Sir Bryn Terfel Jones, CBE has begun a petition against the Arts Council England’s decision to cut funding from the English National Opera.

The petition is directed at the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Michelle Donelan who announced the decision on Nov. 4, 2022.

The petition says, “We call on the Government to radically rethink removing the English National Opera as an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. The careers of singers, musicians, technical staff, creatives and other skilled workers both permanent and freelance will be at risk. Hundreds of thousands of audiences in London and nationwide, on broadcast and digital will be without opera.”

It added, “Fund the ENO to continue their vital contribution to London’s global cultural status as well as supporting their levelling up agenda nationwide and their groundbreaking ENO Breathe NHS programme for long covid sufferers. ENO is Opera for Everyone!”

Terfel noted that over 92 years the ENO has brought audiences under 35, first-timer operagoers, and given free tickets for audiences under 21 and that 11 percent of ENO’s audience are ethnically diverse, among others.

You can read and sign the petition here.