Covid delay another devastating blow to battered culture sector
The four-week delay to the easing of lockdown is a devastating blow to the already battered culture sector, hitting those venues yet to reopen as well as those that have reopened under very strict social distancing measures, often at a loss.
Operating at a capacity of one third or less is financially unviable for most venues – most performances require 70-80% of tickets sold just to break even. Producers and event organisers are now faced with the difficult decision of whether to start planning, production, and rehearsals for shows and events due to open in late July and August. Many will already have spent hundreds of thousands, only to be left with no Covid insurance to cover losses.
Theatres, venues and live events businesses have received little to no support from the Culture Recovery Fund and no insurance support from the government. Thousands of Bectu members have relied on government support schemes, thousands more haven’t received a penny in furlough or SEISS money.
The spread of the Delta variant is an understandable reason for the delay of the full easing of restrictions, yet it must be coupled with government support. Theatres, venues, live events businesses and workers all need bridging support from the government until they can operate at full capacity.
Head of Bectu Philippa Childs says: “The delay of the reopening of theatres, venues and live events is another extremely disappointing blow for the sector. The creative industries have been amongst the hardest hit by the pandemic, yet its workers have received some of the lowest levels of government support.
“As the furlough scheme winds down, job losses are a huge concern. After almost 18 months of falling through the gaps of government support schemes, a delay in the reopening of the creative industries getting back to work is going to be a struggle for many freelancers.”
The Government must provide financial support to the culture sector through:
- A government backed insurance scheme, similar to the Film and Television Production Restart Scheme, that would alleviate the risk of planning future events.
- Allocating the remainder of the Culture Recovery Fund to the organisations most impacted by this setback.
- Extending furlough and SEISS until all restrictions are lifted.