Ethos.
Outland Opera was founded with a set of progressive values that we believe will result in a positive impact on the places and people we work with. Above all, we are committed to listening and learning at every step of the way.
We respect our artists.
Although Outland Opera is a very small company, we are committed to paying our artists a fair wage. Our fees are in line with Musician’s Union, Equity, SOLT and BECTU guidelines. As we grow, we will prioritise increasing fees.
Outland Opera rehearses with a flat structure. We create a secure base from which artists feel safe to explore. Everyone is encouraged to take risks and an active role in the creation of our work. We do not bill one artist above another and everyone is paid the same. Artists are paid to rehearse. We believe that these measures will help to ensure a quality artistic product that is of equal musical and dramatic value.
As we cannot create quality work in an unsafe environment, Outland Opera has a zero tolerance policy towards bullying and harassment.
We listen to locals.
We believe that arts engagement is about listening.
Outland Opera is committed to working with communities where it is difficult getting to live theatre performances. We understand that people may not have the means, time, or motivation to travel to the nearest big town to see a show. We also understand that opera might not seem like everyone’s cup of tea… and we are not in the business of telling people what art is ‘good’ and what art is ‘bad’!
Instead, we seek out local people, ask questions, and do our utmost to tell stories that resonate. Rather than taking a didactic approach, we work with local artists to ensure that we are honouring the existing offering in each location. We listen to both advice and criticism from the people in the communities we work with.
Although we cannot always make everyone happy, we can ensure that everyone is heard.
We leave no trace.
Outland Opera is an environmentally conscious organisation, rooted in our respect for the earth.
We ask that audience members are courteous towards each of the magical places we perform at by following our “leave no trace” policy, which can be found in our environmental policy and on e-tickets. We ask that everyone either picks up their own rubbish and takes it home with them, or uses one of our recycling and compost points. All of the compost that we collect will be donated to local gardeners. That’s right - your crusts could become carrots!
For our part, the company will perform in daylight when we don’t have access to mains electricity, reducing the need for generators to power lighting. We will encourage directors, designers, production managers and company stage managers to build sets using recycled, sustainable or reusable materials. We will look for environmentally friendly solutions to portable toilets and won’t purchase any brand new vehicles.
We have chosen a charity bank account with the best environmental credentials possible. We expect Trustees to ensure that any investments made to secure the charity’s financial future are ethical.
Outland Opera is part of Culture Declares Emergency.
We are prepared to change and grow.
We think about impact. This means thinking consciously about how we can change for the better.
This might mean considering how much waste is generated by our sets and costumes, who we bank with, who we accept donations from, who we cast in certain roles, what we are doing with data, and who sits on our boards.
Each of our projects will be monitored by an external project evaluator, who will ensure that we are proactively implementing sustained action and policy rather than reactively paying lip service to trending issues. After our first project, we will create our Theory of Change with help from an independent evaluator and publish it on our website.