Welcome to the October edition of Ensemble. I hope you’re all staying safe and keeping well.

In a positive move for the theatre industry, the Society of London Theatre has announced that The Olivier Awards 2020 will go ahead on Sunday 25 October in a special programme hosted by Jason Manford and broadcast on ITV and Magic Radio.

Following the cancellation, due to the pandemic, of the ceremony in April, the winners will be revealed in an innovative format to celebrate our globally renowned artists, both on stage and behind the scenes.

The awards show will be broadcast from different areas within the London Palladium and contain a mixture of the awards themselves, unique performances, interviews and some very special moments. Due to the ongoing situation, the majority of the show will be pre-filmed in the days leading up to the broadcasts.

In other industry news, a nationwide campaign has been launched aimed at building confidence in audiences by emphasising that theatres are Covid-secure spaces.

The See It Safely campaign has been launched by the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre to reassure audiences about their safety. It will allow theatres to display a See It Safely mark when they sign up to a code of conduct. To obtain a toolkit that includes the mark, theatres will have to pass an approval process that demonstrates they are operating in line with the latest government guidelines and public health guidance, which are laid out in a Covid-19 risk assessment. More than 140 theatres have so far accessed the toolkit.

In addition, theatres can sign up to a set of “ticketing principles” aimed at reassuring audiences that, in the event of cancellation, they would be able to obtain an exchange, credit voucher or refund. If an audience member felt unwell, they would be able to exchange their ticket at least 24 hours prior to the performance for a later date.

Earlier this week, I was reminded by a colleague that remarkably, it’s been six years since I was named EY UK Entrepreneur of the Year. How time flies! I have such fond memories of that time, and remember the sense of pride I felt representing the UK at the International Entrepreneur of the Year Awards in Monaco the following year. It was also great recognition for our industry and demonstrated to the world that theatre and the arts was a serious contender in the business world.

However, back in 2014, I was the first woman ever to be awarded the UK title, and astonishingly, that remains the case today. It highlights that there’s still so much to do in terms of equality in the workplace, especially the need for more women in senior roles. Happily though, I am pleased to say that all our companies have strived to address that imbalance over the years and at TE it’s wonderful to have so many senior female colleagues.

Until next time, keep talking, stay connected and take care of yourselves.
Sending you all my very best wishes
Rosemary