Phase 3: Some art groups, venues prepare for larger audiences given raised capacity of up to 250 people

• From Dec 28, live arts and cultural performances can seat up to 250 people
• Some arts groups and venues have already made plans to sell more tickets to their shows
• Others have no immediate plans to raise capacity, though they welcomed the move
• Smaller venues said the relaxed rules will not greatly affect their operations
• They cannot admit many more people due to safe distancing limits

SINGAPORE — Less than a week after the authorities announced that live arts and cultural performances can hold more audience members during Phase Three of Singapore’s reopening, some arts companies and venues are already selling more tickets to their shows or making plans to do so.

However, while they welcomed the relaxed measures, some groups said that they have no immediate plans to raise capacity.

Others told TODAY that the new rules will not really change the way they operate, because their venues cannot take in many more people due to the safe distancing regulations.

On Monday (Dec 14), the governmental task force handling the Covid-19 pandemic announced that indoor live arts and cultural performances can now hold up to 250 people in zones of 50 each during Phase Three.

This is an increase from the present 100-person limit. The third phase of Singapore reopening its economy will start from Dec 28. 

Among the arts groups that have made plans to increase the capacity at their shows is the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO).

In response to TODAY’s queries, an SSO spokesperson said that it will be making 250 tickets available for its concerts in January and February, which will be held at the Esplanade Theatre.

“The increased capacity makes a huge difference for SSO. Not only does it mean an increase in precious ticket revenue, it also means we are able to bring live music to more people in Singapore," its spokesperson said.

“Our musicians have also tremendously missed the experience of playing to sold-out audiences, and this is a step closer to that.” 

For Esplanade Theatre, its director of venues and planning Rachelle Tan said that the performing arts centre has been holding performances for up to 250 patrons in its larger venues since the start of November. This was part of a pilot trial by the National Arts Council (NAC) that allowed live performances of up to 250 people.

However, some venues such as The Star Performing Arts Centre said that they have no immediate plans to raise the capacity of their existing shows because their shows were already planned to accommodate smaller groups.

Ms Sarah Lim, who is the centre’s director of sales and marketing, said that a show on Dec 28, featuring Singapore rock band PeepShow, will keep the capacity of 150 people. It chose to raise the capacity by only 50 people after the relaxed rules were announced.

Mr Adeep Fazah, who is a producer at independent theatre collective Impromptu Meetings, told TODAY that the company has no plans to have its production The Chronicles of Xiao Ming take place physically because the event was already planned for a digital audience.

LITTLE CHANGE FOR SMALLER VENUES

Though they welcomed the move by the Government, some arts groups and venues said that the relaxed rules will not make much of a difference to them because they still would not be able to admit 250 people due to the need to adhere to safe distancing rules.

Mr Terence Ho, executive director of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra, said that the venue it oversees — the Singapore Conference Hall — has a total capacity of 833 people.

After taking into account safe distancing rules, the most people it can allow would be around 120, even with the new 250-person capacity.

During performances, audience members must be seated at least 1m apart and there must be at least 3m between each zone of 50 audience members.

This is the case as well for the Arts House Limited, which manages five performing arts venue: The Arts House, Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall, the Drama Centre, Aliwal Arts Centre and Goodman Arts Centre.

The Arts House Limited said that although it plans to work with its partners to curate programmes with larger audience sizes, its larger venues would still be able to hold only 200 people due to safe distancing limits.

Echoing these sentiments, Mr Adeep of Impromptu Meeting said: “The increase in capacity seems to only have a positive effect for larger venues. For independent theatre makers, we are not aiming to perform our works in these venues as they are too expensive.”

Mr Ho with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra also said that since the limits on the number of performers and crew allowed on stage and backstage are unchanged, it is challenging for an orchestra that usually features 86 musicians to curate programmes that will draw the audience back to the theatre.

The rules state that a maximum of 30 performers and crew are allowed on stage and backstage at any given time.

“An orchestra is supposed to play together, not separated,” Mr Ho said, though he recognised the importance of the safety regulations during this period.

When contacted, other companies such as the Singapore Dance Theatre and Wild Rice said that they were unsure whether the new Phase 3 rules and limits of 250 people applied to them. They are waiting for more clarity from the authorities.

In response to TODAY's queries on whether the Phase Three rules apply across the board to all arts groups or if they have to first seek approval from the authorities before staging shows, an NAC spokesman said: "Indoor live performances for up to 250 pax has been regularised under Phase 3, and organisers of performances of this nature are no longer required to submit pilot applications.

"Organisers will only be required to submit pilot applications for outdoor performances, to ensure that venues are still able to safely manage larger outdoor performances and mitigate the gathering of peripheral crowds."