Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
‘Painful’ decision to cut jobs
Staff are facing redundancy as the struggling Marlowe Theatre looks to cut 30 jobs.
The city centre venue has seen almost all of its income disappear as it has been forced to cancel or reschedule 288 performances since March due to the coronavirus lockdown.
During this period, 97% of its staff have been furloughed. Employees have now been told 30 roles - amounting to 30% of its workforce - could be made redundant to save money. Chief executive Deborah Shaw said: “We’re working hard to ensure that The Marlowe will reopen again as soon as it is safe to do so, but as an independent charity without regular funding from Arts Council England, the impact of the pandemic has been immense. Up until this moment, we’ve worked hard to protect the livelihoods of all the people that we employ, including a commitment to pay our casual staff members through to the end of the job retention scheme. “Our brilliant team is what makes The Marlowe such a hugely successful organisation, which is why it’s particularly painful to have to make this decision.”
The venue has started consulting workers and trade unions about the potential cuts, and a final decision will be made when discussions are concluded. Bosses say 99% of the theatre’s income is made through tickets and related sales.
Chair of The Marlowe Trust Jonathan Church said: “This pandemic has had a devastating impact on our cultural industries, with theatres the length and breadth of the country being forced to make very similar decisions as ourselves. We will be operating in a very different world for the foreseeable future, making these heart-breaking changes necessary.” Marlowe chiefs also say conversations with producers of shows scheduled for the autumn are continuing, with announcements expected shortly.