Like so many venues across the country the John Peel Centre has been greatly affected by the Covid-19 crisis. Due to the pandemic and social distancing measures put in place by the government , the centre has had to cancel or postpone a large number of public and private events. Events have been rescheduled where possible and the John Peel Centre team continue to navigate these unchartered waters. However, there is no doubt of the financial impact Covid-19 will have on the JPC which is a community interest company.
Naturally, the closure of the venue has affected not only the audiences who regularly attend events at the venue but also artists, community groups, theatre companies and many more. The small staff team and the dedicated team of John Peel Centre volunteers are working hard during this period of closure to do all they can to ensure that the valued community space is still here in the future.
There is no doubt that the John Peel Centre team is keen to ensure that there is an exciting programme of events for audiences to enjoy when the doors can open again, however, no-one can deny it is a worrying and uncertain time for the venue.
Encouragingly, the John Peel Centre audiences, customers, community groups, hirers and artists have been extremely supportive. At a time when everyone is facing such difficult and uncertain times, it has been heart-warming for the staff to see how valued the JPC clearly is to its community with some ticket holders donating their tickets rather than asking for refunds and many sending positive messages of support.
We have been humbled by the support and well wishes from our audiences. They have offered their tickets as donations and expressed how much they want us to be here when this is over. This gives us the encouragement to strive to survive these difficult times. I look forward to welcoming our artists and audiences back when we open our doors again
Patsy Cane, General Manager, John Peel Centre
However, there is still more work to be done if the JPC is to survive this difficult period.
In an effort to ensure the John Peel Centre will be here in the future it has teamed up with WeGotTickets and is hosting #TheEventThatNeverHappened – an event that – you guessed it – will never happen!
By purchasing a ticket to The Event That Never Happened (which will never happen), anyone that can afford to do so will be helping the John Peel Centre to secure a future and will support the grass roots venue in bringing great artists to the audience of Stowmarket and surrounding areas, as well as provide performance opportunities for up and coming artists.
‘Tickets can be purchased for £5, £10, £20 or £50 and you can find out more about the event that never happened at https://www.johnpeelcentre.com/event/the-event-that-never-happened/
