Belgrade Theatre Artistic Director Hamish Glen on his hopes for the future and Coventry's history of resilience.
Dear audiences,
Thank you on behalf of the Belgrade and all its staff, for the many messages of support, the donations and the goodwill that you’ve shown us since we were forced to temporarily close our doors to the public.
It’s been a welcome reminder of the special part the Belgrade plays in the lives of so many of you, and the important hub our building is in the heart of Coventry.
I know we’re all sharing that feeling of loss while the building remains closed. Theatres, just like football clubs and churches, provide a vital role in giving all of us somewhere to gather as a community; to share our stories and to experience events together as a group. To join together in this way to hear stories, to dance or listen to live music is a human instinct as old as time so it’s only natural that we feel that sense of loss just now.
In recent weeks, to try to plug that gap, we’ve put a lot of work into maintaining our connection with you all via our online activity, and if you’re not already doing so, please do follow our social media channels and visit the Between Stages page on our new website. There’s a host of new things to do and watch on there that we hope will entertain and engage you during the lockdown.
Coventry has a long history of resilience and its ability to adapt and overcome challenges remains at the heart of our identity. We lean on this resilience now and take courage from it as we pull together and continue to sow seeds for the future.
It’s important, I believe, to keep looking ahead to better days, and with that in mind we’ve just put our new Autumn Season on sale so that we all have something positive we can look forward to later in the year. Of course, we also have an exciting City of Culture year ahead of us, which will no doubt feel even more celebratory in light of current events.
Once again, I’d like to thank you for your patience, support and goodwill, and I look forward to welcoming you back to the Belgrade as soon as possible.
Keep safe and well.
Hamish Glen
Artistic Director
Belgrade Theatre Coventry