Music / st george's bristol
‘In difficult times, the arts can both inspire and strengthen our community’
The CEO of a Bristol concert hall has thanked supporters, audiences and artists as she and her staff have experienced “a roller-coaster of emotions” during the coronavirus crisis.
Suzanne Rolt from St George’s said: “We all have a part to play in fighting back against this formidable threat, and we draw strength from knowing that we’re holding each other up and working together as best we can.”
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“Ironically, given that all our events have been temporarily suspended, the past week has been one of the busiest I’ve known, the days swelling with the work needed to respond to urgent government advice and the steps that must be followed to safeguard St George’s and its future work,” Rolt said.
St George’s recently opened a new multi-million pound extension – photo: Martin Booth
“We’ve been following announcements very closely and establishing practical support networks with other cultural partners in Bristol and around the country.
“Venues like St George’s are a point of connection for many people, particularly those earning a living as performers, teachers and arts professionals. We’re particularly conscious of our own duties to musicians as well as to the wider community in which we work.
“Our recent capital project led to the creation of new spaces and facilities which we always intended to put to wider community use and I suspect we will be called upon to activate some of these in new and unexpected ways – we’re ready to step forward to do so, and knowing you’re with us makes that so much easier.”
A new cafe and restaurant has become a popular meeting space – photo: Martin Booth
Rolt said that concert-goers who have either retained their tickets to upcoming shows or donated back their value to St George’s “are providing a vital lifeline when we need it most and they’re also morale boosting for both staff and our artistic partners”.
Like other venues in Bristol, the St George’s programming and events staff are rescheduling postponed events and also creating entirely new ones.
Rolt added: “In difficult times, we believe that the arts can both inspire and strengthen our community. Our stage may be a little quiet at present but we’re turning our attention to filling our website and social media channels with stories and digital content. We have a few fun things up our sleeves so do keep an eye and ear open.”
St George’s Bristol with its new extension – photo: Martin Booth
Main photo of Suzanne Rolt courtesy of St George’s
Read more: Which Bristol food and drink businesses are still open?
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