New Study Hopes To Prepare Theatre Industry For Future Pandemics & Climate Crisis

Between April 2023 and January 2024, a UK-led research team with partners in the USA, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, and Japan surveyed the lessons learned from the responses of the live performing arts sector and governments to COVID-19.

The report aimed to support sector preparedness for future crises, whether caused by new pandemics, climate-related disasters, demographic changes, economic pressures or the impacts on the live performing arts of national and international politics.

Amongst revelations in the report, one of the most telling is that revenue amongst the studied organizations has fallen 30% in the UK, 27% in North America and, 23% in Germany.

A Statistics Canada report shows a drop of 63.9% in the operating revenue of for-profit performing arts companies in 2020. For Germany’s performing arts, the Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Climate Action records a 90% drop between 2019 and 2020.

Though the US economy has recovered post-pandemic, theater is not back to pre-pandemic numbers, with non-profit theaters averaging half as many performances and productions in 2022 as in 2018. Ticket income was 55% lower than in 2018.

The report also notes in 2022, contributed revenue (that's donations to non-profit theatres) hit a five-year high and ticket revenue hit a five-year low.

The report calls for the theater sector to amplify its voice in advocacy, highlighting the success stories during the pandemic when federal aid proved vital. It underscores the formation of the Professional Non-Profit Theater Coalition as a critical step towards a united front that lobbies for essential government backing.

The study stresses the need for a sustainable partnership with federal, state, and local governments to ensure the arts' vibrant future.

As theaters ventured online out of necessity during the pandemic, unexpected avenues for audience engagement and expansion emerged. The report advocates for a continued embrace of digital and hybrid models, not just as emergency stopgaps but as strategic tools to democratize theater access.

This shift towards digital inclusivity is seen as a means to connect with broader, more diverse audiences and to fortify the sector against future challenges.

The study places a strong emphasis on addressing systemic racial and social injustices within the theater industry. It calls for actionable commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion at all levels, including staffing, and audience outreach efforts.

The report also recognizes the existential threat posed by climate change and suggests theaters to adopt environmentally sustainable practices and prepare for the impacts of climate-related disasters. 

Read the full report here.