3 November 2020 09:58
New national lockdown in England (updated)
As you are aware, England is preparing to go in to a new national lockdown from Thursday 5 November until Wednesday 2 December, pending parliamentary vote tomorrow (Wednesday), and following in the footsteps of other areas of the UK and European countries.
The rules of the new lockdown in brief are:
- Requiring people to stay at home, except for specific purposes.
- Preventing gathering with people you do not live with, except for specific purposes.
- Closing certain businesses and venues.
The government’s guidance, so far, explicitly states that leisure facilities, including dance studios must close. We are aware that there will be a mix of feelings about this amongst teachers, students and of course parents. Whilst many teachers will be preparing to move dance classes back online there will be others for whom this will be yet another devastating blow. There is however, one point on which we believe we can all agree and that is that syllabus classes and examinations are a vital part of educational provision.
Therefore, the RAD and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) have written a joint letter to the Department for Education and the Department for Culture, Media & Sport, appealing for an exemption for dance classes where the training is directed towards taking an exam and achieving a qualification.
The letter was sent to senior officials in both departments yesterday, amidst ongoing parliamentary debate surrounding the lockdown proposals and we await their response. Until we receive a government decision, we recommend that teachers prepare to close dance studios and schools and that students and parents contact their dance schools directly to find out about their plans. We will, however, advise you further ahead of Thursday, 5 November.
You can contact your local MP here.
Once again, you will find a wide range of resources, tools and content in both the Members’ Area and in RAD@Home on our website.
Find out what Financial Support you may be entitled to.
Until Thursday 5 November, the relevant Local Covid Alert Level measures will continue to apply in the area where you live.