Life under lockdown for Dunoon Burgh Hall
The current crisis has had a big impact on Dunoon Burgh Hall.
Friday 13th March 2020 was our last performance - Space Ape, a touring theatre production for children. Sadly, all our schools cancelled last minute as anxieties escalated, so the audience ended up being a very small but appreciative crowd! The following week the building closed to the public.
We have received funding through the Supporting Communities Fund which enables us to run our Community Kitchen. Established by our café staff, this not-for-profit service delivers tasty, nutritious meals to clients referred by the local Social Work Department as well as to those who are currently self-isolating or shielding. The response for volunteers from our community has been fantastic, and has included chefs, filmmakers and drivers.
We have put a number of initiatives in place in response to the Coronavirus. We are delivering emergency art packs in the local area full of exciting goodies together with worksheets and ideas. As a Community Anchor Organisation, we are working closely with local third sector agencies to ensure that we reach those who are most vulnerable - children, young people and adults and hope to develop this in future.
We have also turned our attention to running online classes – song-writing sessions for 10-16 years, and musical play cafes for 1-5 years. These have been fantastic and hugely appreciative. We have an amazing four verse rap written by a 10-year-old!
Some of our staff have been furloughed, others have been kept on to maintain the organisation, undergo training and develop new systems; and others are working in the Community Kitchen.
We sadly don’t know how this will affect us in the longer term, but we are working hard to find a way through this.
Jenny Hunter, Creative Arts and Education Manager.
