Dame Darcey Bussell has warned of the talent that will “fall by the wayside” due to the devastating impact of coronavirus on the cultural sector.
The retired ballerina and former Strictly Come Dancing judge lamented the pandemic and the resulting shutdown of the country’s arts industry.
And she warned ballerinas’ already relatively brief careers may be curtailed further by the enforced period of inaction.
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, she said: “If you think
of all those dancers who are near the end of their careers, maybe they’re going
to finish those careers earlier than they should do because of this gap.
“There isn’t enough time in a dancer’s career to be able to withdraw temporarily.”
Dame Darcey added the situation is “horrible, really scary” and said: “There’s so much talent that’s going to fall by the wayside.”
The ailing cultural sector received a boost earlier this month when the Government announced a £1.57 billion support package to “protect” the future of Britain’s museums, galleries and theatres.
Dame Darcey welcomed the intervention.
She said: “It was quite something to see that, and so wonderful to see the Prime Minister acknowledging that the arts, and our talent in the arts, are some of the most important assets the UK has – and he is completely right.
“We are exceptional in the arts and we should never ever forget that.”
