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Opera Australia offers lifeline to stood-down staff
By Linda Morris
Opera Australia has extended a financial lifeline to more than 600 staff who have been temporarily stood down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Effective from Monday, the city's premier performance company will stand down until the end of May its full-time, fixed-term and contract staff including singers, musicians and technicians.
Those stood down will be put on half salary and be able to top up with long service leave, giving them access to up to 80 per cent of their regular salary based on a 38-hour week, the company said.
Natalie Aroyan as Odabella in Opera Australia's production of Attila, which has been cancelled.Credit: Prudence Upton
A core group of up to 35 staff will continue to work including Opera Australia's eight-member executive, each of which has volunteered to take reductions in their pay either in line with those who have been temporarily stood down or greater.
Casual employees, numbering around 300, are also being stood down - they will be released from contracts under varying arrangements and will have access to government support through stimulus packages.
Chief executive Rory Jeffes said the announcement, made in an email to staff, had been greeted with some relief.
He hoped it would provide two months of certainty for Opera Australia's staff while allowing the company board and executive to continue talks with state and federal governments and other potential sources of support so as the company can keep its workforce beyond May.
Members of the orchestra of Opera Australia performing with their instruments outside the offices of Opera Australia last week to call on the company to reconsider its decision to stand down musicians without pay. Credit: Louise Kennerley
"It has taken this company decades to assemble the kind of calibre of people we have and we are determined to keep them for when we come out of this hell," Mr Jeffes said.
Asked when that would be, he said: "One thing I know is the foreseeable is unforeseeable. Who would have known 12 days ago the position we'd be in now."
The offer of wage support may be a model for other performing arts companies, such as the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, facing similar struggles to stay afloat.
Jeffes said he had advised other major performing arts companies of Opera Australia's approach to wage support.
Meanwhile, Create NSW has notified arts companies it would be freed from funding grant conditions.
Among them is permission for arts companies and artists to divert funds from cancelled shows to pay staff or rent, audience KPI targets, reporting requirements and set timelines. Similar case-by-case provisions have been adopted by the Australia Council and the Federal Office of the Arts.
Screen NSW has offered to vary agreements across existing contracted projects spanning development and production, audience development and location scouts.
Chris Keely, Executive Director Create NSW, said: "The arts, screen and cultural sectors have been significantly impacted by restrictions on public gatherings and we want them to know that we’re on hand to help them through this."
The NSW government remains under intense pressure to match Victoria and South Australia, where targeted financial assistance has been announced for the arts sectors.
Create NSW invited key arts organisations to outline their needs in crisis by last Friday.