Out To Perform

Whilst we welcome @OliverDowden's enthusiasm and understanding we’re the Covid-safest part of the sector and should be prioritised if roadmap shifts, here are @OutToPerforms’s 6 things government can do now to unlock more outdoor performances by #DeregulatingTheArts. /2

I think the quote was “Culture, Media and [with David Tennant irony tone] also Sport”!

I thought @DCMS was the Dept of Digital Culture Media & Sport? What happened to “Digital”?! images.app.goo.gl/U931Sss3Yx…

Many congratulations to @JuliaLopezMP newly appointed as @DCMS Minister of State. We champion lateral thinking in the sector, and our CEO @stuartbarrmusic looks forward to working with you to find new ways to champion our culture and digital sectors.

Thank you @oliverdowden for your support of our campaigns: we'll miss you. Your legacy persuading @hmtreasury to fund #CultureRecoveryFund lives on though. Our CEO @stuartbarrmusic looks forward to working with @DCMS Sec @NadineDorries to find new ways to champion #performingarts

Delighted #Vaxpassports dropped in England (sorry, Scotland). We'd campaigned against their introduction in #performingarts because they signal "this is an unsafe place" regardless of real risk – psychology which would have taken years to undo.

We are pleased individual venues will be able to choose their own policies on #facemasks. As the #EventsResearchProgramme data suggested, audiences are 1/100 as likely to inhale other's aerosols outdoors as indoors, so mandatory masks outdoors make would bring no benefit.

We welcome @sajidjavid's confirmation #Step4 will happen on July 19th with NO mandatory distancing, distancing, limits or Covid passports, allowing outdoor venues to return to become profitable again. So many #performingarts jobs and public uplift depends upon full capacity.

We're delighted to see the UK's smaller indoor music venues being able to host the likes of @RealSirTomJones @mahalia @samfendermusic to help our cultural renaissance begin. Bravo @musicvenuetrust @TNLUK #ReviveLive bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment…

And why not too? Perhaps singing Vaughan-Williams’s A Sea Symphony? Or just a #seashanty!

We're thrilled @GOVUK's proposed #Step4 plan includes lifting ALL outdoor theatre & music restrictions from #July19th: most importantly no #CovidCertification and end of #SocialDistancing. Thank you @OliverDowden @DCMS for listening to our views. #culturalrenaissance

However, we're pleased to see the 1st hard evidence of relative risk of outdoor vs indoor events. We believe this bolsters our mission that Step 4 public policy must be aligned with relative risk, and our argument for open air organised seated events having no restrictions.

We've uncovered a previously unreported problem: @ONS data of 15% more likely to attend events with mandatory testing is based upon population survey, NOT core audiences, therefore shouldn't be used as economic argument for its introduction. @katyraines @IndigoLtd @BakerRichards

However, we greatly welcome the research's scope and ambition, and support the government's drive to make policy making data-led. Read our full response on #EventsResearchProgramme to @OliverDowden & our reservations. #Covid outtoperform.com/post/respon… [thread ends]

Finally, there's no mention that they'll look at the long-tail effect of introducing apparently short-term mitigations such as certification/testing. It may ingrain “Events = unsafe” attitude into audiences, which could take years to undo. /7

The report also says public health must be the guiding star of introducing mitigations, yet there is no mention of the mental and social impacts (ie. WHO’s wider definition of health) of mitigations. /6

Other data based upon core audience segments such as @indigoltd tells different picture. We feel it’s vital @govuk conducts rigorous attitude surveys of core audiences (not just self-selecting pilot audiences) before building any economic case for mandatory testing. /5

BUT We feel an important assumption has been missed. Report cites 14th May @ONS survey that mandatory testing = audiences more likely to attend (thus building economic case for introduction). Yet it doesn’t flag up that ONS data is representative of population, not audiences. /4

With caveats of toilets/entrances/refreshment pinch points, outdoor Ents such as @TheLunaCinema @OutdoorPlaysUK are likely ultra-low-risk environments – and strengthens our arguments for having NO mandatory mitigations or restrictions at Step 4. /3

But first, great news on Covid safeness of open-air #events venues. In the pilots, exposure to other’s aerosols in a stadium was 1/38th that of the indoor theatre; and 1/100th exposure vs a day in the office. @The_Globe @minacktheatre @BOATheatre @PenleeTheatre @OpenAirTheatre /2