50 Musicians Protest Closure of Northern Ballet's Orchestra by Dressing Up as Shakespeare

Arts Council England is planning to replace the Northern Ballet Sinfonia with pre-recorded music

Fifty protestors, all of whom were dressed as William Shakespeare, recently took part in a protest at Sadler's Wells Theater in London. Organized by the Musicians' Union (MU), the event was protesting the proposed closure of the Northern Ballet's orchestra — which is currently set to be replaced by pre-recorded music from July onward.

The protest's Shakespeare theme related to Northern Ballet's upcoming production of Romeo and Juliet, which will be the first show without live music. Protestors held placards with slogans reading "O Live Music, Where Art Thou?" and "Don’t let live music come to a Bard end."

More than 19,000 people have already signed Northern Ballet Sinfonia’s petition to keep Northern Ballet live.

"[The] protest is a statement that we will continue applying pressure until Northern Ballet and Arts Council England agree a realistic funding solution, that protects jobs and keeps live music at the heart of Northern Ballet productions," said Naomi Pohl, General Secretary of the Musicians' Union.

"Musicians’ livelihoods are on the line – with our data showing that musicians, on average, make £20,000 a year, you can imagine that any negative impact on this income is felt very heavily. It impacts their ability to provide for themselves, their families, and their capacity to invest in their art."

"The fear is that this cut is a slippery slope and a recording being used in place of the company’s orchestra is a precedent our members won’t tolerate. It isn’t a position we want to be in, we understand the company needs more financial support, and urgently."

"With a general election announced, this is a key moment for us to make our case and ensure the arts are prioritized in any new government’s recovery plan."