LONDON — British theaters are negotiating with energy suppliers, investing in hot water bottles, and dusting off generators as they live in dread of blackouts and utility bills they cannot pay.

Their problems echo those across society as the Ukraine war and its impact on energy supplies have exacerbated a cost-of-living crisis in Britain, where inflation rates are among the highest in the developed world.

People want escapist fun more than ever, and musicals and Christmas shows are drawing record audiences, but attendance figures for the year overall lag pre-pandemic levels and pantomime jokes about utility bills generate nervous laughter.

Steve Mannix, executive director at the Mercury Theater in Colchester, to the northeast of London, says half in earnest that he has told the cast of Beauty and the Beast to stick to the script for fear of running over time: the emergency back-up generators waiting in the wings have only three hours of capacity.

“In 37 years in this industry, this is the hardest,” Mr. Mannix said.

Even after a £14 million ($17 million) refit to install triple glazing, low energy lights, and solar panels that has put the theater in the country’s top 25% of environmentally friendly public buildings, Mr. Mannix says its cash reserves will run out in six months’ time unless the government provides more help.

The Mercury Theater’s annual energy bill is set to reach £120,000 ($147,432), up from £40,000 last year.

It cannot pass on the extra cost, in part because many tickets were sold months in advance, and in part because theater-goers have limited cash to spare.

“We know this is a difficult time for theaters and we remain firmly on their side,” a government spokesperson said by e-mail, without specifying whether energy and tax relief for the arts would be extended.

The relief is currently expected to decrease at the start of April.

HOT WATER BOTTLES
Figures vary as some London theaters benefit from tourists lured by the sterling’s weakness while classical music and more experimental theater suffer the biggest audience declines.

But overall, tickets sales for some of the country’s top theaters were down 38% in the three months to August from the pre-COVID average, according to data providers The Audience Agency. A brief improvement earlier this year vanished as the cost-of-living crisis took hold.

Nine out of 10 theaters are worried for their future, with eight out of 10 saying they need deep cost cuts to survive, research commissioned by Ecclesiastical Insurance and shared with Reuters showed.

Theaters rely on insurance in case of cancellation, for instance because of blackouts, though premiums have also risen.

Ecclesiastical commissioned research by OnePoll, which interviewed representatives of 100 theaters and found nearly half were renegotiating suppliers’ contracts, reducing opening hours and reducing staff hours.

Even the big private theater groups are worried.

Trafalgar Theaters, which operates 13 venues across Britain, including in London, said in e-mailed comments it had so far seen a 200% increase in energy costs.

“Theater operators are having to look at all costs and all revenue streams to remain viable,” it said.

In the small independent venues, where budgets have always been stretched to breaking point, the battle to survive continues.

“Energy strategy — we bought some hot water bottles. That’s about it. We’re just struggling on,” said Neil McPherson, artistic director at the Finborough Theater based in a west London pub. — Reuters

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CCP celebrates Simbang Gabi, Christmas Eve mass

THE CULTURAL Center of the Philippines (CCP) is celebrating the traditional Simbang Gabi by going hybrid with onsite and online masses. The Misa de Gallo (dawn masses) are being held daily until Dec. 24 at 5 a.m. at the CCP Main Building Ramp, in partnership with Our Lady of Sorrows Parish. For details on the online masses, visit the CCP Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/culturalcenterofthephilippines). The series of masses will culminate with the Christmas Eve Mass on Dec. 24, 8 p.m., led by Fr. Mario Sobrejuanite, S.S.P. On Christmas Eve, there will be a pre-mass program at 7 p.m. featuring the Manila Symphony Orchestra playing traditional tunes, and special classical numbers from soprano Myramae Meneses. As a finale, the Philippine Madrigal Singers will lead a 100-voice chorale singing Christmas carols with the Manila Symphony Orchestra.

Last minute Christmas gifts at Ortigas Library

THE ORTIGAS Foundation Library houses a 36,000-volume Filipiniana special collection. To further promote the appreciation of Philippine history, it has unique items featuring images from these special and rare collections perfect for gifts and giveaways for all occasions. The shop also features a book section with many interesting finds. Choose from the library’s array of bags, shirts, scarves, stationery items, and more at https://www.facebook.com/Ortigas.Foundation/shop. Send orders to santosjd@ortigasfoundation.com.ph or call 0947-426-1432.

Art Fair Philippines returns to The Link in 2023

AFTER holding an online edition in 2021 and a hybrid setup in 2022, Art Fair Philippines has announced its return to The Link in Makati in 2023. The art fair is scheduled from Feb. 17 to 19. Since its first edition in 2013 until its last onsite show in 2020, the fair had been held at a car park, The Link, at the Ayala Center in Makati City. For more information and updates, visit www.facebook.com/artfairph.

Ballet Manila’s Cinderella opens this weekend

EXPERIENCE classic romance, magic, and happy endings as Ballet Manila stages the ballet Cinderella on Dec. 25 to 30, 4 p.m. at the Aliw Theater, CCP Complex, Pasay City. Featuring all-original choreography by the company’s CEO and Artistic Director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, Ballet Manila’s re-telling of its all-time hit is perfect for kids and kids-at-heart. This year’s staging is part of Ballet Manila’s Holiday Cheer Series, a new annual Christmas tradition. “It is our first full-length ballet since the pandemic shrunk the number of dancers in the company. So, we are adding outstanding students from the school to add to the cast. It will be different as well as we will be using the new stage facilities — especially the LED screen of the newly refurbished Aliw Theater. So the experience will be more high-tech with special effects and animation,” Ms. Macuja-Elizalde said in a statement. Tickets are available at P800 and P500 exclusively through Ticketworld. For more information, call 8891-9999 or visit www.ticketworld.com.ph.

Leeroy New works on view at Newport World Resorts

THIS year, the Newport Mall presents “Christmas Mall-seum: Art of this World with Leeroy New,” featuring larger-than-life installations from multidisciplinary artist Leeroy New. Visitors can view the works — Neon Spaceship, Sapphire Forest, and Bamboo Cave — in the three immersive rooms at Newport Mall. The Neon Spaceship installation is a glowing front end of a spacecraft with hundreds of neon and LED signage on its surface. The Sapphire Forest showcases blue synthetic trees made from plastic water containers and PET bottles. The Bamboo Cave features woven bamboo and plastic covering the walls and posts of the whole room. Mr. New is known for his large-scale creations crafted from reclaimed and reused plastics turned into décor. Among notable projects are the sculpted silicone bustier for Lady Gaga worn in the “Marry the Night” music video, his solo show at Pintô International in New York, an exhibit at Palais de Tokyo in Paris, and more. The installations are currently on view at the ground floor of the Newport Mall.

West Gallery’s final show of the year

ONGOING until Jan. 32 is the group exhibit, “They gave them land. And cement. And bricks”. It features the works of Allan Balisi, Luis Antonio Santos, and Costantino Zicarelli. The building blocks for this show are a collection of narratives. The gallery is located at 48 West Ave., Quezon City.

Richelle Rivera shows at Robinsons Land ARTablado

HAPPINESS can be most elusive, even ephemeral. Just ask artist Richelle Rivera. Sadness, loss, heartache, longing, rejection and emptiness — she felt them all. What she did was overcome these crippling feelings of anxiety and depression by immersing herself in art. She embraced varying artistic styles: from impressionism to realism. An architect by profession with a degree from the Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, the pandemic allowed her to take up the brush again once again. She took advantage of the lockdown to paint landscapes, seascapes, flowers, portraits, still life and even abstracts. Her predilection for architectural composition even shows up in some of her paintings. She founded an art group called Pilipinta, which had its first group show last August at ARTablado in Robinsons Galleria. She offers support to aspiring artists by initiating a mentorship program and an online art workshop. She actively participates in art-for-a-cause programs to help the less fortunate, raising funds for those affected by typhoons as well as providing school supplies and support to indigenous people, all done in collaboration with The First People, Ateneo Graduate School of Business, and Humankind PH. Her latest works are now on view in the exhibit “I Found My Happiness,” at Robinsons Land ARTablado, Level 3 of Robinsons Galleria until Jan. 3.

CCP calls for outdoor Earth Day installation proposals

THE CULTURAL Center of the Philippines (CCP) Visual Arts and Museum Division has issued a call for proposals for the 2023 Earth Day Outdoor Installation, as part of the center’s Earth Day Celebration. Deadline for submission is on Jan. 9, 2023. Proposals should follow this year’s World Earth Day theme, which is “Invest in Our Planet,” and should highlight relevant environmental issues through public art. Interested artists must submit their installation concept, with description of the project and the idea/s behind it.  It should include the background information of the artist/curator/artist group, as well as the contact details of the proponent/s, and documentation of past works. Preliminary studies/works-in-progress and similar past works should be included in the proposal. Proposals (should be in a single PDF file) must be sent via e-mail to ccp.exhibitproposal@gmail.com. The selected proposal will receive a grant to cover the cost for professional fees, materials, and preparations, among others. It will be presented from April to May at the CCP Front Lawn during the Earth Day Celebration. For more information, contact the CCP VAMD at (632) 8832-1125 loc. 1504/1505 and (632) 8832-3702, or e-mail vamd@culturalcenter.gov.ph. 

Manulife, National Geographic partner to rice terraces

MANULIFE has announced a new partnership with the National Geographic Society to deliver on an ambitious global project to safeguard several historical and culturally significant heritage sites from the impact of climate change and protect the physical and financial well-being of the communities that depend on those sites for their livelihood. The Philippines’ Banaue Rice Terraces is among the 10 natural and cultural sites from Asia, North and South America, and Europe that will be protected under the newly launched project, Preserving Legacies: A Future for Our Past. To safeguard these cultural heritage sites, Preserving Legacies will build community capacity to visualize climate impacts on a local scale and make the science of climate change relevant and applicable to the conservation of specific sites. Led by National Geographic Explorer Victoria Herrmann and connected to Manulife’s Impact Agenda, this project will focus on network building between sites, where knowledge sharing will be key to developing climate change adaptation plans. “The Philippines is considered one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. With this partnership, Manulife Philippines aims to contribute to efforts to mitigate its risks to people’s lives and livelihoods, expanding our initiatives to advocate for the well-being of people, communities, and the environment while driving sustainability and creating long-term value,” said Rahul Hora, President and Chief Executive Officer, Manulife Philippines. The 10 sites included in the project are the Banaue Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras; Petra, Jordan; Angkor Archeological Park, Cambodia; Border Fields, USA and Mexico; Historical Mosque City of Bagerhat, Bangladesh; Nan Madol, Micronesia; Levuka, Fiji; Koutammakou, the Land of the Batammariba, Togo and Benin; Sceilg Mhichil, Ireland; and, Port, Fortress, and Group of Monuments at Cartagena, Columbia To learn more about the commitments made by Manulife through its Impact Agenda, and to track progress against its goals, visit Manulife.com/Impact.

Dakila artist-activist collective receives Dutch Award

ON THE occasion of Human Rights Day, the Netherlands Embassy recognized the Filipino artist collective, Dakila, with the 2^nd Embassy Tulip Award for Human Rights, in a reception hosted by Dutch Ambassador Marielle Geraedts in her residence. Explaining the reason behind bestowing this award, Ms. Geraedts said that it is meant to “recognize outstanding organizations that promote human rights in peaceful ways, especially for their innovation and creativity.” She also said that the award “seeks to support human rights defenders with visibility and a broader platform for engagement and critical discussions.” Through this award, the Dutch Embassy hopes it adds a layer of protection especially against extraordinary harassment or threat, as it assures continued monitoring and support for their work. Dakila is an artist-activist collective that has pioneered “creative resistance” and harnessing the power of arts, media, and popular culture in popularizing human rights and democratic values in the Philippines. Since it was founded 17 years ago, it has created a community of artists and activists that integrates Filipino culture and values in countering efforts to discredit human rights work, and in reclaiming and shaping the human rights movement. One of Dakila’s most notable achievements is the establishment of the Active Vista International Human Rights Festival, the biggest, broadest, and longest running festival celebrating rights and freedoms in the Philippines.

Salcedo Auctions’ year of achievements

AS 2022 closes, Salcedo Auctions has looked back on a year of achievements. There was the record-breaking sale of Anita Magsaysay-Ho’s 1971 masterpiece, Women Fishing, selling for P26,864,000 — the highest price for the artist’s work in her distinctive “ink blot” style. This was followed by the benchmark sales of six of Ramon Orlina’s Tower Club glass sculptures that set one new record after another in Salcedo Auctions’ back-to-back marquee events in March, June, September, and November. This year also saw new world records set overall and based on size for abstractionist Romulo Olazo. Two works from his renowned Diaphanous series, the 48×48 inch Diaphanous 71719 and 42×84 inch Diaphanous B-CXIVIII, sold for P11,680,000 and P14,016,000 respectively. Salcedo Auctions also delivered a new record for Juan Luna’s work on paper based on size, with the sale of his watercolor Reclining Warrior, dated circa 1887. This artwork, which went for the highest price for any Luna painting sold in the Philippines in 2022, sold for P2,102,400. At The Well Appointed Life auction last September, the house presented two rare early works of National Artist Ang Kiukok from the collection of the late Rufus Colefax Phillips III, a former USAID director, diplomat, and published author. These 1957 works from the Banana series sold for a combined total of P9,110,400. A rare 1969 mixed media piece from National Artist Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera’s Scavenger series sold for P4,088,000. The prices for the works of the late modernist Justin Nuyda will be enjoying an “afterglow” after the world record setting sale of Search Mindscape: ‘Break of Dawn’ for P9,344,000 in the same auction. In the spirit of the season, the Nuyda family donated the proceeds of the sale to the Search Mindscape Foundation and the Philippine Cancer Society. Among the host of solo exhibitions held at Salcedo Private View this year, Ronald Ventura’s Beastmaster undoubtedly reverberated, securing his pole position in Philippine contemporary art. Closing the auction year, Under the Tree: The Wish List saw Ramon Orlina’s Triumvirate equaling Salcedo’s own price benchmark for the artist in a “three-peat” achievement, while astonishing results were also achieved for National Artist Fernando Amorsolo’s Tinikling for P2,102,400 and Ventura’s untitled hyperrealist piece depicting hands for P1,752,000. Salcedo Auctions is now accepting consignments to the Important Philippine Art & Furniture auction scheduled in March. To inquire, send an e-mail to info@salcedoauctions.com or contact 0917-591-2191.

Singapore’s ARTBOX 2023

ARTBOX, Singapore’s largest lifestyle event, is returning after a three-year hiatus on Feb. 24 to 26 and March 3 to 5, noon to 11 p.m. at Hall 6 of Singapore Expo. It will feature least 300 vendors from Southeast Asia providing retail and F&B experiences, and art installations by local artists at the Singapore Expo. Organized by Invade, the upcoming edition of ARTBOX will be held indoors for the first time since its inception in 2017, providing visitors with air-conditioned comfort while they soak in the festivities of the night market experience, even in the daytime, thanks to cleverly designed spaces and lighting installations in the 9,822 sqm space. Next year’s ARTBOX is also coorganized with SGAG, one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing digital content producers. Kent Teo, Founder and CEO of Invade, said in a statement: “We are also co-organizing the event with SGAG to inject their dose of cheeky humor to the festival and at the same time provide an interactive offline space to the local and regional creator economy.” Over two weekends in February and March, visitors can also expect a showcase of gourmet creations from F&B entrepreneurs and brands from Southeast Asia, unique shopping experience featuring crafts and innovative products from local and global brands, and immersive structures and interactive experiences curated in collaboration with the region’s best artists all under one roof. Tickets to the event are S$5 per person per entry with early-bird pricing of S$4.50 per person, available until Dec. 31. Visitors looking at attending all six days can opt for a Season Pass at S$30 per person with priority entry. More information can be found at https://www.artbox.sg/.