Cat Cunningham explores how the national lockdowns have impacted the live entertainment industries in the UK, and how artists, actors and musicians have failed to receive support.
Photo by Donald Tong
As Covid spread throughout the country, theatres around the UK along with London’s West End were forced to close on the 16th of March, as Boris Johnson advised the nation that public venues should no longer be attended. This was the beginning of a frustrating year for the entertainment industry: while venues were not initially forced to close, many felt they had no other option, which lead to concerns there would be no financial protection for the industry.
The Chief Executive of The Society of London Theatres (SOLT) and UK Theatre, Julian Bird, stated that the decision would have a severe impact on the 290,000 individuals working in the theatre industry and encouraged those who could afford to do so to donate the cost of their ticket to support the sector. Many other industry figures also voiced their concerns regarding the government’s statement, with calls for clarification on how long the measures would remain in place and how the industry would be supported during this time.
Tom Kiehl, acting Chief Executive of UK Music, argued that the virus was having a catastrophic impact on the UK music industry, with jobs and businesses under threat. Days later, the UK’s first national lockdown was announced – and was set to last three-weeks. However, as the scale of the crisis emerged, the entertainment industry faced two important questions: how could it stay financially afloat and how would it stay visible and relevant?
The Struggle to Stay Afloat
Finding financial support proved to be a challenge for venues and freelancers alike. Just under a month into the UK’s first lockdown, 2 out of 3 theatres claimed that they would need more government assistance if the lockdown was to continue past the 31st of May. Calls for support continued as many theatres announced they were facing severe job losses or complete closures if they were not granted some form of funding. Freelancers also began to struggle as the weeks of lockdown stretched on, with many turning to emergency charitable funds to support themselves as hopes for a return to employment in the near future began to fade.
After several weeks of lobbying from theatres, museums and galleries all on the brink of collapse, on the 6th of July, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden announced a £1.57 billion emergency rescue package of loans and grants to help secure the future of Entertainment and Culture. He aimed to preserve the ‘Crown Jewels’ in the sector alongside local venues, however he acknowledged that this would not be enough to save every job. The news was widely welcomed by the industry, with leading figures stating that this funding was the lifeline that was needed. For many, it signalled the start of a recovery process and a move to start trying to produce theatre within the Covid guidelines and restrictions. Unfortunately for some theatres, the lifeline came too late, as they had already been forced to close their doors permanently or make staff redundant.
Throughout 2020, a selection of stars including Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sir Ian McKellen, Vanessa Redgrave and Phoebe Waller-Bridge provided support to the industry through fundraising and lobbying the government, highlighting the value of the entertainment industry. Sam Mendes persuaded Netflix to donate £500,000 to his Theatre Artists Fund to support freelancers, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge set up the Theatre Community Fund with Olivia Coleman and £500,000 from Amazon Prime.
Taking a Stand
By the end of the summer, coronavirus had hit the Arts, Entertainment and Recreational industry the hardest, with more than half its workers on furlough and the highest number of companies at risk of collapse. Around 51% of workers in the industry were still on furlough in August, compared to 13% across all industries.
Many arts professionals turned to protest as a means of highlighting the challenges the industry faced throughout the pandemic. One such example is the 400-strong ensemble of freelance musicians who formed a socially-distanced gathering outside Parliament to perform a short segment of Mars, from Holst’s The Planets before holding a two minute silence. The musicians played just 90 seconds of the piece, twenty percent, to reflect the fact that eligible freelancers could only claim 20% of their income from the government. This did not include other freelance musicians who had slipped through the gaps and had not been eligible for any grants under the government’s self-employed income support scheme.
A poll by the Musicians’ Union found that 38% of musicians fell through gaps in government support, 34% considered leaving the industry and 88% felt the government had not done enough to support them. As a result of this protest, and others organised by different sections of the industry, the percentage of income that could be claimed was increased, providing support to those who still had no idea as to when they would be able to return to work.
Adapting to a ‘New Normal’
Like many industries, the sector spent the summer and autumn months trying to adapt. Drive-in performances and outdoor events sprung up around the country and towards the end of 2020, a small number of inside theatres opened, with strict Covid measures and social distancing in place. The measures put in place appeared successful, as after speaking to 17 theatres and circus operators that reopened after the first lockdown, The Stage found that none had been contacted by NHS Test and Trace about potential spread of the virus.
One such venue was the London Palladium, operated by Andrew Lloyd Webber’s LW Theatres. The theatre ran a pilot event over the summer that pioneered Covid-secure theatre going measures, many of which exceeded government guidance at the time. The venue was open from September until the start of the second lockdown in November and did not receive contact from NHS Test and Trace or customers to suggest that a coronavirus case might be linked to the theatre. These were all important achievements, as they proved that theatres and entertainment venues could be safe. As more restrictions began to be introduced again, theatre producers fought for venues to remain open, using evidence like this to argue that entertainment could be accessed safely.
The Third National Lockdown: a Fatal Blow?
As Christmas approached, some venues managed to reopen with Covid-secure pantomimes and Christmas shows set to be performed to socially-distanced audiences. However, on the 16th December, the industry was dealt another devastating blow as London was placed into Tier 3, forcing theatres across London to cancel or postpone performances, and causing significant financial difficulties for venues, producers and thousands of industry workers. This followed the closure of many regional theatres who had already been placed in Tier 3 weeks before.
As the third national lockdown came into force on the 6th of January 2021, any theatres that weren’t already affected by the tier restrictions were forced to close again. As in previous lockdowns, many companies have been forced to return to online offerings, with rehearsals and live streamed performances being permitted within the restrictions. However, the latest lockdown has had a devastating impact on plans for live theatre in the spring, with multiple productions already starting to push back to their reopening plans. The lack of definitive end makes scheduling and promotion difficult, with several companies starting to think of multiple versions of their plans to allow for different scenarios and restrictions.
Whilst there had been some optimism for Arts and Entertainment as we move into 2021, cancellations are already beginning to take place. The organisers of Glastonbury have recently confirmed the festival will not take place in 2021 over concerns regarding safety and insurance and it is expected that many others will follow. As cancellations continue and insurance and concerns over financing events and productions remain in place, it seems the industry still faces an uphill battle to return to its pre-Covid glory.
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