What it's like to work at Glyndebourne
Glyndebourne is dedicated to creating No Ordinary Opera, and we need an extraordinary team of individuals to make that possible.
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Help us bring No Ordinary Opera to life
When the Festival was founded in the Sussex countryside, it was innovative, daring and game-changing. We take pride in being the original maverick and this spirit has helped us to stay fiercely independent – creatively and financially. We push ourselves to broaden our audiences every year with our Tour, education, broadcasts and digital work. Where possible, we make everything – costumes, props, wigs – on site.
All of this is made possible of course by the people that make up the Glyndebourne family; colleagues, our members and audiences, our regular orchestras and visiting artists. We are committed to nurturing the whole family to ensure we can continue to create world-class opera for all. Being original, independent and nurturing is what makes Glyndebourne completely unique.
Open
We are open to new ideas, influences and audiences. That’s why we champion a culture of diversity and inclusion. We want to open our mind, our heart and our doors to everyone, so they can share our passion for opera.
Inventive
Never afraid to challenge the norm, we relish pushing creative boundaries. We are uncompromising in our quest for craft and innovation, striving to create a working environment that encourages creativity to flourish.
Collaborative
We champion rich creative partnerships with colleagues, artists and communities. Success relies on us working collaboratively together across many disciplines and experiences. This makes Glyndebourne greater than the sum of its parts.
Our Diversity and Inclusion working group is open for any member of staff to join, and is part of our commitment to making opera and Glyndebourne open to everyone.
Work in an amazing location
Our location in the heart of the Sussex Downs means that our staff get to enjoy working in one of the most beautiful landscapes in Britain. Take your lunch break in our 12-acres of gardens and see how they change from season to season, and explore the footpaths into the national park.
It’s a beautiful setting and we want it to stay that way. That’s why we strive for all of our activities to be carbon neutral. We’ve even installed our very own wind turbine, and between 2012 and 2019, the turbine generated 98% of our electricity consumption, resulting in a 50% reduction in carbon emissions.
We challenge all of our staff to think about the carbon footprint of their work. Everyone is welcome to join our group of environmental champions, who meet regularly to take action on new ways to reduce Glyndebourne’s impact on its surroundings.
How we support our staff and applicants
We take our responsibilities to our colleagues very seriously and we are committed to creating a safe working environment for all, both on and off the stage. In May 2019, we signed up to the Guardians Network, a programme established by the Old Vic theatre that offers a confidential outlet for colleagues to share concerns about behaviour or the culture at work. We have a group of trained Guardians available to support colleagues.
We also recognise the importance of supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our colleagues. Glyndebourne has supported this by training a group of colleagues to become Mental Health First Aiders. The team is there to listen, be supportive and signpost to appropriate professional help and support.
We are also a Disability Confident employer, and are dedicated to making Glyndebourne an accessible and inclusive environment to work. Find out more about our commitment to being Disability Confident, including the Guaranteed Interview scheme.
Staff benefits
- Complimentary dress rehearsal tickets for the Festival
- Subsidised dining at our onsite restaurants
- Free minibus travel during main office/ performing hours to and from Lewes
- Free onsite car parking
- 20% discount in the Glyndebourne Shop
- Season ticket loan to cover bus or train tickets for 6-12 months duration
- A cycle-to-work scheme
- Discount on local gym membership
- Long service awards
- Staff events
- Regular on-site physiotherapist clinics
- Confidential employee assistance and support helpline
- Free Pilates and Zumba classes, once a week
- Cost price electric car charging
- Free tea and coffee
- Discounts at various high street retailers through the Glyndebourne benefits hub