Episode 19

How a national institution took on digital disruption

We chat to Stuart Murphy, CEO of English National Opera

When Stuart Murphy sent his team home as lockdown was announced in March 2020, he didn’t know what lay ahead. Yet he was determined to keep his colleagues connected at a time of crisis, and to help ENO continue to do what makes it unique: creating groundbreaking work. Digital was vital to their survival.

What follows is the story of how a national institution began to reinvent itself by embracing digital. From changing the way his organisation communicated, to building his own peer support network and responding to Black Lives Matter, Stuart tells us how ENO not only survived but thrived during a year of change and upheaval. Stuart has an inspiring story to tell which will resonate with anyone struggling to reconcile the tension between tradition and innovation in their organisation.

Paul and Zoe also discuss the latest tech news, from whether banning out of hours email can help with wellbeing to how dating apps could help the COVID-19 vaccination drive.

Notes and links -

The ENO

The ENO’s reduced price ticket scheme for under 35s

Should employees have the right to disconnect? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-57314814

Can dating apps support the vaccine rollout? Article from Wired

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Editing and production from Beth Donkin and Paul Thomas

Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music