June 2022
30 June - Touring allowance increases to £300 a week following concerns over 'unsafe' digs
A touring allowance for performers and stage managers is to increase by 13% to £300 a week, resulting in thousands of pounds in backdated payments and extra money to help workers access safer and better-quality digs on the road.
30 June - Who’s betting on Lottery funding?
When the Gambling Commission announced a new operator for the National Lottery, current operator Camelot went to the High Court. Will funding for the arts be affected by this dispute, asks Chris Sharratt
30 June - Union urges West End workers to reject 10% ‘strings attached’ pay offer
West End offstage workers are being urged to reject a 10% pay offer from the Society of London Theatre, with union BECTU arguing that the proposal comes with “strings attached” and does not address issues including Sunday working and long hours.
30 June - Theatre braces for a gloomy summer
“You can survive a couple of rainy days, but you can’t survive months and months of rainy days,” warns independent producer Eleanor Lloyd, also the president of the Society of London Theatre, in this week’s front page story.
28 June - How the theatre industry is recovering from the pandemic
Theatre-goers in London have almost returned to pre-pandemic levels, a recent YouGov survey has found.
When asked “Have you been to the theatre to see a play or musical in the past three months?” on 16 June, 18% of people and 28% of Londoners answered “yes”.
That’s compared to 20% of people and 29% of Londoners in March 2020.
28 June - Arts Council England's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion data report.
Just 7% of audiences at National Portfolio Organisations from 2020 to 2021 were from black, Asian or ethnically diverse backgrounds, according to Arts Council England’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion data report.
27 June - Why big opera companies must make space for diverse voices to be heard
Large opera organisations are finally addressing the misogynist and racist nature of the classic opera repertoire, and taking responsibility for diversifying casting and production teams, as the Royal Opera’s director Oliver Mears recently articulated in a piece for the Guardian.
26 June - How theatreland is shaking off the Covid gloom
The onset of the pandemic brought the curtain down on a host of productions. As they reopen, ticket sales this year will shape the future of the industry, says Sabah Meddings
26 June - That’s entertainment! Musicals lift spirits on London West End’s stages
Shows with a feelgood factor are boosting box-office takings
24 June - Theatre recycling company Green Clover goes into administration
Set recycling company Green Clover has gone into administration, with the land it is currently on sold to a developer.
The company, formerly known as Scenery Salvage, specialised in prop hire and construction, transportation and storage, and was formed to offer repurposing and recycling facilities to the entertainment industry.
23 June - Accurate messaging by theatres is vital for audience trust
Theatre has worked hard since reopening and has come back with some terrific productions in recent months, but it’s not been without some spectacular own goals that have hit the headlines.
23 June - Low uptake of live events insurance scheme by festivals
Less than a quarter of the government’s ringfenced insurance funding has been paid out, with music festivals finding the scheme not fit for purpose.
23 June - The Stage ticketing survey 2022: top prices surge 20% from pre-pandemic levels
The average face value of top-price tickets in the West End has rocketed by a fifth since 2019, a survey by The Stage has revealed.
22 June - Broadway drops mask requirement from July
Masks will become optional in all Broadway theatres from July.
The move will end a measure that has been in place since September last year when venues began to reopen.
21 June - Emergency Response Fund: What have we learnt?
As we publish our Emergency Response Fund evaluation, we reflect on the learnings from this large-scale, independent report, and how we are acting on applicants’ feedback to improve the accessibility of our funding programmes.
20 June - Tube and rail strikes a ‘blow’ say struggling retailers as London’s West End set to ‘grind to halt’
Footfall is expected to drop by 9.3% across all retail destinations amid the strikes, peaking at a 13% fall at shopping centres
20 June - Culture matters around the world. What a shame it has been toxically weaponised in the UK
There are so many examples of the arts being used to unite and galvanise people. Here it is being deployed as a tool of division
20 June - Challenging our ideas of ownership could bring about important change
In theatre and performance, the wheel is invented and reinvented all the time. TS Eliot famously said that good artists borrow, and great artists steal. Great artists often steal from themselves over and over with increasingly brilliant results. Think Katie Mitchell and Pina Bausch. Others take inspiration from the work of others.
19 June - Arts Council cuts will hobble regional touring, National Theatre director warns
The director of the National Theatre in London is warning that the government’s levelling-up agenda will take its toll on its touring productions and schools programmes beyond the capital.
17 June - Claire Walker and Hannah Essex appointed new co-CEOs of SOLT and UK Theatre
Claire Walker and Hannah Essex have been appointed the new joint Chief Executives of the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) and UK Theatre, in an innovative job share first for the two long-established theatre membership organisations.
17 June - UK shows cancel and postpone performances due to rise in Covid cases
Shows around the country are once again being forced to close or delay openings after an increase in Covid-19 cases.
The theatre industry was heavily impacted by Covid, with live events cancelled or capacities reduced over the course of the ongoing pandemic.
17 June - Theatres warn of disruption over rail strikes next week
Theatres across the UK have taken to social media to flag the impact of the rail strikes next week.
On 21, 23 and 25 June, a variety of rail lines will be out of use due to industrial action, with the disruption expected to bleed over into the other days that week. In London, there is also a tube strike on 21 June.
16 June - ACE boss Darren Henley: cost of living is extra challenge for Covid-hit theatres
Arts Council boss Darren Henley has warned that the increased costs of running theatres is putting venues that were already facing precarious situations because of the impact of Covid at further risk.
16 June - The Tonys were a triumph for British talent but tinged with concern
Last Sunday’s Tony Awards in New York were a triumph for British theatre, but not an unmitigated one.
Post-Brexit, the government is scrambling for success stories of Britain exporting its wares around the world. It may well want to trumpet these wins as such.
16 June - Scottish culture warned over ‘significant’ threat from cost of living crisis
Almost half of Scots are likely to cut back on spending on arts and culture events in the face of the cost of living crisis, according to new research warning that soaring household bills could have a “significant” impact on the industry.
16 June - Arts can help ‘level up’, but must also continue to speak truth to power
The arts will play a key role in the government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda. But, says the RSC’s Erica Whyman, it is crucial that artists remain free to irritate, shame and annoy, and highlight where society continues not to be a level playing field
15 June - Arts leaders back report calling for more funding for creative subjects
Leading arts figures including Nicholas Hytner, Tamara Rojo and Rufus Norris have contributed to a new commission examining the education system in Britain that is calling for additional funding for schools to spend on subjects such as drama and music.
15 June - Government schedules ACE review for 2023
A government-led review of the functions and effectiveness of Arts Council England (ACE) will take place next year, the organisation’s chief executive has revealed.
Appearing before the DCMS Select Committee today, Darren Henley told MPs that as part of the process, which should take a maximum of six months, he will be making a “robust case” highlighting the virtues of the body.
Confirmation of the date of the forthcoming review comes after Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries last month said that getting rid of ACE was not on the government agenda.
14 June - How are technical courses preparing students for today’s theatre industry?
As the skills shortage continues, technical-theatre students are finding that getting high-profile work, once graduated, is much easier than it once was. Course leaders and tutors tell John Byrne how they are preparing students for today’s industry
14 June - Cancellations, costs and chaos: UK theatres grapple with rising Covid cases
Infections among workforce lead theatres to cancel performances, with loan repayments, soaring energy prices and the cost of living crisis adding to their woes
13 June - Tony Awards 2022: Sharon D Clarke – government dismissal of theatre 'bullshit'
Sharon D Clarke has taken aim at the UK government for its “bullshit” dismissal of theatre during the pandemic.
13 June - Northern Ireland creates £1.5m funding scheme for rural arts
Theatre companies working in rural Northern Ireland will benefit from the creation of a £1.5 million fund set up to cater for local communities that might not otherwise have access to the arts.
13 June - Let's celebrate theatre rooted in its local community, big or small
I spent an afternoon last weekend in the cemetery of a small Highlands town. There are generations from the same families buried there. What struck me was just how many of these graves had fresh flowers on them even though the occupants had died 40, 60 or in some cases more than 90 years ago. The cemetery is the resting place of the dead, but it is still part of a living community.
12 June - Complete List of Tony Award Winners 2022
Broadway is honoring the best of the 2021–2022 season on Sunday, June 12. Who are the night’s big winners?
12 June - Andrew Lloyd Webber Booed After Calling His ‘Cinderella’ Musical a ‘Costly Mistake’ During Final Curtain Call
The West End’s production of “Cinderella” took its final bow in London Sunday evening, although a key member of the production’s creative team was not in attendance at the Gillian Lynne Theatre. Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, who composed the music for the new adaptation of the classic fairy tale, did not appear at the venue in the flesh.
10 June - U.K. Theaters Urged to Improve Accessibility Via Digital Innovation – Global Bulletin
U.K. theatres and arts organizations have been urged to prioritize accessibility particularly via digital platforms to prevent audiences “returning to pre-pandemic levels of exclusion.”
09 June - Edinburgh Fringe organisers unveil 'more inclusive' vision for festival's future
Companies found to be consistently guilty of poor working practices at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe will face tougher penalties, under a new vision for the event that also vows to address low pay and the lack of affordable accommodation for artists.
09 June - Was the Platinum Jubilee a missed opportunity for theatre?
Looking back at last week’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, I cannot help but wonder whether it was a missed opportunity for the theatre industry.
09 June - Theatre must put people before profit, or workers will quit for film and TV
After five years of banging the drum for theatre’s costume professionals, Catherine Kodicek is saying goodbye for now to the industry – unfair wages, long hours and empty mission statements are pushing out workers, she says
08 June - Hospitality firms warn June rail strikes will be devastating
National rail strikes will have a devastating impact on the theatre, live music and hospitality industries recovering from the Covid pandemic, trade bodies have warned.
08 June - Is It Finally Twilight for the Theater’s Sacred Monsters?
Many of the “great men” who helped America create its classics, its institutions and its own acting style were tyrants. We need to cut them loose.
08 June - Welsh language youth theatre to relaunch
The Welsh Government is investing £1m over the next five years to support the relaunch of the Urdd’s National Youth Theatre.
07 June - How do you make a lavish spectacle sustainable? Theatre’s radical green agenda
A meeting of minds at the National Theatre showed ways to stage drama along environmentally sound lines. But is everyone on board?
01 June - Cost-of-living crisis hitting theatre workers, charities warn
Theatre charities have warned they are braced for a “flood” of funding applications from workers due to the cost-of-living crisis, with unions calling for an increase in wages to address the situation.