Ban on indoor performances is finally lifted

So finally indoor performances at theatres and arts venues are back on the agenda, but only with rigid Covid-safe precautions.
At the weekend it was announced that lockdown measures were beung eased in theatres, music venues, casinos and leisure centres across England.
The ban on indoor performances was originally scheduled to be lifted two weeks ago but that was postponed amid fears of a surge in the pandemic.
Where does that leave the theatre-industry? The answer is in a state of uncertainty. Partly because everything remains under constant review. Whether shows and theatres will survive depend on myriad factors not least the financial  situation of each individual venue and production.
The government’s £1.57 billion coronavirus lifeline to the arts earlier this summer offered emergency grants and loans that enabled many theatres to keep going. But it offered no magic formula to help them regenerate after they emerged from lockdown.
The simple fact is that an estimated 350,000 people in arts, recreation and leisure have been furloughed during the pandemic. That scheme will end in October.
One thing is sure it will be a rough and stormy passage with a sense of uncertainty about who will survive into 2021 and beyond. But, as I’ve said before, the arts word by its very nature is stacked with original and creative thinkers and if there’s a way to navigate these uncharted waters they will find it.
At Clive Conway Productions we are determined to get back to staging our signature shows. Watch this space.