One of the UK’s most recognized cultural icon is under threat of insolvency under the pandemic wave. The theatre announced that they will not survive this pandemic without public subsidy. Tanzia Haq reports.
The House of Commons has recently set up a committee to investigate how the virus has impacted the creative industries in Britain. Julian Knight, chair of the committee, said he is requesting assistance from the cultural secretary.
This call for help comes after evidence from the committee showed that Shakespeare’s Globe, the Donmar Warehouse and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group are all facing financial difficulties managing themselves due to the pandemic.
The Globe theatre, in particular, has been facing dire consequences and has already undergone extreme cost-cutting measures to survive. However, it did not qualify for an emergency support package by Arts Council England.
A Globe representative has commented saying: “We are a model for the non-subsidised arts sector … but in the face of a crisis such as this one, there is no mechanism to help us. This has been financially devastating and could even be terminal,”
Julian Knight added: “The government must step up now and find more funding to shore up our cultural landscape and safeguard our rich past while giving hope to those whose livelihoods depend upon it.”
