Jonathan Bielski: Theatres, arts venues concerned by gathering restrictions

Published: Aug. 26, 2020, 3:29 a.m.

Theatres and venues want the curtain lowered on Level Two restrictions preventing more than 10 people in a room.
They are calling on the Government to give them some creative leeway,  so they can carry on performing when the alert level is lowered.
Auckland Theatre Company's chief executive Jonathan Bielski told Mike Hosking they can't operate under social distancing rules intended for boozy weddings.
"Certainly not the one where we're currently facing in Aucklnad which is with a 10 person capacity limit. That's not viable for anyone.
"And I think even at 100, we're really going to struggle."
Bielski says a 100 person cap includes performers and staff - and would only be 12 percent of their capacity.
He says the restrictions are a blunt instrument and believes there are ways to make it work.
"Our industry is an innovation sector, we're always coming up with ideas.
"We think we can have masks, we can have separated queuing, we can assign people to distinct parts of the venue."
Mark Gosling of the Entertainment Venues Association says those measures could also work at stadiums and other large entertainment venues. 
He says that the gathering restrictions will mean many arts and entertainment events won't be able to happen, even though their environments can be more controlled than other businesses reopening after Monday.
"We feel that terminology, controlled environment, is what the Government uses to describes schools and universities when they reopen on Monday with four to 10,000 people in them."
He says the uncertainty around event restrictions and lockdowns means events have already been postponed or cancelled, and there are growing concerns venues will go under without revenue coming in.
"For venues, we carry huge overheads. We're a giant building with massive insurance costs and utility bills."