The Maiden of Venice Fundraising Gala: Over £47,000 raised!

On Thursday 26 March, we held The Maiden of Venice Fundraising Gala at the Grand Hotel Birmingham, with Natasha Kaplinsky as our host for the evening. The event was a tremendous success, raising over £47,000 through the generosity of our guests. These vital funds will support the reimagined production of La Bayadère as it tours stages across the UK next spring.

Our guests – generous Birmingham businesses and ballet fans alike – enjoyed a three-course fine dining experience, alongside exclusive ballet and musical performance excerpts by dancers of Birmingham Royal Ballet and musicians of the Royal Ballet Sinfonia. Highlights included a first look at choreography from The Maiden of Venice – a pas de deux performed by the two principal characters.

The evening also featured a raffle and a live auction led by Tom Best.

Thank you again to our host Natasha Kaplinsky, sculptor and shadow dancer exhibitor Will Budget, and generous sponsors of this event without whom this evening would not have been possible.

Thank you to all donors of our live and silent auction prizes:

Adam’s Restaurant
The Belfry Hotel & Resort
Birmingham City Football Club
Curtis Holder
Edwardian Hotel Group
Fortnum & Mason
Grand Hotel Birmingham
Hebridean Island Cruises
John Macfarlane
Lachlan Monaghan
Monuskin
Phil McIntyre Entertainments
Royal Ballet and Opera
Teatro la Fenice
Tony Iommi
University of Birmingham
The family of Ronald Siemiginowski, composer of the musical Mimma

Special thanks to the event sponsors Grand Hotel Birmingham, Harlequin Floors and Gusborne Wines.

Birmingham Royal Ballet is committed to creating world-class productions that inspire audiences and showcase the extraordinary talent of our dancers. Events like this play a vital role in sustaining our artistic excellence and supporting our mission to bring ballet to audiences everywhere.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to all who attended for their generosity and support. Your contributions are already helping to bring The Maiden of Venice to life, from the creation of ornate headdresses and intricate tutus to the construction of a breathtaking Venetian cityscape on stage.

What a night to remember!

The Maiden of Venice will be made possible thanks to support from Oak Foundation, Aud Jebsen, Charles Holloway OBE, The Wood & Steven Charitable Trust, Meaghan Grace Productions, The John S Cohen Foundation, and Cockayne Grants for the Arts, a Donor Advised Fund, held at The Prism Charitable Trust. Thanks also goes to The Maiden of Venice Giving Circle supporters Jane Van Ammel, Hon. Anna Birkett, Ian and Alison Fisher, Charles Glanville, Sandra Kendall, Chantelle and Penelope Mackay, Marian Mulady, Tony Newcombe, Linda Nicholls, Gillian Shaw, Richard and Su Simkin, and Dilys and Carla Skinner.