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.

Find out more about SOLT and visit their website here.

Mayor announces £5m plan to support safe reopening of Central London

Sadiq Khan has announced proposals to invest £5m to support the reopening of central London, including a drive to attract Londoners and UK tourists back to hard-hit retail, hospitality, and cultural venues. The Mayor wants domestic tourism to be at the heart of London’s drive to ‘build back better’ and will focus on putting jobs and the economy at the heart of post-pandemic planning.

You can read more here.

Marketing, Ticketing and Press webinar
Thanks to everyone who joined today’s Marketing, Ticketing and Press webinar. You can download the slides from Emma’s presentation here.

#WeMakeEvents – The Government Can’t See Us, Can You? 
#WeMakeEvents is calling on the Government – in an open letter to Rishi Sunak – to halt the destruction of the sector by recognising the impact of the pandemic on the live event supply chain, to support individuals and businesses to survive while they cannot work, and to engage with the sector to develop a plan for reopening, including Government-backed COVID-19 cancellation insurance. The campaign is asking the public to contribute their voices and opinions through social media and by writing to their MP – urging the Government to address this crippling situation now. Please download social media assets that you can use and please amplify the message on your channels if you can.

Remote Working & Mental Health: A Young Professional’s Guide
We have added a new resource – Remote Working & Mental Health: A Young Professional’s Guide – to our Wellbeing page. With millions of businesses shifting to work-from-home policies due to the pandemic, many people have had to quickly adapt to remote work and its impact on their careers, work-life balance, and mental wellbeing. The guide offers a lot of great information, such as:

  • Why remote working has become the new normal due to lockdowns – An estimated 30% of the workforce could be home-based by the end of 2021.
  • How remote working can significantly affect physical and mental health.
  • Different ways you can alleviate stress when working from home, such as creating a comfortable work environment and taking regular breaks.
  • How employers can help to make working from home healthier and less stressful for their employees.

Reminder: First In, Last Out – 16 March
We will be marking 16 March, the anniversary of theatres closing, with an industry-wide press and social campaign, linked to raising awareness about the challenges still facing the industry and what we need to move forward, whilst also raising awareness for the Theatre Artists Fund as help and support is still desperately needed.
 
As part of the social media element of the campaign, we have launched a series of videos with high profile theatre makers, talking about the turning points in their lives when they needed help. Take a look at Denise Gough and Eddie Redmayne’s videos here. This will build up to 16 March when we will be asking everyone to post #FirstInLastOut across their social channels. Please find more information on our selfie and video requests in the PDF here (NB: please do not share the collage and videos in the PDF on any social media platforms). Please get involved and share the PDF with any contacts you have who would be willing to participate.
 
Wellbeing Webinar Series from SOLT & UK Theatre
SOLT & UK Theatre are seeking paid facilitators to create and deliver webinars as part of our upcoming series for theatre workers. We are looking for webinar proposals that fall within either of the following themes:

  • Supporting your professional and personal wellbeing
  • Supporting the professional wellbeing of others (for managers & leaders)

The deadline for proposals is Monday 1 March 2021. To find out more click here.


USEFUL RESOURCES

Coronavirus Recovery Guidance

 
Wellbeing and mental health support for you and your staff