Prince Charles highlights distress on the arts

The Prince of Wales, Prince Charles has echoed his concern over the state of the British arts industry highlighting the growing support for much needed stimulus in order to save an industry on the “brink of collapse”.

With the prospect of closures until early next year, due to ongoing social distancing measure, many theatres and concert halls are facing the prospect of permanent closure.

Prince Charles has highlighted the importance of supporting the industry by saying “we must find a way of keeping these orchestras and other arts bodies going”.

The Prince is a regular attendee to a large number of arts organisations and commented on their “enormous importance” to the British economy and culture.

In a recent interview with Classic FM the the Prince said “It’s absolutely crucial that they can come back twice as enthusiastic as before…”

“They’re in terrible difficulties, of course, because how are they going to be able to restart?” said the prince.

“It is a very expensive art form, but it is crucial because it has such a worldwide impact… and so we have to find a way to make sure these marvellous people and organisations are going to survive through all this.”

Sonia Freedman, the producer behind the West End productions of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and The Book of Mormon has recently said that without appropriate government support the performing arts faces “the real possibility of complete obliteration”.

“Without an urgent government rescue package, 70% of our performing arts companies will be out of business before the end of this year,” she wrote. “More than 1,000 theatres around the country will be insolvent and might shut down for good.”

The producer said the loss would be “irrecoverable” and said that without intervention the country would watch as over the next six months “our arts and cultural organisations will have to spend their reserves until there is nothing left”. This would leave many theatre operators no choice but to enter administration.

Management from the National Theatre, the Southbank Centre and the Royal Shakespeare Company have all said that on the current trajectory they are all facing imminent financial collapse.