Production Syndicates: increasing engagement and donations from membership

English Touring Opera (ETO) is the leading touring opera company in the UK. It tours productions in Spring and Autumn and presents as many as 110 performances per year.

In 2013 our former Head of Partnerships and Development, David Burgess, launched ETO Production Syndicates to increase engagement and donations from our membership.

Production Syndicates provide donors with a unique opportunity to get closer to the action and ETO with vital funds to support its touring work. They raise as much as half of our Individual Giving target each year.

About Production Syndicates

A Production Syndicate is a group of individuals who come together to support a production.

Joining a Syndicate enables the donor to learn more about the opera they are supporting, in the company of like-minded people. They get much closer to the work, joining the cast and creative team at every stage of the process — from initial designs, through rehearsals and the first night performance.

We ask individuals to make a donation of £1,000 or above to join a Production Syndicate. While many choose to give beyond this, it enables us to keep Syndicates accessible, allowing each supporter to make a significant impact and truly see the difference their gift has made in performance.

We have one Production Syndicate per season to support our Spring and Autumn tours. With our Autumn tour usually focused on Early Opera and the Spring on later works, the repertoire and case for support change drastically each time. This enables us to appeal to different tastes and motivations for giving. One Syndicate might be built around presenting a fun, accessible work which will inspire the next generation of opera lovers, while another might bring to life something that is only rarely performed.

Download the case study to read on:
Production Syndicates: increasing engagement and donations from membership (PDF)

Image courtesy of English Touring Opera. Giulio Cesare © Oliver Rosser.