Completed petition Re-open theatres and performance venues in Wales in time for the festive season.
Most UK regional theatres will bring in more income during the 'festive' period then at any other time of year. Time is rapidly running out for theatres to be informed that they can open in time for this period. Whilst many of the high profile venues in Wales have already postponed their Christmas productions, there are still hundreds that will be able to safely produce and perform theatre if given enough warning that they can open.
This issue must be debated and resolved promptly.
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Welsh theatres are closed with no information available on when this might change. Currently pubs and restaurants may open with socially distanced tables, gyms may open with social distancing between users, places of worship may open with socially distanced congregations. Yet theatres cannot.
If allowed to open, theatres can sell seats adhering to all social distancing rules, either individual seats or in family groups (just like booking a table at a restaurant). Theatres are already set up for track and trace as they are already ticketed venues. Audiences can be asked to wear masks, performances can be shortened with no intervals to alleviate queuing etc.
All of these measures can be taken to ensure that audiences, performers and staff are safe, but theatre cannot just be turned on like a tap. We need plenty of warning that we will be allowed to open in order to rehearse, plan, build, rig and work safely.
I urge Welsh Government to make the opening of Welsh theatres a priority.
This petition was considered by the Petitions Committee
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