Britain’s theatres go dark

Britain's theatres are closed until further notice, sector bodies have announced.

More than 300 theatres and concert halls across the country have gone dark for the first time since World War 2.

UK Theatre and the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) say ticketholders will be refunded: "The magic of theatre lies in its live performances and it is not something that can be experienced in the same way remotely."

But ticketholders were urged to consider foregoing their refunds to mitigate the financial impact for small, charitably funded venues.

Many art galleries are open on a by-arrangement only basis; as yet there is no unilateral response from the visual arts sector.

Museums too are closing: all Tate institutions will shut until May. 

The Museums Association has postponed three conferences and is asking staff to work from home. Director Sharon Heal said "the bigger issue will be the medium and long-term impact".

"Many museums operate with tight financial margins and even a few weeks loss of income could seriously undermine their business models. We would appeal to Government and funders to provide financial support and emergency funding for institutions that are effected by the epidemic; and also ask funders to operate flexibility in terms of delivery of currently funded projects.”