Melbourne’s performing arts and music industry is plunging into a double “Omicrisis” with a COVID-struck workforce and audiences abandoning existing bookings and wary of making new ones, reports NickdMiller
Melbourne’s performing arts and music industry is plunging into a double “Omicrisis” with a COVID-struck workforce and audiences abandoning existing bookings and wary of making new ones.
Simone Schinkel, chief executive of Music Victoria, said they hosted a Zoom meeting of 70 live music venues on Monday and were told the reintroduced density limit had cut 70 per cent of trade and “no-one’s business is operating at that rate”. He said the Victorian government’s event insurance introduced last month had not helped despite the company paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in premiums based on projected box office.
A state government spokesman said so far the scheme has identified 11 events that may qualify for a claim, valued at $541,000, and is assessing them. No claims have been finalised to date. Policies pay out 50 per cent of the value of an event if government COVID restrictions reduce capacity, and 100 per cent if restrictions force cancellation.
Producer Carmen Pavlovic said there had been a “sizeable outbreak” in the company and the company was grateful to audiences for their patience and support.
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