With the launch of our exciting new spring programme, we are also introducing a new ticketing structure which will helps support the Ri’s charitable activities. We are offering a range of accessibility options, from free for those who need it, discounts for Ri Members and paid options to support the access of others.
As it did for many charities, the Covid-19 pandemic caused us to look at what we do and how we do it.
Unable to host public talks in our theatre as we had done for over two centuries, we introduced livestream talks. We offered them free, to maximise accessibility for people searching for things to do during the long weeks of lockdown. ‘Truly they kept me sane,’ said one regular attendee, and, ‘the only good thing to come from Covid,’ said another.
As we continue our emergence from the pandemic, we are pleased to be offering more activities than we were before it, and have seen a clear appetite for our particular brand of Ri science. Our Holiday Workshops returned this summer, for example, with many places at the 96 individual sessions being free for children who benefitted most from them. At the same time, applications for free Science in Schools visits were at their second-highest level ever, and our livestreams are firmly established as a core opportunity for everyone to discover, discuss and critically examine science.
With 'pay what you can' livestreams donations falling, for our Spring Programme the suggested option to join a livestream will remain at £10 and we are introducing a minimum option of £5 to cover the cost of running our events. This is discounted to £3 for Ri Members, a similar discount to that which they receive for Theatre tickets, in recognition of their support for our charitable activities throughout the year.
The £20 option also remains and anyone who chooses this will be supporting the access of others, for which we are extremely grateful. It will help us in making some livestream and Theatre tickets free for those would benefit from the support, as a trial to understand the level of need.
Also this season, we are excited to be working with Tickets for Good, for the first time, to make seats in our Theatre available for free to verified NHS workers. We will extend this step should it prove popular and should we be successful in securing the necessary funding.
So if you are interested in the potential to sponsor our amazing public programme, please do get in touch. As they always have been, most of our talks will be freely available on our YouTube channel, along with a huge range of past content.
So as we launch our fantastic Spring Programme – with world-leading scientists shining a light on every corner of science, from the limits of astrophysics to realising your goals through philosophy – we are pleased to be able to offer accessibility options ranging from some that are free for those who need it, discounts for our Members and paid options for those who are able to support the access of others.
We look forward to welcoming you to many of our Spring Programme talks – in our Theatre and online – and thank you for your continued support for the Ri.