Theatres plead for return of school trips
THEATRE bosses are trying to get schoolchildren back through their doors amid fears of a sharp decline in visitors.
Venues across the country are worried that the soaring cost of living could result in a fresh crisis for an industry still trying to recover from the pandemic.
For many youngsters from under-privileged backgrounds, school trips represent the only way to experience a live show.
But headteachers say with evertightening budgets they can no longer afford to subsidise visits – even though most theatres offer hugely discounted tickets.
Shakespeare’s Globe and the National Theatre are among those warning children’s access to live productions is under threat.
Bosses at the Globe, on London’s South Bank, said severe cuts to arts in schools had resulted in a seven per cent drop in education visits over the past year.
And the National Theatre is one of many taking productions directly into school halls.
Now the Schools Theatre Day campaign is encouraging venues to highlight the opportunities for educational trips.
The Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre have also launched a toolkit giving teachers information about school ticket rates and educational resources.
UK Theatre said visits played a “vital role in ensuring children are creatively stimulated”.
It added: “With anxiety levels in children at an all-time high, the experience of theatre has never been more important and can provide a welcome release from the pressures the young are facing.”
The campaign follows the Daily Express’s Raise The Curtain crusade set up to help theatres facing closure due to lockdown.
It helped force the Government to introduce the £2billion Cultural Recovery Fund and was credited with saving a huge majority of the nation’s 1,100 venues.