London’s Southbank Centre Likely to Remain Shuttered Until April 2021

Southbank Centre, the London cultural complex on the Thames River that houses the Arts Council Collection, Hayward Gallery, the National Poetry Library, Royal Festival Hall, and eight orchestras, has revealed that it may remain closed until April 2021 due to the financial hardship caused by the ongoing health crisis.

The cultural quarter—one of the largest arts venues in the United Kingdom—is run by the charitable organization the Southbank Foundation and generates 60 percent of its revenue from ticket sales and other on-site commercial activities. According to the Evening Standard, it is projecting a loss of more than $6 million by the end of the fiscal year.

Southbank plans on canceling all events scheduled between the fall and next spring and expects to soon go through all of its reserves as well as the rest of its annual Arts Council England grant, which is 37 percent of its income. It is seeking immediate government relief and an extension of the federal furlough scheme, which will pay furloughed workers 80 percent of their monthly wages—up to a little over $3,000—through October. BBC reports that roughly 7.5 million people, a quarter of the UK’s workforce depends on this program.

“We join a number of other organizations and venues in sounding the alarm about the long-term health of UK arts and culture,” said Elaine Bedell, Southbank’s chief executive. “We hope that we’ll emerge from this crisis to an even brighter future, throwing our doors wide open once more.”