Coronavirus business update: Latest news across the North West

Liverpool theatre producer Bill Elms has created a nine-day outdoor live performance festival to support the city’s devastated theatre scene in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Liverpool Theatre Festival will take place between Friday, September 11, and Saturday, September 19, and is being staged in association with the team behind St Luke’s Bombed Out Church.

The event will take place within the church walls, in the grounds of St Luke’s in the heart of Liverpool city centre and will follow stringent social distancing and government guidelines.

Live performances came to a complete standstill nationally in mid-March due to the COVID-19 lockdown. This has had a devastating impact on all careers linked to live performance – from performers and technicians, to venues and suppliers. Strict social distancing guidelines continue to prove extremely difficult for organisers and venues.

With no indication on when safe and financially viable indoor performances will resume, Bill has been working behind the scenes to organise the festival now outdoor live performances are permitted.

The festival line-up includes musical theatre, drama, comedy, cabaret, monologues, and children’s shows.

Safety measures include a reduced capacity to ensure socially distanced seating, hand sanitiser stations, temperature checks before entry, masks will be compulsory when moving round the venue, and visitors are encouraged to attend in their social bubble groups.

Increased safety guidelines will also take place behind the scenes. Shows will be limited to one-act performances, each show lasts a maximum of 75 minutes to reduce audience movement, the cast and crew will socially distance and be temperature checked, and there will be a maximum of four performers per production.

Producer and artistic director Bill Elms said: “Like many colleagues in our industry, work came to a complete standstill in mid-March and it has been a complete shock to the system and tough at times.

“But after working in the industry for 30 years I could not just sit back and watch everything disintegrate before our very eyes. I had to do something and after a lot of research, ringing round and planning, Liverpool Theatre Festival was born.

He added: I would love to see the festival grow to become an annual event. St Luke’s is the perfect backdrop for the inaugural Liverpool Theatre Festival. This is about providing theatre lovers with a platform to come out, enjoy and experience live entertainment once again, in a safe environment.”

Liverpool Theatre Festival will include live productions of Swan Song by Jonathan Harvey, A Fairy Tale Journey Across The Mersey, Laughterhouse Comedy, The Best Of Tommy Cooper, Sweet Mother, Shakers by John Godber, Deathly Confessions, Matinee Musical Classics, Music Of The Night, Judy & Liza, Hurrah For The Pirate King! and Something About Simon.

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An expert from The University of Manchester is leading a recovery strategy to help schools in Greater Manchester as they reopen after the coronavirus lockdown.

Drawing on lessons from his previous research on educational improvement, it will address major challenges facing schools over the next year as they support their students in returning to full-time education.

There is considerable concern about what will happen as schools reopen, and there are particular worries about learners from disadvantaged backgrounds.

As well as the educational progress being made by these children and young people, there are concerns about their safety and welfare.

The ambitious strategy, devised by Emeritus Professor Mel Ainscow, will seek to involve 1,300 primary, special and secondary schools across the 10 local authorities in Greater Manchester.

Coordinated by a small team of school leaders, it will pay particular attention to those who are vulnerable in relation to three intended outcomes:

· Presence – ensuring that all pupils return to school and attend regularly

· Participation – creating a climate within schools where all pupils feel welcome and valued

· Progress – developing policies and practices that maximise the achievement of all pupils

At the same time, it is cautious in that it is designed in a way that will not add pressure on colleagues in schools during this difficult period.

The recovery strategy builds on the progress made as a result of the earlier Greater Manchester Challenge, which Prof Ainscow led.

It also draws on the findings of ‘Reaching Out to All Learners’, a recent study carried out in Greater Manchester with the support of researchers from the University’s Manchester Institute of Education.

The Greater Manchester strategy will involve schools from different areas sharing ideas about how to improve the presence, participation and progress of all of their pupils.

Promising practices that emerge from these discussions will be shared across all schools, via virtual and face-to-face meetings, and written accounts on the website of the Greater Manchester Learning Partnership.

A team of researchers from the Manchester Institute of Education will carry out follow-up investigations into these promising practices, linking their findings to international research regarding ways of improving outcomes for disadvantaged learners.

“Greater Manchester is in a particularly strong position to develop a collaborative improvement strategy,” said Prof Ainscow.

“The tradition of partnerships between schools and local authorities that exists is a sound basis for the strategy we are developing. My hope is that our efforts will encourage similar developments elsewhere in the country.”

He added: “We anticipate that further phases of the recovery strategy will be developed, based on the findings of what happens in the next few months – this will likely include greater attention to supporting schools serving particularly vulnerable groups of learners.”

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Manchester-based Revolution Bars Group has extended the ‘Eat Out to Help Out/ 50% food and soft drinks offer.

Following the ending of the government scheme on August 31, Revolution Bars Group has extended the offer across both Revolution and Revolucion de Cuba.

Guests will be able to enjoy 50% food and soft drinks, including mocktails from Monday until Wednesday all day throughout September.

Clinton Ghent, brand operations director for Revolucion de Cuba bars, said: “We’ve been delighted to welcome our guests back as we reopen our bars in a COVID-secure way.”

Both brands will be operating in a seated-only capacity for the time being and suggest booking to avoid disappointment.