by Saoirse Anton

On Friday, while many of us were looking forward to a relaxing weekend, maybe decorating the house for Christmas or doing some Christmas shopping or spending a quiet weekend in, workers in venues and arts organisations across the country found the rug pulled from under them as Covid once again stymied carefully laid plans.

With the news that indoor events are once again reduced to 50% capacity, especially as we come into the season of pantomimes, ballets and Christmas concerts, theatres and companies are faced with difficult decisions. Over the coming days they will be dealing with sold-out shows that have abruptly become over-sold shows, calculating the possibility of continuing with productions if they can only bring in half the ticket sales they expected, and weighing up the impact of cancellations. It isn’t going to be easy, and it certainly isn’t the Christmas surprise anyone wanted.

Everyone in the industry has become all too used to this sort of rapid adaptation over the past year and a half, but every unexpected adjustment takes its toll. As audiences, we can do our bit to rally as a community and support the industry that brings us so much joy, not just around Christmas but throughout the year. I wanted to write a cheerful festive column, like my mildly musical offering this time last year, but instead this column will verge more on the practical side. Here are some ways you can play your part in supporting your local venues, and favourite theatre companies and artists over the coming weeks.

Pay it Forward

 If you have bought a ticket for an event that is now cancelled and you are offered a refund, perhaps consider just donating the price of your ticket to the venue or event organisers instead. Not everyone will be able to do this, but if you can, every ticket will make a difference in keeping the industry afloat until things improve. Similarly, consider donating to any fundraising campaigns venues and companies might be running over the festive season if you can. As Portia says in The Merchant of Venice, “How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world.”

Give a Gift

Though many of us are hesitant to book tickets with the risk of events being cancelled or postponed, there are still ways to give the gift of theatre this Christmas. Most venues will offer gift cards that can be used to book tickets at a later date. Though you may not be able to book a show in the immediate, you can still help your local venue by buying a gift card for tickets in the future.

And what better gift to give than theatre, and not only theatre, but the choice of whatever the recipient wants to see. No more awkward insincere ‘thank yous,’ difficult deliberations on shared tastes, or being responsible for taking someone to a show they hated. It’s a win for all involved!

Give Another Gift

If a gift voucher isn’t your style, make sure to check out the other things on offer in your local venues – whether it’s local crafts, artwork from exhibitions, playtexts and books or a slap up festive lunch from the venue café. Your local arts centre or theatre is often a fantastic place to find out about the amazing artists and makers in your area, and can be a real community hub in these trying times.

Tune In

Though live events have returned, there are still plenty of online offerings to enjoy if you can’t make it into a theatre. Book a ticket, curl up in your Christmas jammies, make some mulled wine and mince pies and enjoy a cosy festive theatrical treat beamed straight to your home. Whether it’s Branar Theatre’s How to Catch A Star streamed to a classroom or couch, or a blended live and livestreamed event like Clare O’Malley Live at Bewleys Café Theatre and online, there are several online productions to enjoy across the country over the festive period.

Show a little love, and patience

The staff at venues are working very hard to figure out this new situation, but like adapting to anything new, that takes time. If you are waiting for information, refunds or new tickets, remember that there are hundreds of ticketholders across dozens of shows waiting on the same things and just a handful of staff working their way through them.

And while you are scrolling online while waiting, why not give your favourite venues’ posts a like and a share, or share some of your best memories and favourite things about them on your pages. Who knows, maybe you’ll introduce someone new to their work!

We’re facing into another uncertain Christmas, another Christmas where things aren’t quite normal, but Christmas is a time for generosity, caring and connection. Once again it is time for us to draw together as a community and support each other in whatever ways we can. We all need a little lift over the coming days, so if you see an opportunity to provide that for someone, grab it. As Charles Dickens wrote in A Christmas Carol, ““It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humour.”