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From the Royal Opera House:
The tragedy of Liam Scarlett's death in April this year came as a profound shock to everyone in The Royal Ballet. The inquest into his death took place today, and the thoughts of everyone in The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera House are with his family, his friends and all others affected.
Liam joined The Royal Ballet in 2005 and had a long history with the company, to which he contributed his very considerable artistic talents, both as dancer and as a choreographer. After he retired as a dancer, he held the role of Artist in Residence from November 2012 to March 2020.
We have reflected deeply on the events of the last eighteen months. We have a duty of care to all of those who work for us and with us, and we take this duty profoundly seriously. We supported all those involved with the independent investigation, including Liam, throughout the process, and we are clear that the Royal Opera House must always be the safest artistic environment for everybody involved.
We have had thorough policies on safeguarding, wellbeing and equality and inclusion for many years, and have a number of robust reporting mechanisms in place. These include through an anonymous whistleblowing service – in place since 2016 – and processes to ensure thorough, fair and independent investigation of allegations. We also have a strict drugs and alcohol policy in place, with zero tolerance towards drug taking or drug possession. However, nothing is beyond improvement, and we have reviewed every element of our policies and practices to ensure that the highest standards are there for all who work with us – across the Royal Opera House, with visiting companies and with the wider industry.
Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano') about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.
His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia' column for Dancing Times magazine.
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So The Royal Ballet had nothing whatever to do with the depression that may have led to Liam Scarlett’s death. So everybody’s as clean as a whistle at Covent Garden. If you believe that, I’ve got a bridge for sale.
Well Said
Richard Nixon: ‘There can be no whitewash at the White House’. BTW, is it London Bridge you are selling?
Yes, and the Royal’s dance as well as the Bolshoi
I am sooo very sorry for Liam (even though he might not have been flawless) and his family and friends!
I agree with you Mr. Hood. Somethings not right. Like all institutions, they have to save themselves.
As expected, the holier than thou at Covent Garden admit no culpability.
No doubt something is terribly wrong.
I agree with all of the above. By investing so much in crafting the perfect corporate response, the ROH has made it clear there’s lots to be concerned about. I am not defending Scarlett but think he was deprived of some aspects of due process. I know he resigned but apparently he has been fragile emotionally for years. The ROH has created the ambiguity that the charges were so awful that he could not defend himself. When in fact it may be that he was too fragile emotionally to deal with the public humiliation of being charged. And if the charges were that bad why did it take the ROH so many years to address them? Hmmm.
I agree with you, Slippergirl. I don’t know whether it’s true, but on a ballet blog not long ago I read that when Liam Scarlett was a student at White Lodge, “they passed him around like Manon.” My experience of organizations has convinced me that they are the last place to look for the truth when it comes to the results of an investigation. An entity will always, without exception, defend itself against perceived injustice with a lot of bromides and never, ever, take responsibility for its role in a disaster within its ranks.