To get out of the cold and enjoy the arts, charities and arts venues have teamed up to create a free ticket system for those going without next year.
ADVERTISEMENTFree tickets to music, theatre, dance and comedy in London is coming for those who can’t afford to go.
The Ticket Bank is a new initiative that will provide free tickets to cultural events across London for people feeling the squeeze in the cost-of-living crisis.
Before a show begins, the unsold tickets will be offered to those in need for no charge. It connects the people to homeless charities, foodbanks and other charities working with the cultural sector.
For many people facing financial insecurity, culture is one of the first parts of their life to give way.
The Ticket Bank has already been signed up to by major London arts organisations like the Barbican, The National Theatre, the Roundhouse, and the Almeida Theatre.
Organised by Cardboard Citizens, the initiative is working with homeless charities like Centrepoint, The House of St Barnabas, and Positive Action in Housing, as well as The Longford Trust and the Network of Food Banks.
“Access to art and culture are essential to the human condition, a human right. If people can’t afford these riches, society is poorer off,” says Chris Sonnex, Artistic Director and joint CEO of Cardboard Citizens.
“I’m incredibly proud of the London arts and culture community coming together to offer tickets city wide to people who, through no fault of their own, are on or under a poverty line. It is a real act of change, and it will give many people, who couldn’t otherwise, the opportunity to be entertained, to see other worlds, to escape and most importantly to dream,” Sonnex continues.
Tickets will be offered at no charge or low charge, with the option available for the participant to donate an unspecified amount to the performance.
The initiative is also open to general donations from the public. For a £10 (approx. €11) donation, 12 tickets are made available; £100 (approx. €116) creates 128 free tickets.
You can make a donation here.
