Opera North director warns of isolationism from Brexit vote

Dan Jarvis MP and Mary Creagh MP with Richard Mantle, General Director Opera North, in the wig department during a visit and tour of Opera North at Leeds Grand Theatre today. Picture Bruce Rollinson

Richard Mantle, general director at Opera North, expressed fears a Leave vote in tomorrow’s EU referendum could isolate UK cultural organisations from their European counterparts.

Mr Mantle said: “I think you can certainly see over the last 40 years the real value of being part of an enormous talent pool which is Europe.”

He continued: “This natural exchange of ideas, of people, of talent that has gone on over 30 or 40 years has really strengthened and enriched our cultural sector to an extent that possibly wouldn’t have been there in the past.

“So many young artists, singers musicians, directors, designers, all sorts of things, have exported their talents into Europe, they often go and work there and they come back.

“Art does transcend borders and my concern is that I don’t want to see us become more isolationist again because I think there is a great richness and diversity in freedom of movement.”

Opera North is currently staging Wagner’s Ring Cycle where 25 per cent of the cast are European singers.

“We’ve really married British artists with Europeans in a wonderful way.

“They’ve brought that experience of doing Ring and that’s been an enormously rich sharing of talent and knowledge that would be more difficult to do,” Mr Mantle added.

Wakefield MP Mary Creagh and Barnsley Central MP Dan Jarvis today visited Opera North at their Leeds Grand Theatre home as part of the Remain campaign.

Mrs Creagh stressed the value of the arts and creative industries to the UK economy.

She said: “We have Hull as capital of culture in Yorkshire next year and Leeds is bidding to be capital of culture Europe-wide in 2023 and much of the regeneration that has taken place in Yorkshire in the post-coal and steel times has been arts-led regeneration.

“In Wakefield we have had EU money to redevelop our waterfront and the Hepworth Gallery.

“The creative industries in this country are a huge employer, one in 17 jobs across the country rely on the creative industries, things like media, sport, advertising fashion.

“We lead the world on these things.”

Mr Jarvis added: “There is focus on the cultural links we have in Europe. My own local museum, Experience Barnsley, is partially funded with European money. We would not have been able to build the museum without that significant financly contribution.

“In the end, most things bridge back to the economy and the creative industries, the cultural sector is a significant part of our economy in Yorkshire and the North of England and a decision to leave the European Union brings all sorts of risk and all sorts of potential upheaval.”