COVID-19 – SELBY TOWN HALL

After 18 long months where the stage lay dark and the auditorium remained empty, Selby Town Hall is now open again. The staff and volunteers are all absolutely thrilled to be welcoming back our wonderful audiences – and some world class artists – but we want to make sure we do so as safely as possible and are asking for your help, support and understanding as we embark on this journey together.

Town Hall shows have always felt special and intimate – as though you’re watching the performance in a room full of friends and family. We’re incredibly grateful to all of you for helping to create that warm sense of community, and we see reopening the venue as working in partnership with you, our friends and our community, to be kind and understanding towards one another and to help keep everyone safe from the risk of Covid infection.

One of the reasons we had not reopened before autumn 2021 is that social distancing measures would have reduced the venue’s capacity to just 26, which sadly was neither practically nor financially viable for us. As a result, the Town Hall has reopened at full capacity. While we have made several changes to the way we operate to increase safety (further details below), we want to be completely transparent that full capacity does mean up to 150 people in the building, without socially distanced seating. We understand that each individual will be at a different stage in their approach to Covid, with varying levels of confidence, and that, for some, it is too soon to contemplate being in a crowded room again.

If you are looking forward to returning to the venue though, here are…

Six ways we can all help each other to enjoy a safe visit to Selby Town Hall:

1. Please, please, please do not attend the venue if you have Covid symptoms or have tested positive.

2. Before attending the venue, we recommend that you do everything you can to make sure that you personally are not infectious. You can do this by:

·         Getting vaccinated
·         Taking a lateral flow test if you are still able to do so at no cost

We appreciate that lateral flow tests are no longer freely available, but if you feel that you may have been exposed to Covid, and you have access to testing kits, we are appreciative if you are able to take one before attending.

3. All of our staff and volunteers will be wearing masks during events. We would very strongly encourage audience members to also wear a mask throughout their visit to the venue if they are able, and to think about those around them who might be more vulnerable, or who may be very nervous about returning to live events and will feel comforted to see that their neighbours are wearing masks. Mask wearing will not be mandatory though, and we will not deny anyone entry for not having a mask.

4. Please pre-order interval drinks in the period after doors open and before the show starts where possible and use contactless payment methods.

5. Please make use of outdoor spaces as much as possible both before the event and during the interval. We will be opening the doors and (newly renovated) windows before the performance starts and during the interval to help air circulate through the building for as long as the weather allows us to do so. Do be aware that, on occasion, it could be a little cooler than usual in the venue as a result so please do bring an extra layer with you just in case.

6. We will be deep cleaning the building regularly to reduce the risk of contact infections. There will be additional hand sanitising units around the building and outside as you queue, and we ask you to please play your part in keeping the building clean from contact risk by regularly washing your hands and using the sanitiser.

To summarise:

·         Do not attend if you have symptoms or believe you are an infection risk
·         Get vaccinated when able and take a lateral flow test before attending if you are able to do so at no cost
·         Wear a mask (unless you are medically exempt)
·         Pre-order interval drinks and use contactless payment
·         Use outdoor space as much as possible
·         Wash hands regularly and make use of hand sanitising stations

Please continue to be the wonderful, kind, thoughtful, community minded people that we know our audiences are. Even if you are fully confident in returning to live entertainment, there will be other audience members who are vulnerable, or for whom a visit to the Town Hall is a huge step, and we would ask you to consider what you can do to make their experience, as well as yours, a comfortable and joy filled one.

We will continue to monitor and review our approach and policies, but if you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can contact the venue on 01757 708449 or email Selby Town Council’s Arts Officer, Chris Jones, on c.jones@selbytowncouncil.gov.uk

We can’t wait to see you all again!

The Selby Town Hall team.