera sector needs to keep delivering the spectacle, talent and tradition that people think makes the art form unique whilst also allowing more of them to access it at a reasonable cost."‍

Notes to editors:‍

For more information contact: mike.crowhurst@publicfirst.co.uk

Public First - a member of the British Polling Council - questioned a nationally representative sample of more than 4000 adults in the UK in January 2024.

A report summarising the initial findings of this research has been published at: www.businessofopera.com

Full results of this work, including the results of forthcoming qualitative research, will be presented at the Business of Opera conference on 10th October 2024. For more information please visit: www.businessofopera.com

This work was commissioned by the Laidlaw Opera Trust. Laidlaw Opera Trust champions live opera as a uniquely thrilling art form, by supporting Opera companies and houses to expand their reach and repertoire sustainably. Current grantees include: The Met, ROH, Glyndebourne, Grange Festival and Diva Opera.

Public First is a global strategic consultancy that works to help organisations better understand public opinion, analyse economic trends and craft new policy proposals. Public First is a member of the British Polling Council, and results of this research are published on Public First’s website. For more information, please visit: www.publicfirst.co.uk

NEWS & EVENTS

Laidlaw Opera Trust announces appointment of new CEO

Laidlaw Opera Trust announces appointment of new CEO

What the Public Really Thinks About Opera

What the Public Really Thinks About Opera

Press release: Young people more up for a night at the opera than their older peers

Press release: Young people more up for a night at the opera than their older peers

Business of Opera 2024

Business of Opera 2024