Behind the Curtain: A Custodian’s Day in Figueres

Before the first audience member arrives at Teatre El Jardí or Sala La Cate, the custodial team has already begun shaping the experience. Their work is quiet, practical and highly visible in the condition of every foyer, aisle, bathroom, rehearsal room and backstage corridor. A clean venue feels ready; a neglected one can distract from the performance before the curtain rises.

At Figueres a Escena, this daily rhythm supports theatre, music, dance, cinema, opera, circus and family programming, as well as ATEB’s classes for children, young people and adults. The team must prepare spaces that can change quickly from a school workshop to an evening concert, while respecting performers, technicians, audiences and the historic character of each venue.

The First Walk Through The Building

A shift often begins with a methodical inspection rather than a mop and bucket. Custodians check entrances, stairways, handrails, seats, toilets and backstage areas for overnight dust, spills, rubbish or damage. They also look for practical hazards: a loose mat, a blocked exit, a broken light or a cable that has shifted during a rehearsal.

This early walk-through is a form of venue intelligence. A theatre may look orderly at closing time and still need attention after several hours of set construction or a late rehearsal. Staff record problems and alert the relevant coordinator, allowing maintenance, production and front-of-house teams to act before visitors arrive.

The same habit would be familiar to custodial workers at venues in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane. Australian Work Health and Safety duties place strong emphasis on identifying risks, controlling them and communicating hazards, and performing arts spaces must take those responsibilities seriously even when the work appears routine.

Cleaning Around A Moving Schedule

A performing arts venue rarely has a single daily timetable. One room may host an ATEB drama class in the afternoon, a technical setup before dinner and a public performance at night. Cleaning therefore happens in carefully timed windows. Floors may be swept between activities, touchpoints disinfected after workshops and bathrooms checked repeatedly rather than cleaned just once.

The crew also works around fragile equipment and artistic materials. Costumes, props, lighting instruments and musical gear may occupy corridors or storage areas, so a standard cleaning route cannot be applied without thought. The safest approach is to communicate with stage managers and teachers, protect equipment from moisture and keep access routes clear.

Australian audiences often arrive early for a coffee, meet friends in the foyer and take a final bathroom break before the lights dim. Those everyday habits create concentrated periods of use. A short interval can generate more work than an entire quiet afternoon, particularly when a family show brings prams, school groups and excited children into the building.

Foyers, Seats And Small Details

The foyer is where a venue makes its first public impression. Glass doors need to be free of fingerprints, information tables kept orderly and floors checked for grit brought in from the street. In Figueres, the team must accommodate changing weather, festival traffic and visitors moving between nearby streets and cultural events.

Inside the auditorium, custodians inspect seat backs, armrests, cup holders and the gaps where programs or rubbish can collect. They may remove adhesive residue, vacuum fabric, dust ledges and check that aisles remain unobstructed. A small tear or damaged seat is reported rather than hidden, because repeated use can turn minor wear into an expensive repair.

Seat management also connects with access and inclusion. When a venue reserves places for wheelchair users, mobility aids or late-arriving patrons, those areas must remain clean and available. Programming policies can support this wider welcome: the discussion of student rush places shows how a venue can keep participation within reach while maintaining a well-managed audience experience.

Backstage Is A Working Environment

Backstage cleaning requires a different kind of judgement. Performance areas can contain sawdust, paint flakes, tape, cables, scenery and materials that should never be mixed with ordinary waste. Custodians coordinate with technicians before entering, use appropriate products and avoid moving anything that belongs to the production.

Dressing rooms and green rooms also need careful attention. Shared sinks, mirrors, benches and high-touch handles are cleaned between users, while ventilation and odour control become especially important after dance or circus sessions. A room must feel fresh without strong chemical smells affecting performers before they go on stage.

The work is closer to supporting a workshop than cleaning an office. In Australian venues, this would align with the practical expectations of a safe workplace under state or territory WHS systems: clear walkways, controlled chemical use, suitable personal protective equipment and sensible separation between cleaning activity and other operations.

Waste, Water And Reuse

A busy cultural building produces several types of waste: ticketing paper, drink containers, food packaging, workshop materials and production scraps. The custodial team sorts what can be recycled, isolates sharp or unsuitable items and keeps public bins from overflowing during peak periods. Good waste handling is both a cleanliness issue and a resource issue.

Water use is planned too. Mopping methods, measured dilution of cleaning products and prompt reporting of leaking taps can reduce unnecessary consumption. Reusable cloths and refill systems may also lower packaging waste when they are compatible with hygiene procedures and venue policy.

These concerns resonate with the Australian market, where councils and commercial operators commonly separate landfill, mixed recycling and organics, though collection rules vary between cities. A custodian must follow the venue’s local arrangements rather than assume that an item accepted in Melbourne belongs in the same bin in Perth or Adelaide.

Between Matinees And Evening Shows

The busiest period often comes between events. A children’s matinee may finish with scattered snack wrappers, muddy footprints and a rush of families through the foyer. Soon afterwards, staff may need to reset the space for a talk, rehearsal or evening performance. Speed matters, yet rushed cleaning can leave wet floors, overlooked spills or unsecured equipment.

During school holidays, the workload can rise sharply. Families attend daytime programs, teenagers join workshops and ATEB students use classrooms for extended sessions. Staff adjust their rounds to the audience profile, paying closer attention to low surfaces, accessible bathrooms, handrails and places where children naturally gather.

An evening changeover brings its own priorities. Public areas are refreshed, bins are relined, toilet supplies replenished and exits checked before doors open. Custodians may remain nearby during the performance so they can respond discreetly to spills, illness or unexpected mess without disturbing the audience.

Closing After The Applause

When the final applause ends, the building enters another working phase. Patrons leave in groups, performers remove costumes, technicians begin dismantling equipment and staff collect lost property. The custodial team follows behind, clearing cups and programs, checking toilets, wiping surfaces and restoring the venue to a safe condition.

Post-show cleaning is also an opportunity to notice patterns. A recurring spill near one doorway may suggest a bin needs to move. Dust in a particular corner may indicate poor airflow. Frequent damage to a fitting may reveal that it needs replacement rather than repeated cleaning. Observations are passed on so the venue can improve its daily operation.

The team’s work sits within a broader cultural ecosystem that values care, access and public trust. Even ideas from museums and visitor-centred institutions, including interactive museum displays, underline how much the physical environment influences the way people engage with culture. A clean, calm space helps audiences concentrate on what they came to see.

The People Who Make It Feel Easy

Custodial staff are often judged by what audiences do not notice: no overflowing bin, no slippery entrance, no unpleasant bathroom, no dusty seat or blocked corridor. Their success depends on preparation, communication and the ability to make quick decisions without interrupting the artistic program.

They also help protect the venue’s long-term character. Regular care extends the life of flooring, upholstery, fixtures and backstage surfaces, while prompt reporting prevents small faults from becoming major disruptions. The result is a building that can welcome a primary school group in the afternoon and a full theatre audience that same night.

At Figueres a Escena, every performance begins before the lights go down. The custodial team prepares the conditions in which artists can work, audiences can feel comfortable and community activities can happen safely. Their shift may start in quiet corridors, but its impact reaches every person who crosses the threshold. Visit Teatre El Jardí or Sala La Cate, explore the programme and notice the careful work that makes each cultural encounter possible.