Kickstart Victoria: What Victoria’s arts and entertainment scene will look like post COVID-19
Punters will be spoiled for choice when concert and musical theatre productions restart, kids will be able to return to the cinema for school holidays and the ballet will hit the stage when Victoria’s arts and entertainment scene comes back with a bang.
Victoria
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PAUL DAINTY
President and CEO of TEG Dainty
“Punters are going to have a big choice of what they can go and see when concerts open up again. It’s going to be a smorgasbord of stars, we’re talking to some big names. We’ve got a lot of venues on hold from the third and fourth quarter of 2021 onwards, through into 2022. “There’s potentially going to be a bit of a traffic jam, you’ve got all the rescheduled tours from 2020 and all the new tours scheduled for 2021 and 2022 that haven’t been announced.
“There’s a pent-up demand for live entertainment which you can see in the big box office response for things like Delta’s tour next year and theatre shows like Hamilton. We don’t live in a world where people watch TV like they used to, it’s all about experiences.
“We’re looking to November 2021, so this time next year, as when we can be back doing shows as normal with full capacity. To bring a huge stadium act like Queen or Eminem out and play to limited capacity the numbers don’t work because the costs are so high to put shows of that size on. We’re assuming we’ll be in some kind of normality then with vaccines in a year from now.
“We’re hoping we may be able to get some shows away from May or June, but that’s a watch and see. A lot will depend on if the Australian Open and the Grand Prix go ahead with crowds, the way those things play out will help create what happens in the arenas.
“We’re looking at it through a Melbourne lens but the rest of the country is in very good shape. We only have to sort Melbourne out and then open the borders up, and then see how you deal with how you bring an international act in if there’s still the quarantine process in place in May next year.
IDEA: “We could do with another theatre in Melbourne. We’re bringing the Tina Turner musical to Australia, and navigating the availability of theatres around the country, there’s a log jam of shows that were meant to be playing now and have been pushed back. You join a queue. We’re a theatre short in Melbourne, you have to go to either the Regent, Princess or Her Majesty’s. If we had a new theatre in Melbourne it’d be full all year.”
KIRK EDWARDS
CEO, Village Cinemas
“As a Victorian who has been isolating for so long, I understand the importance of escaping into the world of movies again — reconnecting and socialising with loved ones. The lockdowns have challenged our mental wellbeing, and the cinema experience is well positioned to offer a release.
“Nothing compares to a story coming to life on the big screen, and streaming struggles to replicate the escapism delivered by the theatrical experience. Now more than ever, escaping into the dreamscape through movies is something we all desperately need.
“As people are still restricted from travel, I expect cinema will become an increasingly desirable entertainment option – particularly in the school holidays where people are looking for activities for the whole family to enjoy.
“I am incredibly optimistic about the future. Next year is shaping up to be an incredible year for cinema, and I am looking forward to sharing films such as Black Widow, Disney Pixar’s Soul, The Batman, Top Gun: Maverick, Fast and Furious 9, Jungle Cruise and Eternals with audiences.”
DAVID McALLISTER
Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet
“For The Australian Ballet, COVID normal will be being able to have our 70+ dancers back on stage and performing for our loyal and passionate audiences. We believe that there will be stricter protocols around hygiene, social distancing seating plans etc in the auditorium to ensure a COVID-safe environment.
“The safety of patrons will be paramount. We are currently working through the systems for our artists and crew with our venues, but we look forward to bringing the power and beauty of dancers back to the stage.”
TONY ELLWOOD
Director of the National Gallery Of Victoria
“We have a lot to look forward to. We’re very lucky, for an arts organisation to have the luxury of space that we have. Both of our buildings NGV Australia and NGV International are both generous scale buildings. We really want to utilise that.
“We’ll work with health regulations on the quantity of people, and we’ll manage that very carefully. As a government agency, I think people can have the confidence that both the health requirements and social requirements will be adhered to very strictly.
“It’s a good time to come back into our space because it feels safe, comfortable, welcoming, and it’s got an educational element to it, without it being too forceful or intense.
“There are people, particular older audiences, who have said they’re going to find it hard to come back at first, even though they really want to. Our pledge to them is to maintain as much new and fresh content as we can (online, in virtual packages).”
“For those busting to knock the door down and get in, we’ll make it as friendly, safe and clean as possible.
“We play a really important role in the life of our city. Our focus has to be on local audiences while they’re easing back into normal life, then we’ll actively pursue the tourism market when it’s appropriate because that’s the economy our city and state needs right now.”
RICHIE McNEILL
Director, Hardware Corporation
“We’ve got to do things slowly. After what happened with Victoria’s second wave, Australians can see how easily it can flare up. But now there is an awareness of having to maintain personal hygiene and social distancing.
“Events will not be as frantic, frenetic and crazy as concerts and festivals of the past. I think we will see more barriers (at shows), with people in groups, and spread out, so you don’t have 80 per cent of the crowd packed into the first 30 metres.
“Tracing will be important, and photo ID matching registered details of every ticket patron is a start. If a venue has the ability to open up more entrances, we can fan out the entry phase, and also conduct temperature checks upon entry.
“I think there is potential to shorten event times which will decrease the risk of exposure.
IDEA: “For touring acts, I would push for 7-day hotel quarantine, and another 7 days in a hub, where the artist can’t do any media, meet and greets, or photo opps. They would be like the AFL players, quarantined in a hub. They would go to the concert, perform, and return to the hub.”
SHARLENE HARRIS
National entertainment manager, ALH Group, Live At Your Local
“Our venues are getting asked all the time, ‘When, when, when will you open?’ People want to enjoy live music, they want to dance.
“Last week, in Queensland, we did our first shows at 1 per 4 square metres, but seated. It involved chair dancing, and people loved it. They were commenting the next day, ‘I didn’t realise all the muscles you can use sitting down and having a good time.’
“But it’s really hard to know what happens next in Victoria. But we need to think about what’s possible, and what we could do, so when we do come back, we can activate it.
“ALH has got some big spaces (including the Croxton Bandroom, Pier Hotel, Village Green Hotel, and Chelsea Heights Hotel). I worry about the little venues, which are the core of the live music business in Melbourne.
“Everyone is struggling with the border closures. National tours are being kiboshed because of the border thing. That must be sorted out, and we need to find a way to get acts in and out, or keep them in a bubble.”
IDEA: “I think some artists can reinvent their set list and present the songs to a seated audience in a different way. It won’t prompt people to jump up and mosh around, but it will be a different, unique experience.”
EMILY ULMAN
Managing director, Isol-Aid Festival
“I think it’s going to be a slow recovery for the entire sector. It’s particularly important for the music industry that the virus is under control as much as possible, even though that means some short-term pain. We need people to be able to come together with confidence in venues and at festivals, and that can only happen if things open up carefully.
“To my mind, the next steps, (following strict government health guidelines of course), are to allow engineers, producers and musicians back into studios, to permit rehearsal rooms to open, and for venues to be able to welcome smaller capacities and table service.
“The temptation can be to want a speedier recovery plan, but a controlled recovery in stages will protect jobs, the economy and the music industry into the future.
“This will likely mean physical distancing in studios and on stage, smaller capacities, perhaps several shows in the one night, hand sanitising, table service and seated shows, paying strict attention to the details and minutiae of the requirements.”
IDEA: “I hope ‘the real thing’ will also include ‘the virtual thing’ when things open up again. What has been highlighted for me during this time is the need for live streams, for people who are otherwise facing geographical, physical or psychological barriers to be able to attend live gigs and festivals.”
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