Over £500,000 lost in ticket sales for Wiltshire Creative
The arts group will reopen Salisbury Playhouse later this month with a socially distanced season.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Wiltshire Creative have lost over £500,000 in ticket sales because of the amount of productions and shows that were cancelled.
Salisbury Playhouse and Salisbury Arts Centre both shut their doors when the country went into lockdown.
Last month it was announced that the Playhouse would reopen for a six week season this October though, while Salisbury Arts Centre is starting to hold performances and entertainment evenings as they start their recovery.
HELPING YOUNG PEOPLES' WELLBEING
There's some more good news from Wiltshire Creative too.
Children from low income families in and around Salisbury are being given a way to express their creativity through an art pack.
The organisation are sending out activity bags full of materials to 1,000 families across the city.
They're being put together by Wiltshire Creative's outreach team to replace the holiday activities it was unable to host due to lockdown.
It's hoped this project will go someway to improving the mental wellbeing of young people in Salisbury.
Director Louise Dancy said:
"It has been a consideration for a while for something we'd like to do in order to reach out to those families who aren't always able to get out, even before lockdown.
It is a widely maintained fact that engagement within the arts and culture sector is beneficial for health and wellbeing, especially in young people. It is proven to increase academic attainment, cognitive ability and transferable skills.
By making the most of the relationships we had with such groups, we were able to get the materials into the families' homes.
Many of the families were stuck in flats with no gardens during lockdown and just providing that extra activity felt really important. Even now they are able to go out again, not all of the families are able to afford to do these kinds of activities together, especially as some of them have lost their jobs."
They are working with Salisbury City Council's community workers, the Army Welfare Service, St Michael's Church in Bemerton Heath, outreach teams at The Friary and Salisbury Women's Refuge to identify families in need.
It's been made possible thanks to a generous grant from Wiltshire Community Foundation.
Wiltshire Creative were given £5,000 to fund the project, from the Coronavirus Response and Recovery Fund.
More than £900,000 has been given out to local community groups and charities to give them a chance to help those in need.
You can donate to the fund by visiting the Wiltshire Community Foundation website.