An update from our Director

With the details of the government’s road map announced on Monday, it has given us all hope that we will soon be able to spend time with family and friends once more.

For the arts industry we now know that we will not be able to recommence live performances until at least 17 May. This unfortunately means the events scheduled for April and the first half of May will not be able to take place as planned and our Box Office team will be in touch next week with those who have booked tickets. While not a guaranteed reopening date, it does give us some guidance on the timeframe we are working to when we are planning upcoming events across our venues. Our hope is that the summer will see a range of live performances, both in our socially distanced auditorium and outdoors, as well films in our cinema. We are working with producers at the moment and will share the programme with you in due course.

Activities for young people have a slightly earlier date on the road map and we expect to be able to offer these from mid-April, all delivered with social distancing guidelines in place. We will share details of these when they are confirmed but we know how much the young people we work with are looking forward to being back with their friends in person.

Over at The Base, we are planning to reopen with the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 56 exhibition as soon as this is permitted. We have a really exciting schedule of exhibitions this year and we will send information of the new dates soon. If you haven’t already, take a look at The Base annual pass which gives you 12 months access to the exhibitions so you can visit as many times as you like. Two of our Resident Artists are also offering online sessions to keep you creative at home and try a new skill. Starting on Monday, Richard Francis Bellin will be running a 4 week online landscape painting course and later in March Cáit Gould is running a workshop to teach you how to make clay pinch pots.

Welcoming so many of you back last autumn to watch live performances or film screenings, visit exhibitions, take part in workshops or for the pantomime or Winter Lantern Trail, enabled us to do what we do best – sharing creative experiences with our community. The feedback we received from our visitors was so uplifting for the team and helped keep our spirits high. Hopefully we can do the same for you, just as soon as we are able to welcome you back.

With best wishes,

Katy Griffiths
Director