As we head into another 3 weeks of lockdown the effects of Covid-19 are becoming increasingly apparent. Maybe you’ve been polishing up your sourdough making skills, shaved your hair off, or you know, just binge-watched Netflix attempting not to be consumed by crippling fear.
via GIPHY
But on a serious note, life has truly been turned upside down by the virus, especially for the creative and cultural industries. Covid-19 has devastated our music community as concerts and festivals have been cancelled worldwide, theatres and museums have closed their doors until further notice, and restauranteur’s have no idea when they’ll next have a house full of hungry customers. Companies that rely on visitors or audiences have had their livelihood interrupted by the pandemic, leaving thousands of creatives with uncertain futures.
However, not even a global pandemic can stop the creatives of the world. The creative and cultural industry might even be perfectly suited to tackle the pandemic.
“Constraints focus the mind and provide fertile ground for creativity”
via hainguyenrp : Pixabay
Lockdown is an opportunity to channel our creative energy and demonstrate how valuable culture and creativity is within society for mental health and well-being. What we value, however, might have shifted as the terms user-creativity and prosumer are becoming ever more significant.
Digital disruption is at play as thousands of individuals are utilising social media as a convenient and effective replacement for creative platforms. Covid-19 has generated digital transformations across the creative population as increased tech awareness has led people to satisfy their creative needs from the comfort of their own home.
Music
Times are hard, you might have even had to endure your dad attempting to play Wonderwall after one too many gin and tonics. Luckily, many musicians are here to save the day by live-streaming mini-concerts online for all to enjoy.
James Blake is one of the many musicians that has had to cancel tours. Instead, he continues to bless our ears with live performances to virtual audiences of over 25,000 on Instagram. He even said, “This might be the biggest gig I’ve ever done”.
But how are musicians earning any money during the pandemic? Fortunately, Bandcamp and Spotify are finding ways of ensuring money distribution directly into artists’ pockets. Financial relief is offered to those in the music community through the Spotify COVID-19 Music Relief project, by matching any public donation. Additionally, on the first Friday of every month, Bandcamp will be waiving it’s revenue for 24 hours to support struggling musicians.
Art
Due to museum and gallery closures, artists have taken matters into their own hands. Many are capturing the reality we’re all living through animation, an aspect of art that is currently thriving. Interest has peaked due to our new-found reliance on technology. Flatten the Curve, an animated compilation video created by Kathrin Steinbacher and Emily Downe puts a positive twist on self-isolation by combining 90 clips from various animators across the world to remind us of the advantages of staying at home.
What next?
Participating in culture and creativity is now as simple as clicking on Instagram. Music and art are just some of the many sectors of creativity that we now know technology can handle. During our post-pandemic future, this increased reliance on digital platforms can’t simply disappear overnight, can it? Even if we do eventually return to the normality of 2019, we’ll be tech-dependent for the long haul. User-creativity and digital disruption could have a lasting effect on the creative and cultural industries and interest in visiting galleries, theatres, or concerts might dwindle.
However, if lockdown has made me realize anything, it’s how much cultural and creative activities were taken for granted. Longing for shared experiences and feel-good content could spark new-found respect and value for the industry within our society. Life after lockdown currently feels inconceivable, but one thing is for certain, 2020 will be a defining moment for the creative and cultural industries.
CREATIVE CONVERSATION 