Working at the ROH
What We Do
The Royal Opera House (ROH) aims to enrich people’s lives through opera and ballet. Home to two of the world’s great artistic companies – The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet, performing with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House – we seek to be always accessible and engaging, to develop audiences across the UK and to break new ground in the presentation of lyric theatre.
We are one of the busiest theatres in the world, delivering over 400 performances and around 1,350 learning events each year, employing 1,000 permanent staff and generating a turnover of £142 million and attracting 1.5m attendances in Covent Garden and in cinemas, further extended via broadcasting, digital activity and collaboration with touring companies. Creative projects involve more than 20,000 participants in addition to which we connect tens of thousands more young people with arts and culture at our second home in Thurrock and as a ‘Bridge’ organisation in the East of England. Our digital learning resources receive millions of views. We have a central role to play in cultivating a healthy future for opera, ballet and, more broadly, the UK’s cultural ecology, and we are committed to uncovering and nurturing talent across all our work. Our many collaborators range from the London Sinfonietta, the V&A, and Opera North to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the Royal Ballet School, to international companies and theatres.
Our Vision, Values and Priorities
We believe the art forms of opera and ballet can both entertain and offer deep emotional and intellectual fulfilment: they are a direct link to the combined experiences of past generations and a lens on the contemporary world. Engaging with opera and ballet has the potential to enhance the wellbeing of individuals and communities. Extraordinary, world-class performances are at the absolute heart of our vision and we especially prioritise investment in new work.
The Royal Opera House is dedicated to nurturing, creating and sharing astonishing, world-class opera, ballet and theatre craft. We are driven by an urge to deepen our impact – our impact on the continuing development of opera and ballet as living, breathing art forms, and our impact on people in the UK and overseas.
You can find out more by reading our latest annual report.
Leadership
The Royal Opera House aims to nurture a supportive environment where talent can thrive and in which all those working at and with the Royal Opera House feel valued, challenged and satisfied. We are dedicated to an inclusive style of leadership that allows us to be generous, collaborative and respectful to our people. By involving our teams and inspiring them to achieve the best for the Royal Opera House and themselves, we can continue to strengthen our organisation and develop the talent of tomorrow for our industry.
Our approach is disciplined, flexible and productive. We hope that we create an environment which allows everyone to bring their authentic self to work and perform at their best. Our managers and teams continually strive for excellence in everything they do, always seeking to be innovative, bold and creative in their decision making and actions.
What to expect once you are working with us
Our Human Resources team will provide you with all the information you need prior to starting at the Royal Opera House and will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about the role.
You will have a structured induction, including tours of both our Covent Garden and Thurrock sites. This is a great way to orient yourself and understand how all the work comes together. We are a big organisation, with over a 1000 employees; there will be plenty of people to meet, and we use SharePoint to connect with other people and stay up to date with information and announcements.
We have a proactive onsite Occupational Health service that will support you in your work when needed and help to make any reasonable adjustments that may be required. You will meet with them in your first week of work.
Here are some additional employment benefits:
- Membership of the ROH Pension scheme
- Interest free season ticket loan once you have passed your probation and onsite spaces for secure cycle storage, subject to availability
- Subsidised canteen and coffee bar
- Occasional staff offers on performance tickets and access to general rehearsals
- Discounts on publications, recordings and giftware at the ROH Shop
- Flexible working
- Family Friendly policies
- Childcare vouchers scheme
- Access to our Employee Assistance Programme providing 24 hour advice and counselling services
- Access to the ROH Benevolent Fund, providing confidential support and assistance
- Special arrangements for Healthcare including a health cash plan for employees and healthcare support for performers
- Discounts on alternative and physical therapies provided in-house
- Discounted staff ballet, pilates and yoga classes
- Concessions at a wide range of local Covent Garden shops, restaurants and gyms
Our staff tell us that the Royal Opera House is a great place to work. Here is what they think are some of the best things about working here:
“I am extremely proud of where I work and the standard of performance we produce.”
“The high level of skill and commitment of the people who work here, both in the building and in the team I work in.”
“We know we are working with a lot of the best people in the field.”
“There is always something different going on, different people coming in for productions.”
“The creative output of the ROH is so varied and crosses art forms.”
“The nature of the organisation means that the work is constantly flowing and varied, which keeps me on my toes and I feel like I am being challenged in a positive way”
“Colleagues are supportive and helpful and don’t let each other struggle with work without offering help.”
Source: Royal Opera House Staff Survey 2015
The Royal Opera House Benevolent Fund
As an employee of the Royal Opera House you get access to the ROH Benevolent Fund, which provides confidential support and assistance.
The Royal Opera House Benevolent Fund is an independent charity that supports current and retired staff of the Royal Opera House and the Birmingham Royal Ballet. They also assist other individuals or organisations involved in producing opera, ballet or music.
Outreach
The Learning and Participation programmes we deliver are also often cited by our people as some of the most rewarding and inspiring work we are doing.
Training and Development of Your Talent and Skills
We want all our people to be equipped to work to the best of their abilities. We encourage individuals to have ownership of their careers and professional development, and we supplement comprehensive on-the-job learning with training that responds to both the requirements of the job and to individual needs and aspirations.
We are always looking at ways to make everybody’s experience at the ROH fulfilling and rewarding. If you come to work for us, we want you to feel valued, challenged and satisfied in your role.
Royal Opera House Covent Garden Foundation, a charitable company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales (Company number 480523) Charity Registered (Number 211775)