Indoor theatre performances pass highlights urgent need for funding answers, says Bectu

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has announced that indoor performances with socially distanced audiences will be able to take place from 1 August.

Head of Bectu Philippa Childs said: “News that theatres can restart indoor performances to live audiences from 1 August is a significant development for the industry.

“However, we know that theatres and venues will not be open in two weeks’ time. Theatres will have to bring back productions, sell tickets, conduct rehearsals and prepare for how they will operate in a Covid-secure way before they can open up again.

“Socially distanced audiences will not provide the revenue for these businesses to be fully viable again without government support and it’s not clear how confident people will be about returning to theatres.

“This announcement brings into sharp focus the need for urgent answers to the pressing questions that we have been asking since the arts recovery package was announced nearly two weeks ago.

“The industry still needs to know which organisations will be getting the money, how much they will get and will it be in the form of a loan or a grant. This information is crucial to help save the livelihoods of those working in the Sector and to halt redundancy consultations”