The below correspondence is posted here by kind permission from the Society of London Theatre
The Society of London Theatre (SOLT) is an organisation that works with and on behalf of their Members to champion theatre and the performing arts.
In wishing everyone a good break over the long Bank Holiday weekend, we would like to inform you that the SOLT and UK Theatre teams will work reduced hours next week and so we’ll be sending out our next newsletter on Monday 12 April.
Performing Arts Guidance updates
The guidance was updated on 26 March to include information on reasonable adjustments, changes to NHS Test and Trace regulations (Section 1.5) and changes to national restrictions from 29 March. Non-professional performing arts activity can also commence outdoors, within the legal gathering limits (groups of up to 6 people, or as a group of 2 households). Here you can read the full guidance.
Apply: £20 million SME Brexit Support Fund opens for applications
£20 million SME Brexit Support Fund opens for applications. Smaller businesses can apply for grants of up to £2,000 to help them adapt to new customs and tax rules when trading with the EU. The guidance explains how to apply for a grant to help small and medium-sized businesses new to importing or exporting. The SME Brexit Support Fund could help with training or professional advice, if your business has up to 500 employees and no more than £100 million annual turnover.
Changing Places toilets
The Government has announced a £30 million investment available to provide funding to improve access for people who cannot use standard accessible toilets and their carers. Further details can be found here.
Apply: Pop-up opportunity in Piccadilly and Leicester Square
Westminster City Council in partnership with Art of London have opened a unique opportunity to activate void premises in the Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square areas for free during a period of up to three months. They would like shows and theatres to get involved to optimise this space, which can be done by displaying costumes, set designs, props, etc. Please find more information here. The activation concepts are just guidelines, and Westminster / HOLBA welcome all proposals and are happy to have a flexible approach towards the theatre industry’s concepts. Please note that this cannot be an advertisement and there needs to be an artistic element to your display.
The process for applications for a pop-up space closes on 11 April. All applications must be submitted through the online platform. To find out more about this exciting opportunity please email businessunit@westminster.gov.uk or call 020 7641 2070.
Webinar: Theatre Green Book
This webinar is being run a number of times to allow as many as possible to participate. The sessions are for those who are interested in trialling the Sustainable Productions volume of the Theatre Green Book, or thinking about it, or simply want to hear more. Each webinar will last an hour, and the aim will be to take people through the Theatre Green Book beta version, and answer questions. Sessions can be booked here.
New recruitment guide launched to help you recruit more inclusively
As we work towards reopening, the theatre sector is embarking on a huge recruitment drive. This is a unique opportunity to ensure that the workforce we hire is diverse and represents the UK population.
We have created a new inclusive recruitment guide on the SOLT website and the UK Theatre website. It is concise, actions-focussed, and highlights examples of recruitment best practice from existing resources. It offers suggestions on where to post your job ads to reach a wider talent pool and provides details of organisations who can assist you with your recruitment.
Affordable mental health and wellbeing webinars now booking
We’ve just announced ten standalone webinars designed to support the mental health and wellbeing of offstage theatre workers, hosted by SOLT & UK Theatre and presented by expert facilitators.
With accessible subjects open to everyone, along with sessions tailored for managers & leaders, topics include managing stress, building resilience, creating a racism defence strategy, managing through rapid complex change, and strategies for organisational recovery.
There’s a tiered pricing structure, with free places for unemployed or freelancers, £5 tickets for SOLT and UK Theatre members and members of other trade associations, and £10 tickets for anyone not a member of any membership bodies.
Full details are available on TheatreMeansBusiness.info.
USEFUL RESOURCES
Coronavirus Recovery Guidance
- Coronavirus Recovery Updates and Guidance – for SOLT Members
- Coronavirus Recovery Updates and Guidance – for UK Theatre Members
- Media Briefing Notes
- See It Safely Toolkit
- Working Safely During Coronavirus – Guidance
- Coronavirus Government Guidance Library
Wellbeing and mental health support for you and your staff