London’s iconic Royal Opera House demonstrates its ongoing commitment to customer safety, receiving 5-stars with a National Policing Award for Safety.
The Royal Opera House, located in the heart of London’s theatre district, achieved this accolade after successfully taking part in a pioneering, police-led initiative to improve the safety and security of its premises for the benefit of staff, customers, and local communities.
Available as an on-line self-assessment, Licensing Security & Vulnerability Initiative (Licensing SAVI) brings together, for the first time, all the information that licensed premises need to comply with the requirements of local police and council licensing teams, achieve a star-rating and have the opportunity to apply for Licensing SAVI accreditation and an award.
The historic landmark, home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet and The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, was built in 1858 following a fire which destroyed the previous theatre building. The façade, foyer, and auditorium are original features with Grade I listing, but almost every other element of the current building dates from an extensive reconstruction which took place in the 1990s.
With the main auditorium seating 2,256 people, the Royal Opera House is the third largest in London and welcomes over one million people annually. The facility also extends opportunities through over 1,250 schools, community programmes and affordable performances for families, schools, students and more. As such, the venue is keen to implement measures which ensure the safety of all visitors, as well as their 1000-strong staff team.
Ian Brown, Head of Facilities at the Royal Opera House, said: “The safety of everyone who steps through our doors is our number one priority at the Royal Opera House, and we are delighted to have been recognised as a five-star venue in this regard. We look forward to safely welcoming thousands more people to our Covent Garden home in the months and years ahead.”
Licensing SAVI was developed at the request of the Home Office by Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (Police CPI), which works alongside the Police Service to deter and reduce crime. As well as provide safer and more secure venues for managers, staff, customers, and local communities, it also seeks to reduce demand on Police Forces, NHS Ambulance Services and Accident & Emergency Departments.
A YouGov survey of 5,050 adults aged 18-45 in England and Wales commissioned by Police CPI in September 2021 found that, in regard to theatres, 52% of adults agreed with the statement that ‘recent publicity around the safety of women and girls has made it more important for licensed premises to improve their safety procedures’. This number was significantly lower for theatres than other types of licensed venue, including pubs, bars and nightclubs.
