Coronavirus: Warning that Northern Irish arts scene risks ‘decimation’

Flagship organisations like the Ulster Orchestra are not expected to resume performances until January, the Arts Council warned.

The Lyric Theatre in Belfast has put three-quarters of its staff on furlough while the Opera House is closed for renovations.

Roisin McDonough, Arts Council chief executive, said: “Unless there is a rescue package the arts sector will be decimated.

“If people cannot open the buildings, if they cannot perform and do what they normally do, it affects our artists.

“They won’t get work, that is why we refer to our artists as the eco-system.

“We can look to the future and try and have a bridge-head into the future but the scale and impact of the pandemic has been so severe that people are struggling to survive.”

She said the “life-blood” for artists was their audiences.

She added: “They don’t want to lose that contact during the pandemic because they know it is very hard to get it back in the future.

“We are cautiously optimistic that some of our arts organisations will be able to reopen and present work within the next year on a phased basis.”

She warned members of Stormont’s communities committee those her organisation funded and represented faced the loss of millions of pounds in earned income.

She also predicted a significant deficit by the end of this financial year unless more help is provided.

The Ulster Orchestra, founded in 1966, has been on the brink of closing in the past over funding cuts.