Are state theatre companies out of the woods and moving towards the sun? For most, the post-COVID build back is steady. Pictured is MTC’s production of ‘Escaped Alone’ by Caryl Churchill. Photo: Pia Johnson.
Looking back on Australia’s state theatre companies’ 2020 annual reports is sobering reading, and offers a stark reminder of the apocalyptic feelings gripping the sector in the early days of the pandemic.
Indeed, by the end of 2020 there were many artists and arts workers who were still coming to terms with the shocking realities of that first pandemic year. Lockdowns had forced theatres to close and had put countless arts projects on hold, leaving many without a job and with little prospect of returning to their sets and stages any time soon.
ArtsHub's Arts Feature Writer Jo Pickup is based in Perth. An arts writer and manager, she has worked as a journalist and broadcaster for media such as the ABC, RTRFM and The West Australian newspaper, contributing media content and commentary on art, culture and design. She has also worked for arts organisations such as Fremantle Arts Centre, STRUT dance, and the Aboriginal Arts Centre Hub of WA, as well as being a sessional arts lecturer at The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA).
