Cork's Everyman theatre presented 289 performances attended by 30,000 people last year

DESPITE a challenging year for the arts, Cork's Everyman theatre presented 289 performances, attended by 30,000 people, online and in person in 2021.

The Everyman generated a surplus of over €60,000 and increased turnover by 30 per cent despite the building being closed for nine months last year and having to comply with reduced capacities for the short winter period when the building reopened.

When Covid restrictions meant audiences could not attend the theatre, The Everyman, which has to raise over 92 per cent of its own funds, pivoted to online shows. 

For most of the year, the building was available for artists to rehearse and develop their work and, throughout, the team were available to give advice and guidance to Cork artists, either online or, when possible, in person.

In all, The Everyman worked with close to 400 artists in 2021.

All staff also remained in position and no wage cuts or redundancies were implemented.

Additionally, extensive upgrades were carried out to the building to make for a safer, more enjoyable, experience for audiences and artists and the venue expanded its engagement and outreach work, creating The Theatre Making and Citizenship Programme.

"While 2020 and 2021 were very difficult years for The Everyman we were greatly humbled by the support shown to us by the people of Cork, firstly in the form of donations and, when the time came again, through buying tickets to our shows in huge numbers," executive director and CEO of The Everyman, Sean Kelly said.

"We also couldn’t have achieved what we did without our fantastic team who worked tirelessly and selflessly throughout to ensure that The Everyman remained a vibrant, healthy, theatre, worthy of the citizens of Cork. 

"A special word of thanks must also go the Arts Council; the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and Cork City Council. 

"All of this enabled us to present an expanded, varied programme in 2022 and, as we stand on the cusp of opening another fabulous Everyman Production in John B. Keane’s Letters of a Country Postman, we look to the future with more optimism than ever before."