Bruce Wall Posted August 12, 2020 Share Posted August 12, 2020 (edited) From the struggling STAGE .. Sadler’s Wells could make about 50 of its staff redundant as part of efforts to reduce costs during the pandemic, as performing arts venues remain unable to reopen. The London dance organisation said it had entered into consultations with its permanent and fixed-term staff, with 51 roles at risk of redundancy. This represents 26% of its workforce. The job cuts are part of a wider programme of "proposed organisational change and efficiency measures" and are being carried out alongside other cost-cutting procedures. ...... Edited August 12, 2020 by Ian Macmillan Our default Font Size is 14, easily selected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted August 12, 2020 Share Posted August 12, 2020 (edited) 5 hours ago, Bruce Wall said: From the struggling STAGE .. Sadler’s Wells could make about 50 of its staff redundant as part of efforts to reduce costs during the pandemic, as performing arts venues remain unable to reopen. The London dance organisation said it had entered into consultations with its permanent and fixed-term staff, with 51 roles at risk of redundancy. This represents 26% of its workforce. The job cuts are part of a wider programme of "proposed organisational change and efficiency measures" and are being carried out alongside other cost-cutting procedures. ...... Blame ignorance, but I'm quite surprised that Sadler's Wells employs 200-ish people. Is that normal for a venue? Or is there more to it than meets the eye? (I know if we include the Peacock it's two venues.) Edited August 12, 2020 by Lizbie1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted August 12, 2020 Share Posted August 12, 2020 1 hour ago, Lizbie1 said: Blame ignorance, but I'm quite surprised that Sadler's Wells employs 200-ish people. Is that normal for a venue? Or is there more to it than meets the eye? (I know if we include the Peacock it's two venues.) I don't know the exact makeup of the staff but there would be a number of shifts of box office staff, duty managers, front of house staff, technicians, HR, Admin etc, etc. If many of the staff are not full time it's surprising the numbers of people that could be employed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted August 12, 2020 Share Posted August 12, 2020 2 hours ago, Lizbie1 said: Blame ignorance, but I'm quite surprised that Sadler's Wells employs 200-ish people. Is that normal for a venue? Or is there more to it than meets the eye? (I know if we include the Peacock it's two venues.) https://www.sadlerswells.com/about-us/people/staff/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannette Posted August 12, 2020 Share Posted August 12, 2020 2 minutes ago, bangorballetboy said: https://www.sadlerswells.com/about-us/people/staff/ Oh my...Catering and Front-house Assistants alone! This is a real eye opener. Total respect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oncnp Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 Article in the Telegraph on the role of donors in theatre but could just as well apply to ballet or opera.... https://www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/what-to-see/theatres-like-lecture-donors-werent-us-wouldnt-survive/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 So, some indoor socially distanced performances can begin again.............!!!! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 21 minutes ago, capybara said: So, some indoor socially distanced performances can begin again.............!!!! If I wasn't laughing I would be crying ... it's a bit like the Hokey Cokey. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 From the struggling STAGE: Guidance has been published on how arts organisations can apply for the government’s £270 million repayable finance scheme. .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 Meanwhile, ENB has written to Friends about the fact that Sadlers Wells is extending its period of closure until the 24th January and that Akram Khan's Creature will not now have its premiere until the autumn of 2021. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 16 minutes ago, capybara said: Meanwhile, ENB has written to Friends about the fact that Sadlers Wells is extending its period of closure until the 24th January and that Akram Khan's Creature will not now have its premiere until the autumn of 2021. And I've just received an email from Matthew Bourne putting his Nutcracker tour back a year. The extension of the Sadler's Wells closure means that the last possible venue for BRB's Autumn tour is also not available to them so the whole tour has gone (as with Northern Ballet and ENB). This whole crisis just seems to be getting worse by the day without any light at the end of the tunnel. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannette Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 12 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said: .... This whole crisis just seems to be getting worse by the day without any light at the end of the tunnel. I think you’re right, Jan. I held hope that Putin’s so-called “Sputnik V” rocket-accelerated vaccine would be legit but just today, the Mariinsky’s abbreviated run of Giselle was cancelled hours before the initial show (14 August Tereshkina/Schklyarov). We can maintain sanity with our DVDs and/or occasional streams of complete ballets...because I sure am getting tired of the made-at-home cutesy creations filmed in basements, kitchens & back yards! That was ok in April; not now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oncnp Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 8 minutes ago, Jeannette said: I held hope that Putin’s so-called “Sputnik V” rocket-accelerated vaccine would be legit ……. Legit? "Tested" on < 50 people and no Phase III testing at all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beryl H Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 1 hour ago, capybara said: Meanwhile, ENB has written to Friends about the fact that Sadlers Wells is extending its period of closure until the 24th January and that Akram Khan's Creature will not now have its premiere until the autumn of 2021. I had a brief good news moment just now after reading that indoor performances could restart from tomorrow, checked the SW website, and got this bad news instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted August 14, 2020 Author Share Posted August 14, 2020 So I assume the govt announcement that theatres CAN reopen ... but only with socially distanced audiences .... has triggered insurance claims for all these cancellations. 😟 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 6 minutes ago, FionaE said: So I assume the govt announcement that theatres CAN reopen ... but only with socially distanced audiences .... has triggered insurance claims for all these cancellations. 😟 I think it's been obvious that, from what we have seen, it is not financially viable for theatres to open with such a reduced auditorium capacity. I think the last time I saw someone from a theatre being interviewed on the news they said they needed 70% of capacity to have a hope of breaking even. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted August 14, 2020 Author Share Posted August 14, 2020 Interesting that BRB and ENB are more upbeat and agile about other types of performances. Smaller teams, smaller locations etc. RB seems tied to lavish large productions only at ROH and is noticeable quiet about producing anything anywhere. Whereas Dutch and German companies are at least trying to produce SD on stage performances streamed online. Very sad for the dancers and all creatives, backstage support etc 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oncnp Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 22 minutes ago, FionaE said: RB seems tied to lavish large productions only at ROH and is noticeable quiet about producing anything anywhere. Whereas Dutch and German companies are at least trying to produce SD on stage performances streamed online. The Dutch and German companies also have different funding structures. As has been mentioned before, Germany at least is heavily supporting its arts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 My guess is that the RB will be bound, by dint of being under the ROH umbrella, to come back with productions in the spring which will bring in the money -e.g. R&J, Swan Lake etc. Of course, if they are able to do this, all members of the company will get a chance to dance......... I would hope that they could look NOW at some 'gala' style evenings or one-act/small-cast ballets for live-streaming but with a limited, distanced audience able to attend physically. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peony Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 (edited) Whilst capacity may be lower I would have thought that it would be possible to increase prices by a fair amount as demand is far outstripping supply at the moment! Maybe the smaller venues are more viable running at a lower capacity, 70% would be a fairly good day at my local venues! I really hope that ENB and BRB can find opportunities, their positive attitude does inspire me to try and support them if possible. Edited August 14, 2020 by Peony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 24 minutes ago, Peony said: Whilst capacity may be lower I would have thought that it would be possible to increase prices by a fair amount as demand is far outstripping supply at the moment! Maybe the smaller venues are more viable running at a lower capacity, 70% would be a fairly good day at my local venues! I really hope that ENB and BRB can find opportunities, their positive attitude does inspire me to try and support them if possible. I'm sorry but tickets have been rising exponentially over the last couple of years outside of London! If tickets prices rose "by a fair amount" I would be going to a lot fewer performances and I am sure others would feel the same. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peony Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 I can only afford a couple of performances a year so I’m in the same boat. However, if it helps theatres survive I’d be fine with them catering to a richer clientele temporarily. If it would enable them to keep performing and pay the bills I’ve no problem with it personally, I’d be prepared to visit less and pay more as a short term measure. Better than staying closed indefinitely 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 27 minutes ago, Peony said: I can only afford a couple of performances a year so I’m in the same boat. However, if it helps theatres survive I’d be fine with them catering to a richer clientele temporarily. If it would enable them to keep performing and pay the bills I’ve no problem with it personally, I’d be prepared to visit less and pay more as a short term measure. Better than staying closed indefinitely Trouble is, I find, that price rises are never a short term measure! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peony Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 Yes, very valid point! Unfortunately I don’t trust our government to put enough time and thought into negotiations to prevent it from happening either. If theatres remain shut and exhaust their savings, depend on government loans etc I would guess prices will also have to rise if and when they re-open though.In the larger theatres it may be an option to close the cheaper seats as viral transmission depends on total numbers of people in the venue, as well as how close you sit to somebody etc. Thus preserving a higher income, but not increasing prices per se. I would agree with you that safeguards are needed long term to protect theatre from becoming even more elitist, short term I’m worried that if we don’t have some sort of opening there won’t be any theatres left- both because of finances and also due to the deskilling of the artists. All a very sad situation 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted August 15, 2020 Share Posted August 15, 2020 (edited) 12 hours ago, Peony said: Yes, very valid point! Unfortunately I don’t trust our government to put enough time and thought into negotiations to prevent it from happening either. If theatres remain shut and exhaust their savings, depend on government loans etc I would guess prices will also have to rise if and when they re-open though.In the larger theatres it may be an option to close the cheaper seats as viral transmission depends on total numbers of people in the venue, as well as how close you sit to somebody etc. Thus preserving a higher income, but not increasing prices per se. I would agree with you that safeguards are needed long term to protect theatre from becoming even more elitist, short term I’m worried that if we don’t have some sort of opening there won’t be any theatres left- both because of finances and also due to the deskilling of the artists. All a very sad situation I may be wrong - and in a sense I hope I am - but I have a feeling that a virtual arm will now be mandatory for even small theatres with a hope of long term survival. ACE has been/is making clear that 'digital outreach' is now mandatory in terms of core - albeit ever diminishing for the foreseeable future - support. They note that this is going to be the new way of 'ensuring access' - and - in many instances - I can see how it will be easier for them (and us) to track. Those of us without what David Cameron used to call 'the deepest pockets' may well be settling in front of yet more screens for some time to come I fear. Edited August 15, 2020 by Bruce Wall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted August 15, 2020 Share Posted August 15, 2020 Bruce I can’t bring myself to like your post but I echo your thoughts. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted August 16, 2020 Share Posted August 16, 2020 I don’t know what’s the matter with me but I can’t look at any ballet on the screen at the mo! I did earlier on back in April and May but haven’t looked at anything since. I don’t think I’ve come to terms yet with the reality of theatres I usually go to not opening now until 2021! So it’s like if I can’t see it for real then not at all!! And like Jeannette I’m now tiring of all the dance at home videos etc which were fun back in the Spring but now I don’t want to watch them any more either. Perhaps this is a temporary stage and come the Autumn I will be wanting to see at least a good cinema offering....now you can go again ....at least will be sort of similar to going to the theatre and so much more relaxing on a BIG screen!! Wearing a mask though will be tiresome but a necessary evil of current times. I think I’m screened out as have been doing ballet classes on zoom almost every day since April and it has been fun but all of the various groups I’ve been doing this with are getting a bit fed up now and want to be back in a studio....though this is going to be a long and tricky process because of social distancing requirements and many studios not exactly being that huge. Even here the general trend for the Arts to be last in line is evident. Here in Brighton we have lost our Saturday Ballet studio because it was a room ...a very nice one with windows etc ....in a gym and the Gym owners have decided to use that studio for extra gym equipment so that is now spread over two floors to help with social distancing for the gym goers but it does mean any of the other kinds of dance and yoga classes held in that studio are now cancelled “for the foreseeable future” 😢 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannette Posted August 16, 2020 Share Posted August 16, 2020 (edited) I was pondering whether or not to use my one remaining (long-ago purchased) round-trip Amtrak rail ticket to NYC...bought to see the Aug 23rd Sarasota Ballet matinee at the Joyce. The show was cancelled, of course. So I wondered if I should go to Manhattan for a few hours, just for old times sake. I asked a friend who lives near Lincoln Center if anything worth visiting is open...maybe have a slice of my favorite Junior’s cheesecake? Shop in the Time-Warner Center mall? Answer: no Juniors or anything else from my old haunts. The entire Lincoln Center plaza is roped off. ZERO restaurants open, except for some with tables set-up for outdoor service (no Junior’s restaurants in NYC among them). No art museums open. Sigh. I think I’ll be staying home, baking my own cheesecake and watching ballet DVDs. 😞 Edited August 16, 2020 by Jeannette 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted August 16, 2020 Share Posted August 16, 2020 I read an article that came up somewhere the other day that said New York was coming out the other side - obviously not by the sounds of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannette Posted August 16, 2020 Share Posted August 16, 2020 I was hoping so, too. My friend said that some museums may be opening on Aug 29 with timed tickets. Too late for my trip. I’ll ask Amtrak for a credit on a future trip. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted August 16, 2020 Share Posted August 16, 2020 [In parenthesis..................... The ST is reporting that the new Chair of the ROH is David Ross, 55, who is a co-founder of CarPhone Warehouse. He succeeds Ian Taylor who resigned on the grounds of ill-health and who died in June.] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJW Posted August 16, 2020 Share Posted August 16, 2020 4 minutes ago, capybara said: [In parenthesis..................... The ST is reporting that the new Chair of the ROH is David Ross, 55, who is a co-founder of CarPhone Warehouse. He succeeds Ian Taylor who resigned on the grounds of ill-health and who died in June.] He is the new chair - it was announced in a supporters newsletter last month - a brief extract (which I hope is allowed!) "We are delighted to announce that David Ross has been appointed as the new Chair of Trustees of the Royal Opera House, succeeding the late Ian Taylor, who sadly passed away last month. The Board and the Executive Team would like to give particular thanks to Suzanne Heywood, Deputy Chair of our Board of Trustees, who has so ably led the organisation through the challenges of recent months as acting Chair of the Royal Opera House. During this time she has helped shape our response to the COVID crisis and our plans for the future. David Ross is a UK-based entrepreneur and arts philanthropist with a strong commitment to embedding diversity and inclusion at the heart of the arts. In his time as Chair of the Board at the National Portrait Gallery, David made a significant and impactful contribution to reaching children and young people across the UK through meaningful and lasting education programmes." No mention on the website, but there we are! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oncnp Posted August 16, 2020 Share Posted August 16, 2020 3 minutes ago, MJW said: No mention on the website, but there we are! Actually it was on 16 July but it was in the "News" section where there usually isn't any news.... https://www.roh.org.uk/news/royal-opera-house-appoints-david-ross-as-chair-of-the-board-of-trustees Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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