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.
News
Andy Burnham invites Donald Trump to Manchester as two leaders speak on first call together
Emily Sergeant
Andy Burnham has spoken to US President Donald Trump on a call for the first time since becoming Prime Minister.
Less than 24 hours after officially becoming Prime Minister and appearing outside the doors of Number 10 to give his first speech as leader, Andy Burnham and Donald Trump have had contact with each other – and the US President even described it as a ‘very good conversation’ that was ‘interesting’ and went ‘very well’.
According to the Prime Minister‘s office, the two leaders spoke about a range of different topics important to both countries.
Setting out his vision as Prime Minister, Burnham told Trump that he would focus on reindustrialisation up and down the country to ensure ‘good growth in every postcode’.
Andy Burnham has invited Donald Trump to visit Manchester / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
The Prime Minister also underlined his commitment to defence and security, and told the President that ensuring the security of the UK and its Allies was at the top of his agenda.
The President then updated on the situation in the Middle East, and the Prime Minister outlined the UK’s commitment to securing the movement of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz to support global supply chains and drive down costs for businesses and families across the country.
🚨 BREAKING: Donald Trump says his call with Andy Burnham went "very well"
It wasn’t all business though, as the pair also discussed the World Cup – with the Prime Minister congratulating the President on his country’s success as hosts, and agreeing that England had an excellent tournament.
And then came the all-important headline grabbing moment… that’s right, Andy Burnham has invited Donald Trump to visit Manchester.
According to the Government statement, Burnham said he also hoped that he would be able to ‘show the President what Manchester had to offer’ during a visit to the city sometime in the future.
Oh boy… we better get preparing ourselves already then.
Manchester Metropolitan University announce landmark partnership with MCR Basketball
Danny Jones
Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) and Manchester Basketball have detailed a renewed and landmark partnership that looks set to nurture the next generation of talent.
Joining forces with MMU, this is not only the latest effort by MCR Basketball to further invest in young players and grassroots sports here in Manchester, but yet another example of further education creating viable routes into the game for their sporting stars of the future.
While the two organisations already boast an established relationship, this next step in their continued teamwork should prove even more fruitful for both parties, as the still only recently relaunched local basketball side looks to raise its profile in the city.
Confirming their intent to further intertwine their youth development setup and plans to innovate pathways for players, representatives from both met to confirm the announcement this week.
🤝 New partnership to drive basketball innovation & develop future talent. @ManMetUni & Manchester Basketball have announced a new strategic partnership to advance research, education and development of basketball to inspire the next generation of talent. #RepTheCity
With existing coaching staff already working between the two and both of the male and female training camps based over at Platt Lane Sports Complex, it only feels like a natural fit.
Moreover, this increased collaboration between the two is also a promising prospect for MMU Sport, specifically, meaning much more than just the sharing of facilities at the likes of Platt Lane over in Fallowfield and the National Basketball Performance Centre at Belle Vue.
As well as pooled resources, this will also crucially create potential opportunities for those at the uni or preparing to graduate, including student internships and more.
Claire Bradbury, Manchester Basketball CEO, said in an official statement: “As basketball in Manchester enters a new era, we’re excited to formalise our partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University.
“This is a true collaboration bringing together elite, professional basketball and leading academic sports expertise to create opportunities that support the development of players, staff and students.
Together we are investing in the future of basketball to grow the game in our region and working to establish the city of Manchester and Manchester Basketball as one of the leading basketball hubs in Europe.”
Man Met are looking pitch-perfect for the region’s leading ‘college ball’ feeder club, to use more American terminology, already.
Laura Hickman-Sparkes, MMU’s Head of Business Engagement and Partnerships at the Institute of Sport, went on to say: “Basketball is entering an incredibly exciting period, with growing participation, investment and visibility across Europe.”
For example, as well as the Super League Finals having been held at the AO Arena, the city is also most notably hosting a regular season NBA fixture at Co-op Live – a historic moment, to say the least.
“We’re delighted to be partnering with Manchester Basketball at such an important time and look forward to creating opportunities for our students”, she adds, “supporting innovation through research and helping to grow the game across Manchester and beyond.”
In other MMU Sport-related news, their very own ‘Visiting Professor’, who has only just retired from the professional circuit, is also set to fly the flag for the institution and disabled athletes across the country.
The Manc -
2nd July 2020 
