Coronavirus: Theatre organisations to sit on government recovery group

The Young Vic, the Royal Opera House, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s theatre companies, Leeds Playhouse and Birmingham Hippodrome are among 50 organisations that will sit on a government working group aimed at helping the sector reopen.

The entertainment and events working group aims to help industries including theatre and performing arts, live music and cinemas reopen following the coronavirus pandemic.

The group’s findings will feed into the work of government’s Cultural Renewal Task Force, announced last month.

Culture secretary Oliver Dowden has now confirmed the members for the working group, which began meeting this week and includes industry representatives as well as medical experts.

Members include bodies such as the Society of London Theatre, UK Theatre, Arts Council England and the Theatres Trust, and unions BECTU, Equity and the Musicians’ Union.

Commercial operators Nimax, Ambassador Theatre Group, the Really Useful Group and LW Theatres will also sit on the group, as will West End producer Kenny Wax Productions and Nicholas Hytner and Nick Starr’s Bridge Theatre.

Other venues on the list include the ROH, the Royal Albert Hall, the Southbank Centre, Leeds Playhouse, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Birmingham Hippodrome and the Young Vic.

Companies such as Birmingham Royal Ballet and Secret Cinema will also contribute, alongside representatives from Ramps on the Moon and the What Next? movement.

Dowden, who chairs the overall government task force, said: "I understand the serious challenges facing the entertainment and events sector", and promised to engage with "a wide range of organisations" as part of the group.

"We’ll help them through this crisis and out the other side," he said.

The full list of members of the entertainment and events working group:

• Adlib
• Ambassador Theatre Group
• Artist managers
• Arts Council England
• Association of British Orchestras
• Association of Circus Proprietors
• Association of Independent Festivals
• Attitude Is Everything
• BECTU
• Birmingham Hippodrome
• Birmingham Royal Ballet
• Bridge Theatre
• British Film Institute
• Cadogan Hall
• Concert Promoters Association
• Equity
• ESL Gaming
• Events Industry Forum
• Film Distributors Association
• Games London/London Games Festival
• Glastonbury
• Independent medical expert member
• LW Theatres
• Kenny Wax Productions
• Leeds Playhouse
• Live Comedy Association
• MRL Ltd
• Music Venue Trust
• National Outdoor Events Association
• Newcastle Theatre Royal
• Night Time Industries Association
• Nimax
• Notting Hill Carnival Limited
• One Dance UK
• Production Services Association
• Ramps on the Moon
• Really Useful Group (RUG)
• Royal Albert Hall
• Royal Liverpool Philharmonic
• Royal Opera House
• Secret Cinema
• Southbank Centre
• The Musicians Union (MU)
• The National Arenas Association
• Theatres Trust
• UK Cinema Association
• UK Theatre / Society of London Theatre
• Vue Cinema
• What Next?
• Young Vic