A big question for opera makers is always ‘how can I fund my show?’
We’ve already made a list of who funds opera in general, so today, we’re taking a look at who’s funded Tête à Tête shows in the past five years and what they’ve funded.
While you should always check a funder’s website for the latest information about what they fund, the below should give you some idea of what different organisations might be tempted to support.
A few caveats:
- The list below is based on publicly-listed funders of shows in Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival 2018-2023. Most shows don’t have any funders listed at all!
- Many shows will have other sources of funding, whether from private donors, crowdfunding, or the creators themselves.
- The list does not include support in kind, such as letting people use rehearsal or performance space for free, free consultancy, or even co-creating a video game.
- The past five years have seen a lot of change. In 2020, some funders opened their purse strings more easily, as there were fewer projects around to fund due to the pandemic, while others chose to give out less money to make sure that could give grants out after the lockdowns. Several have closed or changed their funding requirements over the past few years, and may no longer fund opera.
The Big One
Arts Council England (via Project Grants and Developing Your Creative Practice)
Fierce Love (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/fierce-love/)
The Trans Lady Sings! (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/the-trans-lady-sings/)
On Being Vocal (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/on-being-vocal/)
Displaced: A Woolwich Arsenal Opera (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/displaced-a-woolwich-arsenal-opera/)
Voices of the Sands (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/voices-of-the-sands/)
1936: Fishing (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/1936-fishing/)
The Monk of the River (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/the-monk-of-the-river-live/)
Sophie (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/sophie-live/)
The Bridge Between Breaths (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/the-bridge-between-breaths/)
The Trilobite, or the Fall of Mr Williams (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/the-trilobite-or-the-fall-of-mr-williams/)
The Hive (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/the-hive-2/)
Voice(less) (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/voiceless/)
The Key (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/the鍵key/)
Proposition for a Silent Opera at an Invisible Museum (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/li-e-chen-proposition-for-a-silent-opera-at-an-invisible-museum-i-am-a-museum/)
Other Major Funders
PRS Foundation
The PRS Foundation has various strands of funding available
PRS Foundation Composers’ Fund
Songs of Hope (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/songs-of-hope/)
PRS Foundation Open Fund for Individuals
Voices of the Sands (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/voices-of-the-sands/)
Sophie (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/sophie-live/)
PRS Foundation Women Make Music
Sophie (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/sophie-live/)
Fleet Footing Anniversary Walk: An Audio Treasure Hunt (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/fleet-footing-anniversary-walk-an-audio-treasure-hunt/)
Hinrichsen Foundation
Bermondsey, 1983 (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/bermondsey-1983/)
The Trilobite, or the Fall of Mr Williams (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/the-trilobite-or-the-fall-of-mr-williams-2022/)
ROBE (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/robe/)
Fleet Footing Anniversary Walk: An Audio Treasure Hunt (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/fleet-footing-anniversary-walk-an-audio-treasure-hunt/)
Marchus Trust
Bermondsey, 1983 (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/bermondsey-1983/)
Voices of the Sands (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/voices-of-the-sands/)
RVW Trust
Voices of the Sands (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/voices-of-the-sands/)
Outlier (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/outlier/)
Memoirs of an Amnesiac: The Life of Erik Satie (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/memoirs-of-an-amnesiac-the-life-of-erik-satie/)
RUNE (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/rune-live/)
The Key (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/the鍵key/)
Vaughan Williams Foundation
The Golden Thread (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/the-golden-thread/)
Songs of Descent (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/songs-of-descent/)
One Time Funders
Geographic Focus
Adam Mickiewicz Institute/Polska Music
Birdy (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/birdy-2/)
Arts Council Tokyo (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation of rHistory and Culture)
The Key (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/the鍵key/)
Arts Promotion Centre Finland
RUNE (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/rune-live/)
British Council
what the dog said to the harvest (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/what-the-dog-said-to-the-harvest/)
Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation
The Key (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/the鍵key/)
Danish Composers’ Society
Duncan House (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/duncan-house/)
Hong Kong Arts Development Council
The Monster of Gao Village (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/the-monster-of-gao-village/)
Japan Foundation
The Key (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/the鍵key/)
Polish Cultural Institute London
Birdy (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/birdy-2/)
Smaller Trusts and Foundations
The Finzi Trust
Voice(less) (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/voiceless/)
The Fenton Arts Trust
The Perfect Opera (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/the-perfect-opera/)
The Hope Scott Trust
RUNE (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/rune-live/)
Schwarz Foundation
Judith (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/judith/)
The Henfrey Charitable Trust
EXPO MCYO: a thread through change (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/expo-mcyo-live/)
Institutional Focus
Goldsmiths Graduate Fund, Music Research Committee and Music Department
ROBE (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/robe/)
Special Interest (Often specific partnerships with a company)
Aura-Soma
Judith (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/judith/)
Fans for Diversity
Displaced: A Woolwich Arsenal Opera (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/displaced-a-woolwich-arsenal-opera/)
Live Art Development Agency
Proposition for a Silent Opera at an Invisible Museum (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/li-e-chen-proposition-for-a-silent-opera-at-an-invisible-museum-i-am-a-museum/)
Powell Tuck Associates
The Key (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/the鍵key/)
Theta Healing
Judith (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/judith/)
Miscellaneous
Berkeley Group
Displaced: A Woolwich Arsenal Opera (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/displaced-a-woolwich-arsenal-opera/)
Maria Björnson Memorial Fund
The Journey (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/the-journey/)
Mu Arts
The Key (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/the鍵key/)
The Sarah Caple Scholarship
RUNE (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/rune-live/)
Sensoria Festival
what the dog said to the harvest (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/what-the-dog-said-to-the-harvest/)
Peabody
Displaced: A Woolwich Arsenal Opera (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/displaced-a-woolwich-arsenal-opera/)
Woolwich Works
Displaced: A Woolwich Arsenal Opera (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/displaced-a-woolwich-arsenal-opera/)
Other Examples of Support
Wild Plum Arts Residency
Voices of the Sands (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/voices-of-the-sands/)
Snape Maltings
Voice(less) (https://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/event/voiceless/)