Are Christmas School Performances Cancelled?

The pandemic has fundamentally affected the ‘normal’ school day, and teachers are well aware of it: in 2021, 69.6%* of Stage Systems Educational Customers admitted to having to either cancel or postpone events due to the pandemic. But what about the children? 67% of School Staff agree that they feel that the mental health of children has been affected by the pandemic and over half of them also believe children have been affected by being unable to practice their drama skills. As Christmas dawns on us, end of year performances would be set to begin, but the pandemic is still top of mind. Pandemic Effect On Christmas Events Amongst the 434 schools Stage Systems approached, 62 had to postpone their Christmas performances, 66 will no longer be hosting a performance and the remainder are left with no choice but to change how this season’s shows will be performed. From the 70% of schools that will be hosting performances this Christmas, nearly all will make some severe changes to how they happen, with 80% saying they will be hosting an online or a limited Christmas performance: the majority (42.2%) are hosting the event online, and nearly 40% are limiting the audience numbers. To rearrange their shows for 2021, performing a socially distanced show is the next best option for most, with 139 of the schools approached admitting they have also selected or sectioned out year groups to take part in this year’s play. Simultaneously, though Christmas performances are usually a family event, 22% of schools are not allowing an audience. Not only are in-school plays affected, the usual trips to see Christmas pantomimes and other shows have also suffered, with only half of those approached admitting they will carry on the tradition, whilst 41% admit they simply cannot offer it this year. Education After Covid-19 How ready are teachers to leave the pandemic rules behind? Surprisingly, over 60% of all those approached agree: if the adjustments made during the pandemic were to carry on to 2022, they would not oppose it. At the end of the day, the safety of all continues to be a prime concern, and schools are ready to implement the changes necessary to ensure both student and staff safety. * Stage Systems, approached just over 4,000 of their Educational Customer base, of which approximately 10% responded to the Survey. 434 individuals (each corresponding to a different educational establishment) responded to the queries regarding the effects of the pandemic in school performances, school events and students’ development.

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