Cross-arts collaborations are all the rage in London. “Collaborations at their best can be energising creative moments produced by artists headed in unexpected new directions; about extraordinary melting pots of ideas. Or they can be a disaster, like the Steve McQueen and Jessye Norman encounter. They should also be undertaken with enormous care. Hitherto, there have been a few certainties about the capital’s artistic life: the Wigmore was the home of chamber music and song; the ENO was the home of opera in English; Sadler’s Wells was the home of modern dance. One might have found those certainties deadening or dull, but at least it was clear what those organisations were for. There’s a problem with mixing it all up: you can get all mixed up.”