This is a day late, but happy World Theatre Day! For the most parts, the performing arts tends not to be a particularly lucrative sector. Companies, theatres, and performers walk a difficult financial tightrope, while creating their art and entertaining us. And despite the fact that pretty much every single one of us has turned to the arts to keep us occupied during various stages of lock down, the sector is in a crisis. So, as theatres are slowly beginning to re-open and welcome us back, please keep their perilous position in mind! For World Theatre Day 2021, I’m sharing how we can welcome our favourite artists back.
I have really been enjoying featuring more culture on the blog. You’ve all been so fantastic, and I’ve loved hearing about your favourite ballet, theatre, and artistic memories- I’m thrilled to know that so many of you share my passion. And I think that many of us are on the same page with wanting to make sure that theatres can reopen safely!
Observe All Safety Precautions
This seems obvious and shouldn’t need to be said, but even if you have had your Covid vaccine, you can still get the virus and spread it. Please follow all safety protocols set by the theatre, and do not argue with staff about it. We will still need to wear masks, sanitise, and socially distance for quite some time, and that is simply reality. Yelling at front of house staff is only making things more difficult for everyone, and may see you banned from the theatre. Check ahead to see what safety precautions are in place, and follow them. There may be people attending who cannot get the vaccine for medical reasons, and they should not be held hostage in their home because people don’t want to wear a mask.
Show Your Appreciation (Appropriately)
You should always applaud appropriately at the end of a performance, but now more than ever, make sure that the performers know that you appreciate their performance! Many of them have been practicing their art in their kitchens or living rooms instead of a studio or a theatre. While many of us have largely been able to adapt our work to get it done from home, dancers, musicians, and actors are fairly limited in what they can do. Some companies are able to rehearse in small groups (depending on where they are), but full classes, rehearsals, and performances are limited. Please show the performers how much you enjoyed the show, and how much you appreciate the work and sacrifices they’ve made to be back for us.
Book Tickets and Make Donations
If you can afford to, make a financial show of support. If you can book your tickets or even subscribe for the season, please do! (Obviously, make sure there is a refund policy in place.) Theatres have had a non-existent operating budget for a year now. Paying for a season’s subscription now could make a difference as they head back in, with a new string of protocols and limits in place.
And of course, if you can afford to make a donation, they will more than appreciate it! Nearly every ballet company I follow has had to either cancel or largely change their major fundraising events in the last year (some companies have had to cancel two, as we have passed a year). We are all in the place of having to rebuild from this, but they are rebuilding for their whole company.
Getting Your Theatre Fix Right Now…
In the meantime, I do have you covered if you are itching for ballet or theatre right now. There are some wonderful streaming options out there, and I’ve been taking every possible opportunity to see shows that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to see. And it is a slightly self-serving way to support your favourite theatres, because there tends to be a small fee to view them. (Typically £3-10 per show, and for the most part, you have at least 24 hours to watch it [sometimes, you can also re-watch it multiple times].) I know that everyone is screaming “I’M ZOOMED OUT” but watching it online is far better than not seeing at all! Take your chance to catch those productions you otherwise missed….
How did you celebrate World Theatre Day this year?
Cheers,
The Historian
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