Royal Opera House in £10m Arts Council boost

1 August 2012, 09:52 | Updated: 1 August 2012, 12:13

Opera in the capital receives a £10m boost from an Arts Council investment of £10m, given to the Royal Opera House

The Royal Opera House has been awarded £10m by Arts Council England. This huge investment means that maintenance work can be carried out on the Covent Garden site, despite a significant redevelopment 13 years ago.

Chief executive of the ROH Tony Hall said that the boost will help the opera house continue to invest in art and education. He also said that vital practical work could now be carried out: "This money will not be spent on chandeliers and red carpets, but on things that make the building function properly and to full capacity in the most energy efficient way."

Other organisations to benefit from substantial Arts Council investment include the National Theatre on London's South Bank, and the Chichester Festival Theatre. The news comes a year after cuts to arts investment in the UK were announced, resulting in  substantial closures for small arts organisations.

The investment of £43.8m is spread across five organisations in total.