Theatre world warns lack of insurance help could hit hard
THE Royal Albert Hall’s chief executive has warned that lack of a governmentbacked insurance scheme for events could harm venues.
Rishi Sunak yesterday announced an extension of the furlough scheme, expansion of support for the selfemployed, and £408million for the arts on top of the initial £1.57billion Culture Recovery Fund.
West End theatres and the UK’S live music sector, together worth more than £2.4 billion to the economy, have suffered a near-total loss of income. They welcomed continued financial support for “vital support mechanisms”.
But industry experts have criticised the omission of a government-backed insurance scheme to make shows at risk of cancellation viable while the insurers refused to offer Covid-19 cover.
Craig Hassall, Royal Albert Hall chief executive, said: “Uncertainty remains, and the lack of insurance for Covidrelated cancellation is a huge concern.”
Julian Bird, chief executive of the West End umbrella organisation the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre, said: “In order to reopen, theatre and the performing arts continue to need insurance cover, and we call upon the Government to put this in place.”
While Cameron Mackintosh, the leading West End producer, welcomed “the increased help the Government are able to give”, concerns remain over freelancers in the industry. The group Freelancers Make Theatre Work estimated that 65,000 people in the sector were excluded from support and said the money was not reaching freelancers.