Dame Vivien Duffield, whose role in the Royal Opera House has been both celebrated and denigrated, will no longer have such a role.Having come off the main board of the ROH, Duffield, who has been the greatest benefactor of the House, will no longer have a role in fundraising either, as the trust of which she has been chairman for 16 years, is to be wound up. This is sure to spark a great deal of press attention. The Sunday Times kicks off...<P> <P><B>Opera house dumps its £25m benefactor <BR>Richard Brooks, Arts Editor</B> <P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>THE curtain is about to come down on the performance of Dame Vivien Duffield, the Royal Opera House's greatest benefactor. The executive regime running the opera house is intent on sidelining her after she has raised more than £100m for it and personally donated millions more - perhaps as much as £25m.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> <P><A HREF="http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/news/pages/sti/2001/07/29/stinwenws02020.html" TARGET=_blank><B>more...</B></A><p>[This message has been edited by Emma Pegler (edited July 29, 2001).]

Central School of Ballet would love her help in raising funds for them!!!<P>Whatis going on?<BR>

So much for me expecting the huge furore that would happen as Ms Duffield exits...surely we can at least expect some comment from her in the press.

The Coliseum as a ballet house was and is a wonderful idea, as the sightlines are incomparably better than at the Royal Opera House. To be honest a number of dance administrators had the same idea, but I don't know who had it first.

I guess with all the money spent on ballet studios at Covent Garden a complete move is unlikely. But couldn't the Paris Opera model with two major venues still be used? POB perform happily at both Bastille and Garnier.

I haven't given up all hope.

<small>[ 29 June 2004, 05:04 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>