NEW CANVAS FOR THE ARTS CENTRE
IT’S hard to imagine what gigs and shows will look like in a post-Covid world. One of the endearing characteristics of Wexford Arts Centre has always been it’s hustle and bustle.
Picking up your tickets at the box office; people passing and chatting on the stairs; grabbing a quick drink and trying to find those prime seats before curtain up. In a socially distanced world, these are things that could be lost forever.
The venue has already lost over 50 events, including two exhibitions and all of its weekly workshops up to this point.
Trying to negotiate the necessary restrictions and satiate the public appetite for a little light relief, entertainment and human interaction is Arts Centre CEO Elizabeth Whyte. While the landmark building in the heart of Wexford may have fallen silent in recent months, behind the scenes the team are busily working on adapting and getting ready to re-open.
With the country re-opening in phases, Wexford Arts Centre has an eye on each one. There are hopes that artists can get back to work in the maker’s house from June 8. The gallery space, including the Creative Hub should be able to re-open from July 20 and finally there should be a return to some kind of performances in the final phase from August 10. Just what kind of performances these will be remains to be seen.
‘Well in general, our capacity would be somewhere between 110 and 120, depending on stage size,’ Elizabeth explains. ‘For a seated performance, we would have had around 90 people previously. This may be down to just 30 or 40 now with social distancing regulations, which is a significant drop, but we hope it will still be manageable.’
With big changes coming across the board for the entertainment sector, Elizabeth and her crew may have to re-examine the type of shows that they offer at the iconic venue.
‘Well our stage is quite small, so in general we’ve always had smaller productions,’ she said. ‘I suppose it could have an impact in that we’d be looking at smaller shows again and we may need to be a bit more creative about how we use floor space. With restrictions on capacity, one of the ways we could look to adapt is to allow people to watch live online on a pay-per-view basis.’
With the amount of people passing through the famous red doors at the Arts Centre likely to decrease, like many sectors, the arts is going to need assistance to get back up and running.
‘Well operational costs will certainly increase as we seek to implement health and safety measures,’ Elizabeth said. ‘Obviously I’ll be lobbying for government assistance on this. There is a need to continue the temporary Covid subsidy, not just for venues but artists too. I think the arts sector is always the last to be considered in these things. Even the HSA has guidelines for nearly every other sector but the arts.’
‘Let’s not forget that the arts makes a significant contribution to the economy in Wexford. I mean, here alone we have 14 staff. The National Opera House is also a significant employer. Then you have the likes of St Michael’s Theatre in New Ross and The Presentation Centre in Enniscorthy. All of these venues do a lot not just for tourism and domestic tourism, but for the local community as well.’
While funding and supports are vital, nobody in the arts is throwing in the towel just yet.
‘We’re a creative sector and I think we will come up with creative ways to connect with people. I think there’s a hunger out there for that connection again and we hope we can make it happen in whole new ways.’
The Arts Centre has already dipped a toe in these uncharted waters. Last month, they hosted an online cabaret event which featured renowned author Colum McCann who appeared via video-link from New York along with a host of other talents. The centre will also be supporting the Wexford Literary Festival, which in these unusual times will make a move from Enniscorthy to a virtual world with some excellent speakers.
‘I think with all this we could be looking at creating a new normal,’ Elizabeth says. ‘It would be great to re-capture what we had eventually, but I think there are things we can learn too. For example one of the things I’ve heard is that people with disabilities who may not be able to attend shows for whatever reason are now getting greater access to events online than ever before. With our online cabaret event we had Colum speaking from New York and we had people tuning in from across the world from China to Alaska! I think all is possible, but it is vital that we get the support of the government in terms of funding. We are extremely grateful for the ongoing support of Wexford County Council, the Arts Council and Pobal and hopefully this will continue.’
While it’s still unclear what format things will take as the great re-opening takes shape, Elizabeth is optimistic for the future. As she and her team work hard to get up to date on restrictions and finding ways to make shows workable, they won’t be the only ones keen for curtain up at the Wexford Arts Centre once more.
WE’RE A CREATIVE SECTOR AND I THINK WE’LL COME UP WITH CREATIVE WAYS TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE GOING FORWARD