Andrew Comben-Brighton Dome & Festival

I manage to elicit a belly laugh from Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival Chief Executive, Andrew Comben, when I ask if he ever wishes his career choices had involved something less complex. This last year has been difficult for every arts organisation. The coronavirus hasn’t cared how historically, or culturally, important work might be. “It’s hugely challenging. But I’m aware how tough other people have had it during the pandemic. How friends and colleagues in the medical profession have managed over this last year, I just don’t know. All in all, I’m pretty lucky.” It’s been just under a year since social-distancing restrictions saw Brighton Dome close its doors to the public and abandon plans for its annual worldfamous festival. Similar issues have been faced by almost every single corner of the entertainment, arts and culture sector; a community founded upon the spirit of bringing people together.

There’s some solace that this has come during a new dawn of mass communication. Brighton Dome has been able to explore and deploy new ways of connecting with audiences. During last May, in lieu of physical gatherings, the 54-year-old event – a series of virtual productions, which recreated their hugely popular Children’s Parade, took listeners on a journey into the Sussex woods to hear birdsong accompanied by guest musician Alice Zawadksi in Sam Lee’s and held Uninvited Guests’ participatory examination of adoration and romance, , with Fuel Theatre. Since then, there’s been a progression of brilliant online events, mostly revolving around books and literature.