Members from the Performing Arts sector of Ireland will hold a silent socially distant protest outside Leinster House on Thursday December 3rd at 12pm over the continued closure of their businesses and livelihoods.
The group includes dance school owners, drama and stage school owners, dance teachers, professional dancers and more. The group are calling on the government to provide clarity on why their sector is being discriminated against and forced to remain closed despite other sports and similar activities being allowed to re-open under the easing of restrictions this week.
The group say their businesses and their industry at large is at breaking point and they are seeking evidence and clarity from the government on why they are not allowed to re-open.
Children’s play centres, individual sports training, gyms and many more activities are permitted to re-open this week but the performing Arts sector feel they have been left behind despite proving that they can operate safely while adhering to all Covid safety measures.
Hundreds of businesses across the country are on the verge of closing their doors as the industry is being forced to keep their doors shut when dance classes in schools, gyms, children’s play centres & other similar activities with similar risks involved, have been allowed reopen.
Professional dancer, Adam Fogarty, who is involved with the Whataboutus Movement says; “We have come together as a collective to get the government’s attention after 9 months of struggling. Enough is enough, we deserve to be treated fairly & should be allowed continue to work in the safest way possible”.
Owner of Vicki Graham stage school in Tramore, Co. Waterford says; "We really feel as an industry that we have been silenced. Our kids creativity, musicality and their laughter has been silenced. I think it would be a lot more powerful as a group to stand there silently, because that's how we feel as a group. We have been silenced."
The sector is asking the public to support them and get behind their efforts to seek answers and supports from the government.
