Corona versus
culture
by Jess Smee on 22nd
September 2020
The pandemic closed theatres,
concerts and exhibitions, imperilling many freelances. How will the creative
industry re-emerge?
The creative sector has been hit
hard by the social shifts triggered by the coronavirus. Around Europe,
longstanding cultural institutions were forced to close their doors for the
first time in decades, some even for the first time since the second world
war. The economic woes hit at a time when
culture—films, books, music—was offering relief, solace and entertainment to
entire populations forced into lockdown.
The numbers reveal the extent of the
economic downturn. Early on in the crisis, a survey of galleries worldwide revealed
a 70 per cent drop in income, leaving many verging on bankruptcy. Museums saw earnings crash by 80 per
cent, according to the Network of European Museum Organisations.
The sector’s many freelances were
suddenly exposed to the perilous downsides of the gig economy. Take the
world-famous circus troop Cirque du Soleil, which in March laid off 95 per cent of its workforce,
calling off performances in seven countries.
Impact ‘devastating’
The European Commission was quick to
acknowledge the creative industry’s turmoil, with Mariya Gabriel, commissioner
with the cultural brief, describing the impact as ‘devastating’. European
politicians from around the bloc spoke of the importance of throwing a
lifeline to creatives.
And the sector is important: in
Italy, for example, the state-funded museums arena had, ahead of the outbreak,
been valued at €27 billion, or almost 2 per cent of
gross domestic product, making it only slightly smaller than agriculture.
Preliminary data from Eurostat suggest that the pandemic may affect 7.3 million
cultural and creative jobs across the European Union. Of these, around a
third are self-employed and lack adequate social protection.
Economic-stimulus policies are largely
the handiwork of national governments, which decide how to support an ailing
economy and which sectors to prioritise. Most European nations provided extra
relief for small businesses, staff and the self-employed—funds which are also
accessible for creative firms. Most governments have unveiled special measures
for the creative industries too.
Some of these have been small scale
and specific. The Bulgarian Ministry of Culture said it
would launch a competition to encourage reading and support
its library network. And Danish radio stations, in dialogue with the
Ministry of Culture, are pushing Danish-produced
music to support local artists.
There have also been large cash
injections. In May the French president, Emmanuel Macron, called for a 12-month extension to the
nation’s special unemployment benefits for actors, performers, musicians and
technicians—a scheme designed to protect them during the sudden pauses between
jobs. Macron said small companies and independent workers most vulnerable to
the crisis would be eligible for a special €7 billion support fund.
And the ‘particularly hard-hit’ National Centre for Music would be given an
extra €50 million.
Germany, too, has won
international praise for its speedy response to help a struggling
industry. In June, as part of a large stimulus fund, it unveiled a €50 billion package aimed at freelances
and small businesses, including the arts and
cultural industries. This was distributed within four days. The Berlin
Senate also offered grants to freelance workers and small businesses in the
cultural sector.
On the brink
However, many artists and creatives
are still on the brink. In Germany, for example, federal funding can only
be used to offset business costs, not personal expenses such
as health-insurance contributions or residential rent, leaving many
freelances stranded. One petition signed by almost 300,000 artists
warned that creatives ‘live on the edge of the subsistence level anyway, but
the current mass cancellation of events threatens to push them over this edge’.
It concluded: ‘Society may be able
to do without cultural life for some time. But if it does so for too long, we
could end up with nobody left to revive it.’
What will a post-corona creative
scene look like? So far, there are no firm answers. The industry has come up
with new formats which are imaginative but are financially unsustainable. Much
creative output has been redirected to online audiences, with films, plays and
courses often offered for free or at a low price. Once reopened, theatres and
cinemas have seen their ticket sales plummet due to the need for social
distancing in auditoria. Large performances and festivals remain off-limits.
Yet, indicative of the adaptability
of this vital sector, artistic creation has also shifted overnight, processing
and depicting a society in transition. Madrid’s Teatro Real opened
its doors again post-lockdown with a modified version of Verdi’s La
Traviata, incorporating distanced performers wearing surgical
masks—albeit not without problems.
As long as the show can afford to go
on, Europe’s creatives will keep creating.
An earlier version was published as part
of the Europa Dossier by
the German cultural quarterly KulturAustausch
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