COVID-19 has forced London's Grand Theatre into hiatus, but rather than resting on their laurels, the staff at the cultural hub will be using the time off to become part of the solution when it comes to racial equality.
The Grand Theatre announced on Wednesday that it will be postponing its 2020-2021 season of theatre productions on its two stages, along with the Jeans 'n Classics concert series. The postponement of the theatre season will also impact the cross-Canada tour of Cabaret. The season, which was scheduled to begin in October 2020, will be pushed until the fall of 2021.
"The health of our staff, guest artists, patrons and volunteers remains our priority. Planning large productions such as ours against unknown timing is very difficult and financially too risky. For all those reasons, we would rather be safe than sorry," said Dennis Garnhum, the Grand's artistic director, in a news release.
Taking advantage of the time off, the theatre board and leadership teams intend to "take action toward the [systemic] racism that exists within Canadian theatre companies, including the Grand."
"Hearing the voices and consulting the BIPOC [black, Indigenous, and people of colour] communities both within and outside of the arts and culture construct, we will be examining the theatre through a different lens and making changes to all aspects of what we do at the Grand -- from what we program on our stages, how we engage with BIPOC audiences, board and senior leadership recruitment and more. We know that the statements of support mean nothing without action and it is action to which we are committed," Garnhum said.
As well, the postponement will allow planned lobby renovations to take place, which had already been postponed due to the pandemic. The renovations are expected to take six months to complete.
Garnhum said just because the theatre will remain closed, does not mean leadership at the Grand will cease entertaining Londoners. He said a working group is being established to develop a plan to produce some form of entertainment for Londoners during the Grand's year-long intermission. He said those plans will likely be announced in the coming weeks.
Those who have already purchased tickets for the 2020-2021 season at the Grand and for the Jeans 'n Classics series are being asked by the theatre to consider donating the value of the tickets back to the theatre.
"The survival of the Grand will not be easy and will rely on the support of our community, our donors, our sponsors and our community partners. One of the things I certainly have to come to love about the Grand audiences is their loyalty and ownership. The Grand belongs to all Londoners and now more than ever, there are stories to tell," Garnhum said.
