28 February - The Guardian view on a heritage culture war: stop weaponising history
Oliver Dowden should be championing museums and heritage charities, not stoking anger against them
28 February - Theatre designer warns of obstacles for arts workers in Europe post-Brexit
Andrew Edwards urges government in open letter to reopen talks to renegotiate an EU-wide visa system for arts workers
26 February - Hope Mill Theatre in lockdown: 'Our ambition is still there and it's driving us on'
In the latest in our series on how UK venues have coped during the pandemic, Joseph Houston of Manchester’s Hope Mill tells Chris Bartlett he was stunned by the generosity of its audiences and why he’s thrilled to be planning the return of live musicals
26 February - Weddings, plays and football matches to test safe reopening after lockdown ends
Ministers are drawing up plans to use football matches, theatre performances, concerts and wedding receptions to trial the effects of opening the most difficult parts of the economy.
26 February - Government's roadmap to reopening theatres: what to expect next
Venues, artists and producers are grappling with Monday’s news that venues might be able to open at capacity from the summer.
26 February - New industry-wide alliance aims to protect theatre's future
Professional bodies representing theatre workers including lighting and sound designers, directors, stage managers and technicians have formed a campaigning alliance to protect the industry’s future.
25 February - Edinburgh Festival on a knife-edge: ‘Scotland could lose one of its biggest cultural treasures’
Without substantial support, the world’s largest arts festival won’t take place north of the border in 2021. Might it migrate to London?
25 February - Deploy culture and spectacle to bring people back to the high street
Give families just one good reason to walk (not drive) regularly through their town centres. Rebirth will follow
25 February - CFT and Northern Stage receive share of £100k for sustainability work
Chichester Festival Theatre, Northern Stage and the Marlowe in Canterbury are among five organisations granted a share of £100,000 to help them become more environmentally sustainable.
25 February - The Alliance Of Associations and Professionals In Theatre & Live Events Launches Not Here All Year Campaign
From 9th March, AAPTLE will be sharing freelancers’ photographs of venues in the days ahead of the closure and throughout the last year.
25 February - Travis Alabanza: ‘Theatre matters when it’s used as a tool to speak back’
Our How theatre will rebuild series will bring you a new conversation each day about why the future of theatre matters
25 February - Theatres win extension to Culture Recovery Fund grants until June reopenings
Theatres in England are able to extend grants awarded in the first round of the Culture Recovery Fund, which will allow them to use the money until the end of June, Arts Council England has confirmed.
24 February - National Theatre says it hopes to 'resume performances as soon as possible' after roadmap news
The National Theatre has said it “remains committed to resuming performances as soon as possible” with social distancing, after Monday’s roadmap announcement.
24 February - Why West End theatre audiences ‘are champing at the bit’ to return
Nica Burns and Eleanor Lloyd, who’ve worked on shows like Emilia and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, are full of hope for the year to come
24 February - The West End Will Be Al Fresco
After Boris has unveiled his roadmap to reopen the economy after the pandemic, with outdoor dining starting on April 12, and theatres the following month, the West End is ready to be transformed again.
24 February - BECTU chief urges chancellor to extend support schemes until theatres open fully
Entertainment union BECTU has written to chancellor Rishi Sunak to urge him to extend the furlough and self-employment support schemes until lockdown is fully lifted, to protect the live performance sector.
24 February - Why can't outdoor theatre return earlier than indoor?
There was cause for optimism on Monday with the publishing of the UK’s roadmap back to some sort of normality.
Naturally a plethora of caveats applied to each step – the need to keep infection rates down to prevent overwhelming medical services, as well as the continuation of a sturdy vaccination scheme set to help immunise the wider population.
24 February - Drama schools welcome return of face-to-face teaching
Drama schools in England can return to face-to-face teaching from March 8 under the government’s roadmap plans, performing arts training bodies have confirmed.
24 February - Devastating, unviable, admin overload: UK stage companies count cost of Brexit
New visa rules, taxes and transport restrictions are some of the hurdles British dance and theatre organisations must now overcome to tour Europe
23 February - Prospect of spring awakening gives theatre cause for wary optimism
The government’s roadmap gives the theatre industry cause for cautious optimism, says Alistair Smith – but until venues reopen fully, producers and freelancers must be supported to ensure there are shows to put on.
23 February - West End warns stages may not reopen until months after May 17 roadmap date
Theatregoers have been warned that many West End stages may not reopen until months after the May 17 date announced by the Prime Minister.
23 February - Six West End venues to open 'as soon as possible' with social distancing, owner Nica Burns says
Nimax Theatres owner Nica Burns has revealed she will open up her venues as soon as possible with social distancing.
23 February - Roadmap to recovery
BBC London News piece on roadmap impact on London culture, including focus on Royal Albert Hall, and Eleanor Lloyd interview:
23 February - Reopening dates: theatre’s response to the government roadmap
As a timeline for when theatres and other live events venues may be able to reopen, The Stage news team rounds up what theatre figures including Nica Burns, Natalie Ibu and Rebecca Kane Burton think of the proposals
23 February - If Covid rates keep declining, it’s finally good news for our theatres
The roadmap, writes the Almeida’s artistic director, is transformative – it’s time to recover the intimacy of our small cultural venues
23 February - UK government to conduct review of vaccine passports for entering venues such as theatres
The Prime Minister has revealed that minister Michael Gove will lead an investigation into the use of vaccine passports.
Speaking this morning, Boris Johnson has highlighted that “deep and complex” issues exist around the introduction of such verification – and that Gove will examine the “best scientific, moral, philosophical, ethical viewpoints”.
23 February - Stand up for the right to work across Europe – it’s a common-sense issue
Brexit shouldn’t prevent UK arts workers from continuing to earn a living in Europe, says Rob Halliday – we must join forces to demand urgent government action
22 February - Theatres will reopen in May – but limited to half capacity under coronavirus roadmap
A maximum of 1,000 theatre-goers will be allowed to attend as restrictions on indoor events remain the strictest
22 February - Theatres may be able to reopen this summer – everything you need to know
This afternoon has been a game-changer for the theatre world. While not providing concrete plans, they have given a rough ball-park for the industry to aim for, all while vaccines continue to be rolled out across England.
22 February - Theatre leaders ‘cautiously welcome’ Boris Johnson’s roadmap
Theatre leaders have welcomed plans to allow theatres to reopen as early as May 17, but have called for greater clarity on guidelines and for more financial support to help venues while they remain closed.
22 February - Government announces Events Research Programme to pilot performances without social distancing
The Government has unveiled a new programme to pilot non-socially distanced shows ahead of easing restrictions for stage shows and events.
22 February - Theatres allowed to reopen in May, Boris Johnson announces
Theatres in England will be allowed to reopen, with some restrictions, from May, prime minister Boris Johnson has announced.
22 February - English theatres may able to run without social distancing in June, Prime Minister announces
Boris Johnson has said that theatres may be able to open without social contact restrictions from 21 June.
Johnson was quick to highlight that this will be largely down to whether or not conditions are met, and may have to occur in tandem with rapid testing or other mitigation measures. Restrictions on large events may also be lifted at the same time.
22 February - Prime Minister: English theatres able to reopen in May if tests are met
Theatres and cinemas look set to resume performances with social distancing later this year.
22 February - Scottish culture secretary joins calls for UK to renegotiate EU touring rules
Scottish culture secretary Fiona Hyslop has added her voice to growing calls for the UK government to negotiate visa-free access for artists and other creative professionals touring to the EU post-Brexit.
22 February - At a time of desperate need, theatres overlook local talent at their peril
We talk a great deal about community in theatre. But, of course, theatres serve many communities in many different ways. One of those is the community of freelance actors and creatives who gather around a theatre, who share its geography. It’s a great pleasure to see different actors when going to Manchester or Bristol or Glasgow..
21 February - Equity must defend members’ interests
Tam Dean Burn says he and many other members of the union for actors and other creative workers have no confidence in the leadership of their Brexit-supporting general secretary
20 February - Mark Rylance on the future of theatre, time with family and saving the planet
The actor speaks about how the pandemic is an opportunity to spend time with family and think about our impact on the planet
19 February - Carlos Acosta: ‘There’s a danger we’ll lose a whole generation of young dancers’
The Cuban star talks about his battle to lift spirits at the Birmingham Royal Ballet and the film he has made to rally performers as their stages stay dark
19 February - Audience confidence knocked by lockdown and new variants, survey suggests
Confidence levels among theatre audiences have hit an “inevitable low point”, with social distancing and vaccination now more important than ever to potential ticket buyers, according to new research.
19 February - How performers lost out in ‘eye for an eye’ Brexit talks
No one expected a pitch-perfect Brexit trade deal — but musicians are demanding to know why the two sides were so out of tune on visa-free travel.
Artists are proving to be the first casualty in what one British official called “an unholy war” on labor mobility between the EU and the U.K. that ultimately saw both sides put politics before people, according to officials familiar with the negotiations.
18 February - Almost half of live events companies fear closure by summer without support
Nearly half of businesses in the live events sector do not expect to survive beyond the summer, according to a new survey that highlights the plight of the companies within it.
18 February - London Mayor announces multi-million pound initiative to help safely reopen central London
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has unveiled a “major new campaign to promote a return to central London’s hospitality, retail and cultural districts”.
18 February - Risky business: how will we know when it’s ‘safe’ to return to theatres?
Even before Covid, enjoying the arts meant taking a calculated risk, says arts consultant James Doeser. But the pandemic has raised the wider issue – and the stakes – as to how we balance health and enjoyment
17 February - National Theatre to halt Europe tours over Brexit rules
The National Theatre is shelving plans to tour productions to mainland Europe due to uncertainty over work permits because of Brexit.
Before travelling to work in a number of EU countries, many working in the arts will now need to apply for short-term work permits.
17 February - Paule Constable: ‘My career was built on working in Europe - we need a solution’
Olivier award-winning lighting designer Paule Constable has told MPs she would not have built the career she has today without working in Europe, as she urged the government to resolve the “absolute chaos” surrounding EU working arrangements.
17 February - Andrew Lloyd Webber improves ventilation at his theatres (and installs more toilets) to ensure they are Covid safe when venues are allowed to reopen
Andrew Lloyd Webber has improved the ventilation in his theatres to ensure the safety of customers when venues reopen.
The theatre impresario, 72, who is hoping the curtain will be lifted on the West End in May, has also installed 167 new toilets at his portfolio of properties.
17 February - The National Theatre Halts 'Financially Unviable' Post-Brexit Europe Tour Plans
The National Theatre says it can no longer afford to put on blockbuster shows including ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ in the European Union because of Brexit.
17 February - European theatres warn generation of talent could be lost by Covid
Forty-four major theatres from across Europe are warning that the pandemic could create a “lost generation” of young creative artists, as the development of new work is put under strain.
17 February - Vaccines minister: 'Super-fast' Covid tests are being trialled to open entertainment industry
Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi has stated that Porton Down laboratories in Wiltshire is developing ‘super-fast’ tests that will help the beleaguered events industry.
17 February - Prioritise arts education post-lockdown or risk lasting damage, leaders warn
Theatre provision in schools is being put under increasing pressure amid the pandemic and the impact on arts education could have ramifications for years to come, experts have warned.
17 February - London's Barbican among new Nightingale Courts to clear legal backlog
London’s Barbican is among 14 new Nightingale Courts across England set to clear backlog of 50,000 cases.
16 February - West End will bounce back from pandemic quicker than Broadway says Motown producer Kevin McCollum
Kevin McCollum, whose hits include Motown the Musical, Rent and the forthcoming Devil Wears Prada show, said he did not expect the famous New York theatre district to open until September.
16 February - Creative industries treated as 'afterthought' by UK government after Brexit
The creative industries have been left by the government to face the consequences of a “no-deal Brexit”, a parliamentary hearing into the impact of EU visa arrangements on artists and crew was told.
16 February - UK has three months to save touring, sector warns
Rejecting the EU’s visa free touring offer was not an ideological decision, DCMS Minister says
16 February - UK to appeal to individual European countries over arts touring 'crisis'
The government has said it hopes to open negotiations with individual EU countries “very shortly” to help UK artists to tour after being told Brexit had created an “absolute crisis”.
16 February - Almost sixty per cent would support vaccine passports for cultural events, research finds
Research by Serco has suggested the majority of the UK population would favour “vaccine passports” for cultural events.
Investigations into sentiment suggests that 59 per cent of people agree that a vaccine passport system should be used to allow spectators to enter sporting or cultural events. More significantly, only 18 per cent (less than one in five) opposed such a scheme.
16 February - Kneehigh and RSC sign letter calling for reopening of outdoor performance
Leaders at English National Opera, the Royal Shakespeare Company and Kneehigh are among more than 70 signatories of an open letter calling on the government to allow small-scale outdoor live performance to reopen as soon as lockdown ends..
16 February - Stars including Sir Ian McKellen urge changes to visa rules for artists
New visa rules for British artists, actors and theatre workers who want to work in Europe after Brexit are a “towering hurdle” that must be urgently addressed, according to an open letter signed by stars including Sir Ian McKellen, Julie Walters and Patrick Stewart.
16 February - Covid: Rapid tests could help reopen nightclubs and Theatres, PM suggests
Quick coronavirus testing could enable nightclubs and theatres to reopen, Boris Johnson has suggested.
The PM said “rapid” lateral flow tests could be used by “those parts of the economy we couldn’t get open last year”.
16 February - Boris Johnson: rapid Covid tests could help theatres and clubs reopen
Describing events with full auditoria as “the toughest nuts to crack”, the Prime Minister suggested that a combination of mass vaccination and lateral flow testing will likely be a route back to performance.
15 February - From West End stage to supermarket food delivery
An actor has given up the job he loves for one he enjoys but “never dreamed of doing” as a result of the pandemic.
Andy Mace, who had been starring in Only Fools and Horses: The Musical, is now a supermarket delivery driver.