Statement from Stuart Murphy, Chief Executive:

“The government have brought the arts back from a cliff edge and on behalf of all our staff, audiences and performers, we at the ENO are hugely appreciative. Such support will allow the ENO to continue our long and vibrant history of creative innovation, bringing opera, classical music and the wider arts to as many people as possible, both in the London Coliseum and beyond.

“There are challenging times ahead but we’ve shown how adaptable ENO can be having pulled together our forthcoming drive-in opera which allows us to perform to people in a socially distanced world. This is just one of the many innovative projects the arts have devised in this period. This announcement allows the whole of the UK arts sector to plan with confidence, and we thank all those who have worked so hard on the deal. The arts matters and this package recognises that. We look forward to learning more in the days ahead.”