Coronavirus

The number of people visiting DCMS-sponsored institutions from outside the UK showed slow signs of recovery last year, according to new figures released by the department.

Between April 2021 and March 2022, there were an estimated 1.3m overseas visitors to DCMS-sponsored museums and galleries.

The number is nearly 23 times higher than the previous year, when there were just 54,000 visits from people living outside the UK, largely due to lockdown restrictions.

But the number of overseas visitors remains 94% down on the last financial year unaffected by the pandemic, when 22.7m visited DCMS-sponsored sites in 2018/19. 

Museums and galleries supported by DCMS include the British Museum, Imperial War Museums, National Museums Liverpool, the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum Group and the Tate Gallery Group.

The department says the current trend largely mirrors the decrease in overseas visitors to the UK since the pandemic.

A historic arts venue in Hastings is closing to the public due to the “devastating effects of the pandemic”.

St Mary in the Castle, a 200-year-old building on the seafront, had been under the care of the St Mary in the Castle Charitable Trust since 2013.

The trust, which was established to ensure the building’s maintenance and preservation, said it has been unable to renew its lease with Hastings Borough Council after it expired at the end of October.

“Unfortunately, the trust is unable to recover from the devastating effects of the pandemic without further financial subsidy to allow St Mary in the Castle to return to pre-pandemic operations,” it said in a statement.

“We projected this would not be until Spring 2023.”

The trust said pandemic led to fewer venue hires and lower audience numbers, leaving the venue unable to cover its costs. 

A spokesperson for Hastings Borough Council told Sussex Live that the council “simply does not have the resources available to support St Mary in the Castle,” despite efforts to save the venue.

“We met them on a number of occasions and gave them £18,000 last summer,” the spokesperson said.

“However even this, a grant of just over £50,000 from Arts Council England and over £87,000 for Covid recovery from the government through Hastings Borough Council appears not to have been enough, given the ever-increasing costs of running venues.”

Last week theatres across the country were forced to cancel or postpone shows amid rising Covid infections.

The Viaduct in Halifax cancelled performances of As You Like It, with ticket buyers offered reallocated tickets or a refund.

Edinburgh’s King Theatre cancelled five days of its Sunshine on Leith, due to Covid affecting cast members. The theatre, which was hosting its last show before closing for a £25m redevelopment project, says all ticket holders will be contacted for a refund.

Also in Edinburgh, Lyceum theatre cancelled last week’s performances of its Laurel and Hardy show, with performances expected to restart this week.

Leicester’s Curve Theatre announced its production of Billy Elliot: The Musical will begin a week later than scheduled, on 13 July rather than 7 July, after a number of Covid cases among company members.

Ireland’s national theatre, The Abbey, has cancelled performances of Translations, from 17 June to 25 June, also citing Covid. A spokesperson said ticket holders will be contacted, and the show expected to continue from 27 June.

Andrew Lloyd Webber called his production of Cinderella in the West End "a costly mistake" on the night of the show’s final performance.

The production came to a close at Gillian Lynne Theatre on Sunday evening (12 June), after the composer unexpectedly cancelled the show weeks ahead of schedule.

Lloyd Webber was not in attendance, but the production’s director Laurence Connor read a letter from the impresario to the audience.

The statement paid tribute to the production’s cast, crew, musicians and creative team, before lamenting the decision to open a musical during the pandemic.

“I keep thinking if only we had opened three months later, we wouldn’t have had to postpone our opening twice because of Covid,” the statement continued.

“And if only we had had a crumb of help from the Recovery Fund, I promise you we would have been here for a very long while to come.”

The statement was met with jeers from audience members, following boos when Lloyd Webber's name was read out during the curtain call.

A revised version of Cinderella is expected to open on Broadway next year.