Arts at breaking point, Lord Lloyd Webber tells committee
ANDREW Lloyd Webber has warned that the arts are at the “point of no return” because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The composer said it was economically “impossible” to run theatres while following social distancing guidelines.
He added the Government had given him no satisfactory answer over “anomalies”, such as why people can fly on a plane without social distancing but cannot enter a theatre.
Lord Lloyd-webber told Westminster’s digital, culture, media and sport committee: “We simply have to get our arts sector back open and running,”
Britain is a “leader in world theatre” and should be given the green light to “demonstrate how we can reopen”, he added.
Lord Lloyd-webber cited an acquaintance, “one of the finest viola players I know”, now working in a supermarket. “There comes a point when we really can’t go on much more,” he said.
The Government rescue package was “giving money to buildings to keep the lights off ” and going down a “bottomless pit”, he added.
He spent £100,000 on a pilot project trialling measures at the London Palladium in the hope that it would show how theatres can safely open at full capacity.
“I am absolutely confident that the air in the London Palladium and in all my theatres is purer than the air outside,” he said.
Hinting at consequences for the industry if there is not more support from the Government, he said his production of Cinderella might have to open “where people are a little more helpful”.
Rebecca Kane Burton, chief executive of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s theatres, said recent months had been “devastating and catastrophic” for the sector.
A spokesman for the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said: “We are working flat-out to support our-world class performing arts sector through challenging times.
“Our £1.57billion culture recovery fund builds on £200million in emergency funding to stabilise organisations, protect jobs and ensure work continues to flow to freelancers.
“This funding will support organisations of all sizes across the country, including theatres.
“Performances indoors and outdoors can now take place with socially distancing. We are working with the industry on how full audiences might return.”