20
The
Show Goes On By Nicola Gray
2020 was a catastrophic year for the hospitality and entertainment industry and 2021 hasn’t started in a positive way. When your business model centres around drawing crowds time and time again, what is the plan when that is snatched away from you? I caught up with Becky Davenport and David Jenkins from the Old Courts in Wigan to see how COVID has impacted the venue financially, what the team have been up to during lockdown and what is in store for the future.
David continued, “This money will help to safeguard our staff, our buildings and the projects we are involved in, all of which play a vital role in how we benefit our community.” We genuinely feel that we’ve learned greatly from this forced process but whichever way we look at it, closing our income-generating operations has been nothing short of the hardest thing we have ever faced. We can’t thank the funders enough for this incredible lifeline at a time when we needed it most.”
“Back in March 2020 we made the difficult decision to close our doors due to the impending Coronavirus pandemic just prior to enforced lockdown, Managing Director, David tells me. “This decision was enormous as we fund over 80% of our community activity through revenue earned via the sale of event tickets, food and beverages and private hire of our spaces.”
In response to the national lockdown the Directors didn’t want to lose sight of their commitment to the arts, so with funding from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, they launched their brand-new online performance platform ‘The Old Courts Live’. Since May this has allowed the Old Courts to continue to support artists with paid work whilst offering much needed connection and entertainment to lockdown audiences, some of whom were isolated at home. Artistic Director, Jonny Davenport tells me, “Aside from a boost to the mental health of the audience and performers, we have paid over 400 freelance artists at a time when their work was virtually non-existent. To date, these online events have been viewed over 70,000 times.”
Sadly, by closing the doors to the Old Courts this has meant a loss of income in the region of £3m for this financial year. This really was a devasting blow for the team, who have worked tirelessly to raise the profile of the Old Courts whilst inspiring the community and giving a home to a hot bed of local artistic talent. David added, “Fast forward a difficult, busy and emotional 7 months and with our full staff team in tow, we’re delighted to have received £1,254,856 in emergency funding to cover costs up to April 2021, whilst continuing to support artists and our community.”
And the innovation didn’t stop there, 2020 also saw the team complete a self-published book of creative writing and imagery submitted by 109 local contributors, named The Language of Lockdown. As well as running the main arm of the organisation, The Old Courts teamed up with Wigan Council and Fur Clemt to offer their help to coordinate volunteers delivering meals across the borough. Director Becky Davenport adds, “We also set up a phone line meaning that residents could contact us if they needed any help or even just needed a friendly chat. The response has been phenomenal and the feedback we have received from handling the phone calls is so heartwarming and proves what a necessary service this is, even without Covid isolation. Directors Jonny Davenport, Michelle Mayor, Becky Davenport and David Jenkins - Photo credit Ant Robling