PARTNERSHIP Between Art And Business Could Bring More Outdoor Events To Greenock
REGENERATION business Peel L&P has partnered with Beacon Arts Centre to bring Covid-safe arts events to Greenock.
Pop-up opera performances from Scottish Opera took place on last month at East India Harbour, featuring free 30-minute shows of Gilbert and Sullivan’s ‘The Gondoliers’, Mozart’s ‘Don Giovanni’ and new family opera for 2020, ‘The Song of the Clyde’.
Brian Lavalette, Peel L&P’s property director for Scotland, said: “It has been a long few months for music and events fans, so we were pleased to work with Beacon Arts Centre to bring the Pop-up Opera event to Inverclyde, meeting the social distancing guidelines as set by the Scottish Government.”
“East India Harbour is the ideal location for outdoor events, albeit when the weather is on our side. We look forward to working with Beacon Arts Centre to host further events for the local community in the coming weeks and months.”
Pauline Kane, theatre director at Beacon Arts Centre said: “It was a fantastic opportunity to make use of the outdoor space beside the Beacon and to be able to welcome audiences back to a live performance again.
“A huge thank-you to Brian and the team at Peel L&P for their assistance in helping us to host our first socially-distanced open-air performances from Scottish Opera with great success!”
To ensure safety, Scottish Opera introduced various measures:
• Restricted audience numbers — the maximum capacity for Pop-up Opera is 68 people per performance in most venues.
• Seats are allocated on arrival while maintaining a safe physical distance.
• Seats are sanitized between performances. Audience members are welcome to bring their own cushions for additional comfort.
• All staff and stewards wear protective gear.
• All Scottish Opera staff, stewards and performers have their temperature taken before the performance. They will not attend if symptomatic of Covid-19.
• All audiences must use hand sanitizer. Hand sanitising stations are provided.
• Performers must remain a safe distance away from audience members at all times.
• All cast and crew must follow the latest guidelines on physical distancing as set out by the Scottish Government.
