Sadler’s Wells announce the Barclays Dance Pass
Sadler’s Wells theatre, Rosebery Ave. image(c) Philip Vile
Along with the announcement of the new season’s dance. Sadler’s Wells announced a new ticket scheme for young people earlier today. They are making 10,000 seats at £10 each available for young people aged 16 to 30.
If you are between 16 and 30 you can register at sadlerswells.com/barclaysdancepass. Don’t delay, as the first 10 sign ups get a free pair of tickets for the premiere of Message In A Bottle at Sadler’s Wells on Wednesday, 19th February.
The press release, which quotes Alistair Spalding, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Sadler’s Wells, also says that the scheme will apply to performances at Sadler’s Wells’ new mid-scale venue opening in 2022. That makes me wonder what the logistics of the 10,000 tickets might be.
One assumes that a certain number of Dance Pass tickets will be allocated to each performance or run, but since over half a million people already visit Sadler’s Wells theatres each year with more watching the touring productions, what does this mean to young people in- and outside- of London? Are they always going to be in the same part of the auditorium? Are they to be spread over a certain number of years? Do they replace any current last minute cheap ticket deals? Or is it simply that the 10,000 tickets will be issued according to demand until they run out, and if that is so, what happens if demand is greater than anticipated and the 10,000 ticket allocation has run out before Sadler’s Wells Stratford opens at all?
Meanwhile, Tom Corbett, Head of Sponsorship of Barclays, says that Barclays Dance Pass will give 30,000 young people throughout the country opportunities to see world-class dance. That beggars the question – what happens to the other 20,000 sponsored tickets.
More when I find out.