World Theatre Day: Three Years Since Closures
(Photo: Kevin Grieve/Unsplash).
It was only last year that the curtains went up to full capacity theatres again.
The national lockdowns saw the government labelled as ‘hypocrites’ after releasing adverts encouraging performers to “Rethink. Reboot. Reskill” and cutting funding for arts education by 50 percent.
World Theatre Day has been celebrated since 1962 on March 27th and acts as a wakeup call for institutions to recognise the value and significance of the arts.
The advert encouraged theatre workers to find alternative jobs at the start of the pandemic (Photo: The Independent/National Cyber Security Centre).
For an industry that generates over ten billion pounds for the economy each year, performing arts teacher Laura Hubble believes it’s all to do with unfair attitudes.
“The arts always seem to be one sector that is hit the most when it comes to financial elements. It again all links back to the view that it isn’t something of importance,” she said.
YouTube video created during the #savethearts campaign in 2020 (Video: #SavetheArts on London West End CLOSE)
The Incorporated Society for Arts found thirty-nine percent of teachers reported a reduction in lessons as a result of the pandemic, despite most pupils studying all their usual subjects.
In nine years of teaching dance across schools in the West Midlands, Ms. Hubble has direct experience in how the issue is present in school curriculums.
“It’s very frustrating when other subjects are seen as a higher priority over the arts. Skills and techniques that students learn within their performing arts lessons are valuable in many ways and help students develop and build life skills,” she added.
Sandwell Academy's production of 'Our House' in 2017 (Photo: Laura Hubble).
Ms. Hubble's priority is to minimize the backlog of practical work the national lockdowns created for her students.
“Shows are my favourite things to work on as you get to see students thrive and enjoy every moment. Something to showcase what the students have learnt while online will make all the stress worth it,” added Ms Hubble.
The Coventry University Musical Theatre Society celebrated World Theatre Day by rehearsing for their production of High School Musical after nearly two years of online sessions.
Gert Egert Jätsa, Society President, said: “Members were dropping like flies. We weren’t expecting to make it through, but luckily Covid restrictions were lifted just in time of that.”
The Musical Theatre Society met twice a week on Zoom during the inital lockdowns (Photo: Gert Egert Jätsa).
Even when university students could return to campus May 17 2021, restrictions remained for face-to-face society meetings and performances.
“Theatre institutions have been more affected by the pandemic than others, but those looking from the outside don’t get why. Performers seem to need to work harder to get to where they want to be,” the second-year Cyber Security student added.
'The Night of Musical Theatre' showcase in January was their first show back since December 2019 (Instagram: CUSUMUSICALTHEATRE).
Four weeks into the societies in-person rehearsals, members had to hold bake sales and selling raffle tickets to help cover the cost of their production.
You can donate through to local and national theatre companies here: https://theatreartists.fund