This year the COVID-19 pandemic has turned the world upside down and many industries have suffered because of it. One that has been particularly hard hit is the arts industry.
Shows have been cancelled, live entertainment has been a thing of the past for the last six months and it’s had a detrimental effect on artists and creatives.
This rings true for UK theatre The Mill at Sonning, located in Reading. Having been on the verge of having to close down, it was a “lifeline” donation from Amal and George Clooney that have helped the theatre survive through the pandemic. The couple, who live close to the venue, are in fact regular attendees of the theatre.
“After nine months in lockdown, The Mill at Sonning, the UK’s only dinner theatre, is to re-open its theatre on 30 October with a winter season of comedy, magic, cabarets and plays,” a statement on the theatre’s Facebook page outlined.
“Since July, when the theatre celebrated its 38th birthday, The Mill has only been able to operate its adjoining restaurant with reduced seating, but this together with fundraising and donations from Mill Angel supporters and Hollywood star George Clooney and his wife Amal, who are near neighbours and regular attenders, have been a lifeline to ensure the venue’s survival.”
The A-list couple are no strangers to making charitable donations – particularly throughout this year of hardship.
Back in April, the Lebanese-British barrister and her actor husband have donated $300,000 (Dhs1.1 million) to the Lebanese Food Bank. The organisation helps the most vulnerable in the country, such as single mothers and the elderly, who are unable to work amidst the global pandemic.
Following the devastating blast in Beirut, George and Amal donated $100,000 (approximately Dhs367,000) to three separate charities – Lebanese Red Cross, Impact Lebanon and Baytna Baytak.
