THE ROYAL BALLET SCHOOL LAUNCHES ACCESSIBLE MEMBERS AND YOUNG MEMBERS PROGRAMME
To help meet the challenge of raising vital funds to ensure its survival, The Royal Ballet School has launched a new digital membership programme to widen access for those who wish to support, wherever they are.
For just £45 per year for Young Members and £65 for members, the new programme will make giving essential support accessible to a wider audience of donors, particularly younger philanthropists or those based internationally. The programme officially launches on Wednesday 5 July, and sign-up for the flexible annual membership is easy with just a simple online payment.
The Royal Ballet School is a registered charity and receives some funding from the Department for Education. This funding has remained at a standstill for many years, during which time the costs of training and educating dancers at the School have continued to rise, leaving an ever-increasing shortfall. The School must raise over £1 million in unrestricted general donations each year to stay running, and the contributions of generous donors are crucial.
Members and Young Members will become an integral part of the School’s community, enjoying exclusive behind-the-scenes access to ballet classes via Zoom, a bi-monthly newsletter with photos, videos and stories from inside the School and generous discounts on Royal Ballet School shop and video-on-demand products.
Membership fees will go towards the School’s General Fund, which meets the core costs of running the School. This includes the running of state-of-the-art studios, facilities and accommodation, funding for healthcare provision, salaries for teachers and other expert staff and maintaining the School’s historic buildings.
The School trains and educates exceptional young dancers for professional careers in The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and other top-flight UK and international companies. It also runs training and outreach programmes for dance students, dance teachers and the general public, working to create opportunities for people around the world to discover ballet and access high-quality dance education. The School has never needed investment in its future more than now, and Members will be directly supporting this future.
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For further information, please contact: pressmedia@royalballetschool.org.uk
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NOTES TO EDITORS
The Royal Ballet School
The Royal Ballet School is one of the world’s most celebrated centres for classical ballet training. It is both the leading classical ballet school in the UK and an international institution, attracting dancers with exceptional potential from the UK and worldwide.
The School fosters academic and artistic excellence, nurturing its extraordinary students holistically and preparing them for careers with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, other leading UK and international companies and beyond. For generations, the School has contributed immeasurably to the UK’s rich dance heritage, producing dancers and choreographers of international renown – from Darcey Bussell, Margot Fonteyn, Anya Linden, and Kenneth MacMillan, to a new generation currently making its mark on the world stage – Matthew Ball, Francesca Hayward, Steven McRae, Marcelino Sambé, and Christopher Wheeldon, to name a few.
Admission to the School is based purely on talent and potential, regardless of academic ability or personal circumstances. Around 90% of current students rely on financial support to attend the School.
Alongside this, the School sets the standard for the future of classical ballet training with its extensive teacher training programmes. Its unique expertise empowers all teachers to deliver exceptional training, whether in the vocational or recreational sector. The School also works to raise awareness of the benefits of dance and create opportunities for people worldwide to experience and engage with classical ballet, with dedicated in-person and online programmes for dance students, primary school children and the general public.
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