Vow that the show will go on
Venues making preparations
VENUES ARE preparing to open their doors as the country looks ahead to the next major date of the roadmap out of lockdown.
From May 17 entertainment venues will be able to open including cinemas and theatres. New rules will be in place for different sizes of venues.
One venue preparing to reopen after the date is Square Chapel Arts Centre.
It was saved in September 2020 after going into administration at the beginning of the first lockdown back in March 2020. Arts At The Mill CIC became the official owners of this much-loved venue.
Arts At The Mill formed Square Chapel CIC, a non-profit organisation who worked closely with Arts Council England and Calderdale Council to ensure a smooth transition.
The centre is aiming to officially open to the public for live in person events in late summer/early autumn 2021.
Jonathan Davenport, artistic director, said: “As an organisation we are deeply rooted in creating, producing and programming work with the community, which is why the coming months are crucial.
“We are about to embark upon a significant programme of consultation to hear in-person what the community of Halifax wants and needs most from us.
“Along with our knowledge and experience from running our sites in Wigan, we feel we have a great chance of formulating an inclusive, relevant and ambitious plan for Square Chapel.
“It’s incredibly important that we find our place among other organisations in Calderdale
and work hard to look at the whole cultural picture and not just our own activity.
“We’re mapping out existing relationships, existing organisations and setting out to play our part in the development of what we think is a fantastic region for culture.”
The next few months will consist of ensuring all the necessary building maintenance work is carried out, contracting and setting-up new suppliers, working with the local community and cultural organisations to establish Square Chapel’s role, programming work for the popular autumn season, setting-up new ticketing, box office systems, updating the website ready to go live and welcome back performers, artists and the public.
Calderdale’s Victoria Theatre will also be able to open for a small-scale and socially distanced programme from May 17, if the road map out of the Covid-19 pandemic is followed.
In her report being presented at the meeting of the full Calderdale Council, cabinet member for public services and communities, Coun Jenny Lynn (Lab, Park) said although the 1,500 seat – 1,800 standing – theatre, at Fountain Street, Halifax, had been closed to the public since March 2020, a significant
We’re excited to welcome visitors back and are working hard to put the necessary plans and processes in place
amount of work has been carried out to prepare it for reopening.
She said the next landmark date would be June 21 when it is hoped a programme can be followed without social distancing and other restrictions, again dependent on the Government’s road map.
Calderdale Council’s theatre and cultural programmes manager, Tim Fagan, said: “We’re excited to welcome visitors back to the Victoria Theatre and are working hard to put the necessary plans and processes in place to re-open safely, whilst ensuring the experience is as welcoming as possible.
“Using funding from the Arts Council Culture Recovery Grant, initial performances at the Victoria Theatre will be socially distanced, with a series of safety measures in place.
This will include adapted seating in the auditorium, one-way systems, refreshment pre-ordering and service to your seat, enhanced cleaning and hand sanitiser stations.”
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