The Money!
The good news is that no North East theatre closed permanently during 2021, although anecdotal evidence suggests that, for some, it was a close-run thing. But although all NE theatre buildings survived, only time will tell if all non-building-based companies do.
There was some funding made available by ACE during the year via the Culture Recovery Fund rounds 2 and 3 but it has to be said that the NE didn’t do too well. From CRF 2, the region received 96 awards (33 for theatre) totalling £11,196,728, the lowest of all the English regions.
From CRF3, the region received 31 Continuity grants (totalling £2,552,682), again the lowest of the English regions. No Emergency Support grants were made to the NE.
North of Tyne councils (Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland) offered grants / loans totalling £2.265m available to creative businesses in their area, whilst The Customs House in South Shields received a £1,000 Movement for Good award (voted for by the public) from the Ecclesiastical Insurance Group, and four NE theatres—ARC Stockton, The Customs House, Live Theatre and Northern Stage—were among 100 cultural organisations receiving a share of The Garfield Weston Foundation's Weston Culture Fund grants of £30m, announced on 1 February.
Many theatres found their Friends organisations invaluable both this year and last. Even the smallest of donations not only helps financially but gives the staff a sense that what they do is valued by their community.
On the other hand, after theatres reopened—and even at their most profitable time of year, the Christmas show / panto season—there were problems. Audiences’ worries about COVID meant that advance bookings were well down on normal for many venues and, when Omicron made its appearance, people started cancelling bookings and, in particular, many schools cancelled block bookings for schools’ matinées. Ray Spencer, Director of The Customs House in South Shields, told local radio that they were down £100,000 on the same period last year.
And this was before venues started having to cancel days of shows because of COVID outbreaks in casts or theatre staff.
In response to these problems, on 21 December, the Chancellor of the Exchequer gave an additional £30m for the Culture Recovery Fund for organisations brought to the brink of bankruptcy by COVID—a drop in the ocean in comparison to the £488.3m awarded in previous rounds.
As before, there was nothing for the backbone of the industry, freelances, until there was an outcry yet again and somehow £1.5m was found for a hardship fund for Arts freelance workers.
It must be remembered, too, that the CRF covers concert halls, art galleries, arts centres and museums, not just theatres.