THE Civic has been dealt a further blow as new coronavirus restrictions mean the cancellation of the gallery’s first public performance since reopening.
Folk duo Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman were due to perform on November 20, a little more than a month after the gallery opened its doors to the public for the first time since March.
But with more stringent lockdown measures coming into place this week set to last until December 2, there’s a sense of deja vu as the gallery was again forced to close yesterday.
Staff had put in place a number of measures, including compulsory face coverings, one-way systems and limits on people in certain areas including lifts.
Chief executive Helen Ball said: “It’s a blow, but it’s what we’ve had to do for the safety of the public.
“There’s clearly a lot of concern around cases in Barnsley. The pandemic is bigger than all of us.
“It’s difficult for everyone in our sector.
“The next four weeks are going to be about looking after my staff and the building.
“We’ll be looking at where we can have staff working from home - it’s bizarre to be right back there again.
“We’ve worked very hard to get to this stage, and I’m really hopeful we can welcome people back soon.”
People who bought tickets for the show will be contacted about their booking.
