Café closes at Salisbury Arts Centre as a result of “prevailing economic conditions”

The café at Salisbury Arts Centre has been forced to close as a result of the current economic conditions and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The local arts organisation, says that due to prevailing economic conditions, they have had to review the viability of all its activities.

In a statement released today, Wiltshire Creative said, “For the foreseeable future, the café at Salisbury Arts Centre will cease its current operations effective as of Monday 31st October 2022. In addition, the regular displays of visual arts and some classes will also be suspended.”

All live performances at Salisbury Arts Centre will be unaffected by these changes, and the bar will continue to operate as normal.

Executive Director of Wiltshire Creative, Sebastian Warrack said, “No one wants to take decisions of this nature. However, these are necessary to ensure that Wiltshire Creative remains a resource for everyone now, and for generations to come.”

Wiltshire Creative, which is a registered charity, was formed from a merger in February 2018, combining the artistic outputs of Salisbury Playhouse, Salisbury International Arts Festival and Salisbury Arts Centre – creating a cross-platform arts hub for the region.

Since its creation, the company has faced a series of challenges – first the two Novichok incidents in March and June 2018, then the global pandemic.

The arts organisation say, “The combined impact has had a negative effect on audience attendance across the organisation, putting significant pressure on financial revenue.”

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