Should the Arts Be for Everyone? (Spoiler: Yes.)
By Grace Hatchell, 2nd Act Couriers
Now, I’m not one for starting fights – unless you count elbowing my way to the ice cream queue at the interval – but I’ve got a bone to pick with this whole “lock the arts behind a paywall” malarkey.
At Theatre Village, we don’t have paid ads, fancy sponsors, or mysterious ‘affiliate links’ hiding in the shadows like a dodgy chorus member. We’re powered entirely by passion for theatre. That means no one’s paying us to say something’s brilliant (or to keep quiet when it’s not). We just want creative teams and performers to get the credit they deserve – and for audiences to discover something magical without having to hand over their debit card first.
Because here’s the thing: if a show’s being staged in a little black box theatre in Dundee, or a draughty old village hall in Cornwall, it deserves as much of the spotlight as a glittering West End juggernaut. If your mum’s cousin’s neighbour put in six months of rehearsals, ate instant noodles for a fortnight, and begged half their mates to shift scenery for free – why on earth should their hard-earned moment on stage be tucked behind a paywall?
Locking away reviews and theatre news might make a few people a tidy sum, but it also shuts the door on the curious, the cash-strapped, and the ones who didn’t even know they liked theatre until they stumbled across something unexpected. That’s not “supporting the arts” – that’s building a velvet rope where there should be an open foyer.
Here at Theatre Village, the curtain’s always up. No hidden fees, no secret handshakes. If we love it, we’ll shout about it. If it’s got potential, we’ll champion it. And if it’s a bit wobbly, we’ll still tell you why it might be worth your ticket money. Because art should belong to everyone – not just the people who can afford to read about it.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got another satchel-load of gossip, reviews, and theatrical wonder to deliver. And not a single paywall in sight.
