Equity members of the Welsh National Opera chorus have voted for industrial action and will continue to take action short of a strike from April 9, 2025, and thereafter.

Per the vote, 95 percent of members voted for action short of a strike,e and 91 percent voted in favor of strike action on a 100 percent turnout. The vote is in response to the Welsh National Opera’s management proposals to make cuts to the size of the full-time chorus as well as other cuts to chorus members’ terms and conditions.

“We have been clear from the very start of this dispute: the chorus will not accept compulsory redundancies. This would equate to a career-ending scenario if they remain in Wales, where opportunities for professional singers are virtually non-existent,” said Equity’s Wales Official Simon Curtis per an official press release. “We urge WNO management to reassess their business plan and budget given recent financial developments – including Arts Council of Wales (ACW) Resilience Funding, an increased ACW budget for 2025/6, and potential discussions around direct Welsh Government support – and not make cuts that would harm the livelihoods of the workforce and quality of the WNO’s opera provision.”

The Welsh government has announced a £4.4 million boost to Wales’ arts and culture budget for 2025-26. However, this follows a 10.5 percent cut to Arts Council of Wales funding last year. While the upcoming budget has been restored to 2023-24 levels, it remains set against a backdrop of a 40 percent real-terms funding reduction since 2010, which has significantly impacted the sector. In contrast, the Scottish Government has increased its arts and culture funding by £34 million for 2025-26, demonstrating a stronger commitment to sustained investment in the sector.

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