The return of live music is nigh. Venue restrictions around NSW are set to ease from October 1st. The state government has announced that gigs will be able to resume at 50 per cent capacity from next week.
Music venues, theatres and cinemas will be allowed to increase audience numbers to as many as 1000 once the restrictions are eased, as Sydney Morning Herald reports. The announcement follows three consecutive days of zero community coronavirus transmissions.
NSW Arts Minister Don Harwin has heralded the decision as the first major step towards reviving the arts sector, one of the industries hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. It’s also an opportunity for people to “enjoy experiences we have all missed so much during the pandemic”.
“For workers across the full spectrum of the performing arts – from box office staff to ushers, from technicians and roadies to the artists – this change means more jobs,” Mr Harwin told SMH.
Earlier this week, 61 independent live music venues across New South Wales banded together to call on NSW state leaders to provide support during these times, as part of the Save Our Stages NSW petition.
The petition urged the Berejiklian government to liaise with MusicNSW and other music industry reps on to work on a crucial stimulus and relief package.
The list of venues signed-up include The Enmore Theatre, the North Wollongong Hotel, The Concourse in Chatswood, the Smokey Horse in Braidwood and the Star Court Theatre in Lismore.
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“Live music in NSW is under threat,” reads the petition.
Live performance is “essential to an artist’s career development and makes up around 70% of their music income. Without stages to play on, artistic careers in NSW will become almost impossible to maintain, and an industry which employs 23,000 people and contributes $3.6 billion to NSW’s economy will crumble.”
The neighbouring governments in Queensland and Victorian have “committed millions of dollars in support to their venues, now we’re looking to the NSW Government to show their support,” comments Mark Gerber, CEO and Founder of the Oxford Art Factory, one of the signatories of Save Our Stages.
“Without NSW Government intervention, many of our favourite venues will soon be forced to close and with them, tens of thousands of jobs will be lost.”
You can sign the petition the petition at www.sosnsw.org.
