Stephen has written to the Chancellor pressing the Government to put in place urgent measures to support the theatre industry during the Covid-19 crisis.
The creative sector has undoubtedly been one of the hardest hit by Covid-19. Due to the difficulty of operating in line with social distancing measures, the performing arts sector will be one of the last to fully reopen and thousands in East Ham and beyond now face unemployment. This also has implications for local businesses, such as bars, restaurants and hotels, who rely on theatre-goers to keep their doors open.
At the start of July, Stephen wrote to the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, highlighting the impact Covid-19 has had on the arts and the sector’s desperate need of Government support. He asked for urgent supportive measures to be put in place. You can read the full letter here.
A few days later, on 5 July, the Government finally announced a support package of £1.57 billion for the arts. However, several believe this has been implemented too late, as many theatres have already announced redundancies. Many also argue that the funding is simply not enough to support an industry which, in 2018, contributed £111.7 billion to the UK economy.
Speaking after the Government’s announcement, Stephen said “whilst I warmly welcome the funding package for the arts sector, I fear it will not be enough to save the hundreds of theatres, venues and galleries who claim to be on the brink of collapse. The Government must provide assurance that the theatre industry can reopen as soon as possible and put in place additional support for this important sector.”
You can read the letter here.