The Royal Exchange Theatre has announced that it has entered into ‘redundancy consultation’ with staff members and may be forced to make up to 65% of permanent roles redundant.
The theatre, in the heart of Manchester city centre, has cited the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the uncertainty around when it may be able to once again reopen doors for live performances, as having a detrimental effect.
Theatre directors said “there is nothing on the table which gives us confidence or clarity to be able to restart any activities in the immediate future” and that they “simply can’t trade” at this moment in time, even with social distancing measures in place, as it is “just not financially viable within our current structure”.
Announcing via a formal statement on its website yesterday evening, the Royal Exchange Theatre said that the impact of the pandemic has been “monumental” and they have been “working incredibly hard to ensure the survival and the future of our theatre”.
The statement continues: As a direct result of this, and the dramatic loss of income associated with it, we have no other choice than to scale back the organisation and reduce our overheads in order to survive. This means that we have been forced to make the incredibly hard decision to enter a period of redundancy consultation with our staff.”
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“At the end of this period we may have to make up to 65% of permanent roles redundant.”
“We have explored all other possible options and this is the last resort in protecting the future of the Royal Exchange Theatre. The primary focus now is our duty of care to our staff [and] we have an incredible team of people who have shown enormous commitment and resilience.”
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“This is a very sad and difficult time for everyone involved.”
“As a company, we remain committed to our vital role as a key cultural organisation for Greater Manchester, the North West and the national theatre ecology.”
“We will emerge from this period as a different organisation in a very different landscape, but we are determined to deliver the best cultural experiences for our audiences and communities once more, and we will do our utmost to bring our stages back to life as soon as it is safe and economically possible, opening our spaces, inviting communities and presenting bold and inventive work from vibrant and original voices”.
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Bryony Shanahan, Artistic Director, said “It’s been heart-breaking to come to the realisation that this is the action we have no choice but to take.”
“Our staff are dedicated, talented, loyal and they don’t deserve this – and neither do the thousands of people in our industry who are facing job loss and uncertainty. It is an awful time for us all, and it’s also hugely frustrating that government support simply hasn’t reached us in time, despite clear warning signals and cries for help.”
“Access to culture for all should not be a luxury but a right, and so we must value it as such as we heal and move forward from this time.”
Roy Alexander Weise, Artistic Director, said: “The only way through this tremendously difficult time is to have unwavering optimism; keeping our eyes firmly on the goal of building again a vibrant hub of creativity and connection for Greater Manchester.”
“This catastrophe sadly forces us to change drastically to brace the world’s uncertainty but we look further ahead with hope to becoming a theatre which benefits more people than ever before, brings our community relationships into sharper focus, and helps us to employ and sustain more talent in the future.”
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“Theatre will survive because as human beings we crave stories to make sense of our existence and imagination will help us to create a future. Our Engagement work with community participants never stopped during lockdown, and we have been committed to people remaining connected with us and each other.”
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“We have learnt through this time that we can do and be so much more for the people of this great city. Theatre, arts and culture will be needed more than ever to support our collective recovery [and] when we eventually open our doors, we will be a pillar of strength, love and resilience for all.”
Steve Freeman, Executive Director, said: “The current economic landscape is desperate for theatres up and down the country, but we remain committed to being able to bring joy and entertainment to peoples’ lives once more. In the short-term, this means that we are having to take the most drastic and painful actions now.”
“However, we know that our role in providing people with the space to congregate for cultural experiences will be all the more important in the new world we are all facing.”
The Royal Exchange Theatre has started the #RXConnect hashtag on social media, which has seen much interaction and support from members of the public over the past few months since closing its doors back in March.
Never imagined that we'd be hair-line deep – 5 months in – but I feel like with everyone's support I can imagine us getting through this!#RXconnecthttps://t.co/StpUIXBnv5
The Royal Exchange Theatre closed out its statement thanking everyone for their continued and invaluable support and vowed to “be back as soon as we can”.
For more information, visit the Royal Exchange Theatre website here.
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NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani gives thoughts on Andy Burnham running for Prime Minister
Emily Sergeant
Mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, has given his thoughts on Andy Burnham’s intention to run for Prime Minister.
In case you missed it, after it was announced last Friday that Andy Burnham had clinched the victory in the crucial Makerfield by-election, winning 24,927 votes (54.8% vote share) and a majority of 9,231, he then went onto announcing his intentions to run for Labour Party leader, and therefore Prime Minister, after Keir Starmer confirmed he would be stepping down.
Greater Manchester‘s next Mayoral Election has also been announced, given that Burnham is now not eligible to stay in the role – with the date set for Thursday 30 July and candidates frequently being announced.
Talk of Burnham’s chances of running the country have been around for months now, but have ramped up considerably over the past week of course in the wake of his by-election win.
It’s fair to say that for much of Andy Burnham’s time as Mayor of Greater Manchester, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, he was up there as one the most famous Mayors in the world… but over the past year, he’s arguably had to hand that unofficial title over to Zohran Mamdani, the current Mayor of New York City.
Mamdani is considered to be a democratic socialist, and campaigned for things like progressive, affordability-focused platform, supporting fare-free city buses, universal child care, city-owned grocery stores, a rent freeze on rent-stabilised units, additional affordable housing units, and a $30 minimum wage by 2030.
He has also expressed support for LGBTQ+ rights, comprehensive public safety reform, and tax increases on corporations and those earning above $1 million annually.
Mamdani was elected Mayor of New York City last October, and was officially sworn in on New Year’s Day at the start of this year.
Since then, he has successfully – very successfully, in fact – made a name for himself around the world, and has even managed to deliver on a good chunk of what he set out to do in his campaign, seeing many calls for him to become President one day.
Oh, and he’s also a massive (and very knowledgeable) football fan – an Arsensal fan, to be precise, but football in general really.
Appearing on BBC’s Football Daily podcast this week to talk about his love of the sport as the US currently hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Mamdani was also asked to give his thoughts on Andy Burnham and his upcoming run to be Prime Minister.
“I don’t think anything comes with ease at that kind of a level,” Mamdani started out in response to host Mark Chapman’s question.
“I do think they are very important skills because many people have lost faith in Government, the place they earn that faith back, they decide to trust again, is at the most local level. That’s where they see what it’s like to have a Government that delivers for them.
“And if you’re able to respond to people, whether it’s in Greater Manchester or New York City, it is at the heart of what people are looking for for any kind of politics.
Mamdani then closed out his thoughts by questioning: “I don’t think he’s an Arsenal supporter though?” and when the hosts clarified that Burnham is an Everton fan, Mamdani responded: “Well at least you can respect that someone has suffered.”
He concluded: “No but like, I like it when I meet someone who’s a fan of a team that hasn’t just won and won and won.”
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
News
Trendy Ancoats wine bar Blossom Street Social to close after six years
Emily Sergeant
Trendy neighbourhood wine bar Blossom Street Social has announced its closure after nearly seven years serving the Ancoats community.
Blossom Street Social first opened its doors back in 2019, just months before the country – and the res of the world – was plunged into the COVID-19 lockdowns, but despite all the challenges during the early days, this wine bar went on to become a true staple of Ancoats life – hosting events, exhibitions, wine tastings, and everything in between.
But now, the owners have had to make the heartbreaking decision to close, saying they’ve ‘danced our last dance, played our last record, and poured our last glass of wine in Ancoats.’
Announcing the news in a statement to social media this week, Blossom Street Social said: “Blossom Street Social closes its doors after six and a half years at the heart of the Ancoats community.
Blossom Street Social has announced its closure after six years / Credit: The Manc Group
“When we opened in 2019, just months before the world changed forever, we couldn’t possibly have imagined the journey ahead. Through lockdowns, uncertainty and everything that followed, we somehow managed to build something that became far more than a wine bar.
“Wine was always at the heart of what we did, but so were the conversations, the music, the art and the community that grew around it.
“We’ve hosted tastings, exhibitions, launches, celebrations, social sessions and countless memorable nights. We’ve introduced people to wines they’d never tried before, watched friendships form and shared in some truly special moments.
“We’ve watched first dates become engagements, engagements become marriages, and couples return with babies in tow. We’ve celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, new homes and countless milestones alongside you. We’ve shared conversations, laughter, music and moments that mattered from our little corner of Ancoats. We will never forget them.”
The team then went on to thank ‘every customer, artist, DJ, supplier, collaborator and friend’ who became part of their story.
The owners also gave a special thank you to the staff members who stayed ‘to the very end’ and ‘showed up when it was hard’, admitting that they couldn’t have done it without them all.
The Manc -
2nd July 2020 
