The government has left us to fend for ourselves and jobs and venues will disappear

Without help your favourite venue and workers may disappear from the sector, warns lighting technician Matthew Bird

“You were not and have not been forgotten,” Rishi Sunak stated in his speech updating us on the future of the government’s furlough scheme.

On 29 May I  found myself sitting on a park bench with my good friend and colleague Peter. Peter has worked for the same arts organisation for 40 years and we celebrated this about a month before lockdown began. After having a socially distant coffee it was 5pm, so I put on the government daily briefing updating us on the future of the furlough scheme and we sat and listened.

After it finished, and it was announced that employers would have to make contributions from August, we sat there helpless. We cannot do anything. Our jobs and our livelihoods are all in the hands of the executive and board of the organisation. The government had set out its  position and left us, the employees and organisation to fend for ourselves.

Financially and fundamentally an arts organisation that is not putting on shows is not making money enough to survive. In a sector that thrives on social connections and people, there are very few ways to operate during such social restrictions. How are they meant to pay their staff?

BBC business editor Simon Jack said: “Cash-strapped employers must decide if they can take on an increasing burden to keep workers for whom there may be little or no work.”

He was right; while it is understandable that the government cannot go on meeting the enormous full costs of the scheme, there has to be some consideration for organisations that just cannot operate under current restrictions – even as 1 metre plus is introduced.

Asking an organisation that has no income and cannot operate to start contributing to the scheme is complete madness.

While September would usually be the start of a new season in a theatre, the likelihood is that we would not be putting on a show before October or November at the earliest. By that time the employer furlough contributions will have risen from National Insurance and pension, around 5% to then 10% and 20%.

Social distancing restrictions

To comply with current social distancing rules we could not have a house capacity of more than around 14% when opening (even if we were allowed). That is just not tenable.

The organisation that I work for has one of the few full time regional producing theatres in the country with a production team including: technicians, workshop, wardrobe and stage management. We have extensive outreach through community projects and programs.

If the organisation does not have the money to operate it is inevitable that jobs will be lost, that producing programmes will be reduced, community outreach will be reduced and the organisation that many staff have poured years of their hard work into will be left behind through no fault of their own.

Rent and bills to pay

I have worked in the entertainment sector for 10 years as a lighting technician, mostly in theatres but also in anything from opera to rock ’n’ roll. I did not go to college or university to do this job but worked my way up from volunteering to community venues to where I am today. I have never worked in this sector for the money; like many of my colleagues I do this job for the love of it. I do, however, have to be able to pay my rent and bills.

With the support of the trade union Bectu over the last couple of years we have been able to work with the organisation to secure jobs in a sector that is always fairly precarious, with wages and budgets relying heavily on support from the Arts Council, local councils and people actually coming to see shows.

This example is only one person in one regional arts organisation in one sector; if I were to be laid off or made redundant then the likelihood is that I would be out of the sector that I love and have put my everything into.

This situation is happening to every arts organisation in the country simultaneously. Without support and understanding from Rishi Sunak and the government to the exceptional circumstances that are faced by this sector, your favourite theatre, arts centre, cinema or gallery (to mention just a few) may just disappear.