Strapped Finnish National Opera to cut down on performances

Ministry of Education tightens grip on Opera Board

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The crisis-hit Finnish National Opera is to cut down the number of performances on its main stage by as much as a fifth from 2008 onwards, while implementing a five-day week in its production. In the future, the Ministry of Education will pursue closer financial monitoring, while the staff and the executive management of the Opera will no longer have voting rights in board meetings.
      The Board of the Opera approved of the cost-cutting plan in its meeting on Wednesday.
      In practice, the number of premières will remain at seven, with the number of works in the repertoire being around 15, while the weekly number of performances will be reduced by one. As the number of rehearsals and performances will be reduced, the technical units will adopt a five-day week - mainly from Tuesday to Saturday.
     
The Ministry of Education will pursue closer financial monitoring in the future. "The owners' control will tighten and strengthen", admitted the Chairman of the Board Seppo Tiitinen.
      Following a change in regulations, the staff and the executive management of the Opera are no longer to have voting rights in board meetings.
      However, the three members of the staff will retain their right to be present and to speak, while General Director Erkki Korhonen and Administrative Director Pekka Kauranen will act as presenting officials at board meetings.
     
The change will narrow down the power of the two directors. However, in Tiitinen's view, it was not a no-confidence vote in Korhonen and Kauranen.
      Previously the board members chose a chair from among themselves, but in the future the choice will be made by the Ministry of Education, which also appoints the majority of the board, namely five of the total of nine members.
     
A new board will be appointed in the spring. The board will continue to include two members named by the City of Helsinki, one by the City of Espoo, and one by the City of Vantaa.
      The cost-cutting programme will not affect the lay-offs that have been announced earlier.
      The entire staff of the National Opera will be laid off for two months, namely May and August, while the annual holidays will be taken in June and July. Consequently, the interruption in performances is scheduled to last four months.
     
The lay-offs were a result of major budget overruns in 2005, while the year 2006 was secured thanks to a donation of EUR 550,000 given by an anonymous donor.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  National Opera to reduce staff by 40; two-month layoff for all in summer National Opera to reduce staff by 40; two-month layoff for all in summer National Opera to reduce staff by 40; two-month layoff for all in summer 2007 (27.4.2006)
  Helsinki theatres enjoying box-office boom while opera suffers (18.4.2006)

Links:
  Finnish National Opera
  Ministry of Education

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