Ros Morgan, Chief Executive, Heart of London Business Alliance, said a vague, broad brush approach from government had been unhelpful, culture being ‘thrown in’ with everyone else. What was needed was ‘London-specific and sector-specific messaging’ because the capital had been disproportionately affected compared to the rest of the UK, Morgan suggested, footfall in the West End still being only at 50%, for example. The Heart of London Business Alliance is lobbying to help messaging around transport to improve the situation – Morgan proposing subsidising travel in a similar way to Eat Out to Help Out – and to stress that the cultural sector is ‘absolutely critical to the recovery’. Many hotels are holding back on operating until cultural buildings can open again, Morgan suggested. She also revealed that the Alliance will be launching a ‘Gallery Without Walls’ initiative next week with a toolkit for organisations to help them lure in new audiences outside their traditional buildings set-ups.

But this period is also a ‘major wake-up call’ for London in how it’s structured in terms of the agglomerative effect of cultural organisations in the West End, said Lendlease director of masterplanning Selena Mason. ‘The cultural sector could probably stand back a bit and recognise that whilst it’s facing pretty acute issues, it’s not the only kind of distressed assets in the environment at the moment’, she said, pointing to offices and retail in particular. ‘It does feel to me like there is an opportunity to really think ahead and ask ourselves: does the agglomerating effect of culture in the West End really work for London as a whole? Should we start to see if we can have a conversation around more dispersal; around encouraging the creative industries to be a factor in the life of London in all parts of London, not just in the centre?’

One organisation has done just that; the English National Ballet acknowledged its touring basis, relocating to Ballymore’s London City Island in a new £36m venue designed by Glenn Howells Architects and hiring out its old Victorian mews venue in Kensington. ‘They said to us that basically kept them alive’, said Daniel Mulligun, Studio Director, Glenn Howells Architects. ‘Had it not been for that, they would have been toast’.