STUDIES – COVID & THEATRE (listed in date published order)

PLASA logo

REPORT: Challenges facing the live sector - March 2023

This survey was carried out to collect data on how companies and individuals across live events, entertainment and installations are recovering from the pandemic and what challenges remain. 

A sum total of 1,313 respondents from over 46 countries completed the survey between 26 October and 20 November 2022

The findings detail key issues such as continued delays and shortages, as well as ongoing debt and low confidence.

Read the report here

Study image

REPORT: NTIA Night Time Economy Report - February 2023

This is the second Study of Night Time Economy. It has been commissioned by the NTIA to fully understand the economic contribution and significance of the night time cultural economy (NTCE) to the UK economy. It also situates the NTCE within the wider UK night-time economy (NTE) and the overall ‘out of home’ leisure economy (OHLE).

Read the report here

BECTU Logo

REPORT: Theatres skills shortage survey 2022 - December 2022

A new survey from Bectu outlines low pay, long hours and poor work-life balance as key issues driving the continued skills shortage plaguing the UK’s theatre sector.

The sector was one of the worst affected by the Covid-19 lockdowns and many, including Bectu, called for a post-pandemic reset to address poor terms and conditions, modernise the industry and  create fairer working conditions.

However, the survey of over 800 people working in all parts of the sector suggests a number of factors driving people to leave the industry have worsened over the last three years. 60% of respondents said that staff shortages had become ‘much worse’ since 2019.

Across September 2022 Bectu collected workers’ views on how reported skills shortages personally affect them, their working lives and implications for the wider industry.

Read the report here

DCMS Logo

REPORT: Reimagining where we live: cultural placemaking and the levelling up agenda - November 2022

Arts funding should be overhauled into a new model that categorises world-class national institutions separately from local organisations.

“We propose a model whereby world-class national cultural institutions, who often receive the most significant levels of public cash, are categorised and allocated funding separately from local and regional cultural institutions. 

“This would allow for better comparisons between genuinely grassroots organisations and ensure those organisations in regions where there is a high concentration of national cultural institutions aren’t indirectly negatively impacted by well-meaning attempts to rebalance spending across the country.”

• The government should consider further ways of supporting arts and culture beyond one-off or ’flagship’ funds.
• DCMS should work with other sector organisations to develop a skills training programme for the arts.
• Local communities and decision-makers should be given a greater role in decision-making around arts funding.
• To combat the “existential threat” of the cost-of-living crisis to the arts, the government should urgently bring forward targeted support such as reduced VAT and business rate relief.
• Organisations responsible for distributing funding should take further steps to ensure organisations in the sector are improving conditions for workers.
• The government should take steps to ensure the long-term viability for arts schools that provide industry-backed qualifications.

Read the report here

Campaign for the Arts

STUDY: Adult Arts Attendance in England State of play, October 2022

Arts attendance has been increasing since the end of pandemic restrictions – but unevenly, according to a new analysis of official Government data by Data Culture Change and Campaign for the Arts.

The report finds that:

  • Overall, the proportion of the population attending arts events in England was increasing between October 2021 and June 2022; however
  • Engagement with different artforms is reviving at different paces. Audiences for theatre and live music are proportionally further from returning to pre-pandemic levels than those for cinemas and exhibitions.
  • There has been a possible increase in the proportion of adults engaging with literary events

Read the report here

STAR Logo

STUDY: The Ticket Industry and The Pandemic - June 2022

This report will look at how STAR members managed to serve customers and clients during these extraordinary circumstances and what lessons have been learned for the future. The report does not represent STAR’s recommendations for ticketing in the future. It presents the results of interviews with ticketing leaders in February – May 2022 for discussion by STAR members, the Council and the wider industry with a view to ensuring ticketing practices and policies are fit for purpose in the future.

Read the report here

Arts Council England Logo

REPORT: Emergency Response Fund evaluation - Arts Council England - Published June 2022

This independent research report by SQW evaluates the Emergency Response Fund’s application process, delivery, and the effects of funding on job and business protection, creative practice, and communities during the early stages of the pandemic.

The report assesses funding data captured between November and December 2021, as well as interviews with applicants.

Read the report here

The Lancet Logo

STUDY: ENO Breathe - The Lancet - Published April 27 2022

An online breathing and wellbeing programme (ENO Breathe) for people with persistent symptoms following COVID-19: a parallel-group, single-blind, randomised controlled trial

Read the study here

The Centre For Cultural Value logo

REPORT: Culture in Crisis: impacts of Covid-19 on the UK cultural sector and where we go from here

Culture in Crisis shares research findings from one of the world’s largest investigations into the impacts of Covid-19 on the cultural industries.

The research project was led by the Centre for Cultural Value in collaboration with The Audience Agency and the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre and was supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Read the report here

We make events logo

REPORT: The current position and future recovery of the Live Events Sector - #WeMakeEvents

This survey was carried out by PLASA and #WeMakeEvents to collect data on how live sector professionals continue to be impacted by the Covid -19 pandemic. A sum total of 1,948 respondents completed the survey. Between 1 November and 21 December 2021, therefore excludes the recent impact of the Omicron variant.

Read the report here

Cultural Freelancers Wales Logo

REPORT: 'Road to Recovery?' Cultural Freelancers Wales - January 2022

16 months after the publication of our 2020 study, Rebalancing and Reimagining, this report analyses the changes to freelancers’ lives, looks at the current situation and future outlook for freelancers, and asks what – if any – progress has been made to rebalance the cultural sector as we progress on the road to recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Read the report here

University College London logo

REPORT: University College London (UCL) - The Role of the Arts during the COVID-19 Pandemic - January 2022

This report, published by University College London (UCL) and funded by the Arts Council, examined the complex role of the arts during the Covid-19 pandemic by interviewing 138 participants who identified with one or more of the following groups: keyworkers, adults with long-term conditions, adults with mental health conditions, older adults, parents of young children and younger adults aged 18-24.

Find out more and read the report here

The Audience Agency Logo

STUDY: The Audience Agency - A Bleak Midwinter? Looking at how Panto and Christmas Shows are likely to fare in 2022

The UK Theatre sector has faced a particularly challenging last couple of years, driven by restrictions and lockdowns. But although the effects have been acute for those working in theatre (most particularly freelancers), most theatres as organisations have emerged from the previous stages of the pandemic battered but intact. There have been few instances of venues that closed their doors being unable to reopen them.

This was better than many feared (and, of course, would not have been the case without the funding from central government, such as the Cultural Recovery Fund). There is a risk, however, that this next stage of ‘recovery’ is when the damage is felt. That although things are getting better, they are not getting better enough, fast enough, given what’s gone before.

This report summarises findings from the Cultural Participation Monitor, Audience Finder and elsewhere, to look ahead at likely sales for Christmas performances in UK theatres and venues. The overall outlook is not positive.

Find out more and read the study here.

University of Sheffield Logo

REPORT: COVID-19 and Sheffield's cultural sector: planning for recovery (November 2021)

Academics in English, Music and Urban Studies and Planning are documenting COVID-19’s impact on the region’s cultural and creative industries. Research on venues, audiences and freelancers, underpinned by analysis of the wider governance context, aims to support reopening and planning for recovery.

Find out more and read the full report here.

UK Gov logo

REPORT: Boundless Creativity report - July 2021

Boundless Creativity was set up as a joint research project by UK Research and Innovation’s Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), in partnership with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS). The project has examined the role of innovation in shaping cultural experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and generated a new evidence base to inform the recovery, renewal and future growth of the UK’s cultural and creative sectors.

Find out more and read the full report here.

Creative Industries Federation logo

REPORT: Unleashing the power and potential of creativity - July 2021

Creative England and Creative Industries Federation have united to form the Creative UK Group. We work to connect, support, champion and invest in the UK’s world-leading creative industries.

The UK Creative Industries is the first report of its kind, exploring the power and potential of the UK’s creative industries to regenerate places, rebuild the economy, drive innovation and create jobs in all parts of the UK. Set to be published annually, and featuring voices ranging from comedian and film entrepreneur Lenny Henry to newly elected Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin, former minister of state Jo Johnson and KISS FM’s Swarzy, the report shows how creativity can not only enable us to bounce back from the pandemic, but carve out a new position for the UK on the global stage.

Find out more and read the full report here.

House Of Lords logo

REPORT: The Committee of Public Accounts - Culture Recovery Fund (June 2021)

The COVID-19 pandemic hit the arts, culture and heritage sectors hard. Museums, galleries, cinemas, music venues, nightclubs, theatres, arts centres and heritage sites closed their doors to visitors on 23 March 2020 when the UK entered the first national lockdown. Many organisations in the sector remained entirely or mostly closed for a year. Without targeted support, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (the Department) expected large-scale financial failures arising from the pandemic during 2020–21, with many organisations likely to close permanently if support was not available by September 2020. In July 2020 the Culture Secretary announced a £1.57 billion package, the Culture Recovery Fund, to help the UK’s cultural, arts and heritage institutions survive the pandemic, supporting their long-term sustainability. The fund’s primary objective is to rescue cultural and heritage organisations at risk of financial failure in the financial year 2020–21 due to COVID-19. The Department is accountable for this fund.

Read the full report here.

University of Essex logo

University of Essex: A study of the impact of COVID-19 on live performers in the UK

COVID-19 has cut a swathe through the UK economy and society. One area of work that has been hit particularly hard is live entertainment. Some venues and organisations have been able to access grants and government rescue packages. Performers, who are often self-employed however, face a more precarious future

Read the full report here.

The Audience Agency Logo

The Audience Agency - COVID-19 Cultural Participation, Monitor Inequalities through COVID-19

COVID has been, to quote the title of the Centre for Cultural Value event in this topic, ‘The Great Unequalizer’. In the first summary report from the Cultural Participation Monitor we emphasised that it has impacted everyone: mostly negatively, but differently. Here, however, we focus specifically in on inequality in its impacts. Who is more negatively impacted and how does that relate to or exacerbate previously existing and ongoing inequalities in audiences?

Read the full report here.

The Centre For Cultural Value logo

Centre For Cultural Value - The impact of Covid-19 on jobs in the cultural sector – part 3

What happened to freelancers in 2020? Covid-19 and the creative economy

In part 3 of our ‘impact of Covid-19 on jobs in the cultural sector’ series, this article written in March 2021 analyses data from the Labour Force Survey from the Office for National Statistics. It looks at the impact of the pandemic on freelancers specifically, and how the effects have been felt unevenly across different demographic groups and different sub-sectors of the cultural and creative industries.

Read the full report here.

Indigo Logo

Culture Restart Survey - February 2021

Responses gathered in January 2021 to the Culture Restart Audience & Visitor Tracker research by the Insights Alliance (Indigo Ltd, Baker Richards and One Further) 

Confidence levels among theatre audiences have hit an “inevitable low point”, with social distancing and vaccination now more important than ever to potential ticket buyers, according to new research.

A combination of factors such as extended national lockdowns, theatres remaining closed and the emergence of new Covid-19 variants are fuelling this dip in confidence, researchers conducting the latest round of an extensive audience survey said, but predicted this was “unlikely to be a permanent drop”.

Read the full report here.

The Centre For Cultural Value logo

Centre For Cultural Value - The impact of Covid-19 on jobs in the cultural sector – part 2

What are the national and regional differences, and the differences between demographic groups?

This article written in February 2021 shares findings from a national research programme that is building an in-depth picture of the impacts of Covid-19 on the UK’s cultural sector. This piece looks at the impacts of the pandemic on employment in the cultural sector by analysing labour force data from the Office for National Statistics. It dives down below the headline figures to look at the impact on different places and different groups of workers within the creative economy.

Read the full report here.

PiPA Logo

PiPA Covid Research Report 2021. January 2021

PiPA’s survey into the impact of Covid on carers and parents working in the Performing Arts with a focus on intersectional Caring Responsibilities.

Parents and carers have been under relentless pressure since the first UK wide Covid related lockdown in March 2020, facing round the clock caring and home-schooling responsibilities. Many carers and parents have also taken on additional caring responsibilities for elderly and vulnerable people affected by Covid. The purpose of this research, conducted in October 2020, is to investigate the impact of Covid on people with intersectional caring responsibilities working in the performing arts – an industry, that has been forced to close, resulting in widespread redundancies and very little work available for a predominantly self-employed workforce.

An online survey, conducted by PiPA in June 2020, highlighted the vulnerability of parents and carers in the performing arts. Women, solo parents and carers, as well as those facing other kinds of social exclusion were highlighted as the most vulnerable. The aim of this second PiPA survey, conducted in October 2020, was to gain a deeper insight into the extent to which caring responsibilities during Covid, when combined with other protected characteristics and/or economic disadvantage, lead to increased challenges and further marginalisation of these already under-represented groups.

Read the full report here.

EY Logo

Rebuilding Europe - The cultural and creative economy before and after the COVID-19 crisis. January 2021

The European Grouping of Societies of Authors and Composers (GESAC) commissioned EY teams to produce a report on the state of the cultural and creative industries (CCIs) in Europe.
What was their economic situation before the COVID-19 crisis?
What impact has the crisis had on activity and employment?
And what are the main priorities for the sector to protect itself from the most serious consequences, to recover growth and enhance its value in the European economy? This study follows a report of the same type, entitled Creating Growth, published in December 2014.
GESAC has brought together numerous partners representing the CCIs, in order to reflect the diversity and collective strength of this economy.

Read the full report here.

The Centre For Cultural Value logo

Centre For Cultural Value - Impacts of Covid-19: a snapshot from the cultural sector

This article written in January 2021 shares findings from a national research programme that is building a robust and in-depth picture of the impacts of Covid-19 on the UK’s cultural sector. Our initial case study interviews are offering a number of in-depth insights into cultural workers’ experiences during the pandemic and this article brings together some of the emerging themes from this work, highlighting the complexities of the impact of Covid-19 on cultural sector organisations.

Read the full report here.

The Centre For Cultural Value logo

Centre For Cultural Value - The impact of Covid-19 on jobs in the cultural sector – part 1

This article written in December 2020 shares findings from a national research programme that is building a robust and in-depth picture of the impacts of Covid-19 on the UK’s cultural sector.

It looks at the impacts of the pandemic on employment in the cultural sector by analysing labour force data from the Office of National Statistics. The analysis reveals the scale of the crisis with job losses of 55,000 in music, performing and visual arts and a collapse in working hours across the sector.

This article was produced in association with the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre and is available on their website here.

Read the full report here.

University of Exeter logo

University of Exeter: Digital theatre transformation: a case study and digital toolkit: final report, October 2020

The Digital Theatre Transformation project examined the lessons learned from the digital transformation of Creation Theatre and its co-production with Big Telly of The Tempest on the Zoom videoconferencing platform during the national Covid-19 ‘lockdown’ of 2020. The report draws on interviews with the company and creative team, box office data, the results of an audience questionnaire, and interviews with audience members. The full report includes a Digital Toolkit, which provides detailed practical advice about working with Zoom as well as guidelines for digital working developed with Equity UK and a checklist for production managers working with Zoom.

Read the full report here.

Early Careers Directors Network: Survey Results and Findings

This is a survey conducted by a group of early career directors who felt like they were being neglected by the arts, industry and pockets of funding as a result of Covid-19. We therefore decided to reach out to other early career directors to see if they felt the same. After circulating our Google Forms survey over platforms including social media sites, the Young Vic Genesis Network, JMK Network, as well as our own contacts, we collected 106 responses in over 2 months.

Read the full report here.

Creative Kernow Logo

Baseline. Covid-19 Survey for Creative and Cultural Sectors in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

The Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown of the UK has introduced profound challenges for all sectors of the economy and society. Between 31st March and 4th of July, Cultivator, part of the Creative Kernow Group, facilitated a survey, Baseline., to gather information of the pandemic’s immediate impact on creative and cultural businesses, organisations and freelancers in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, in order to provide a foundation for recovery and revival.

The survey received 216 responses documenting this unsettling period of change, and this report illustrates and shares the findings of the survey.

A key focus of the survey is the impact Covid-19 Pandemic had on the sector – mostly economically, but other response and reflection were also invited.

Read the full report here.

TRG Arts Logo

COVID-19 and the Performing Arts – Six Months After Closure

Donations to performing arts organisations in the UK from individuals have fallen by 63% in the last six months, compared to the same period last year – data analysis from Purple Seven and TRG Arts has revealed. 

  • Data from 288 CRMs shows that the impact on ticket sales from COVID-19 not only continues but worsens.
  • During the six months since venue closure in North America ticket revenues have fallen by 84% and in the U.K. by 91% compared to the same period in 2019.
  • Despite strong performance at the start of the pandemic, funds raised from individual giving have declined by 24% in N.A. and 63% in the U.K. from the equivalent 2019 period.
  • If venues were to be able to fully re-open around Christmas and the new year, many would struggle to make up for current low advance sales for these months.
  • The picture for March 2021 and beyond looks brighter, but this will only remain the case if organizations can confidently invest in marketing activities to build on strong long-term advance sales.

Read the full report here.

University of Exeter logo

Digital Theatre Transformation

Friday 28 August

A research team at the University of Exeter has published its first report on how Oxford-based Creation Theatre have managed to comprehensively transform their company from producing site-specific, immersive promenade work to staging interactive digital theatre shows using the Zoom platform.

The report analyses the company’s business model, its audience’s willingness to pay for digital content, and explores the wellbeing as well as environmental benefits of digital work. It includes a Digital Toolkit that combines practical advice and a Zoom show checklist with guidelines, drawn up in consultation with Equity, for companies embarking on their own digital transformation.

UK Gov logo

OFFICIAL GOVT. SAFETY ADVICE FOR PERFORMING ARTS

Thursday 9 July

Performing arts: Guidance for people who work in performing arts, including arts organisations, venue operators and participants.

The UK Governement official guidance for the Performing Arts industry

We See You Logo

B.I.P.O.C. DEMANDS FOR WHITE AMERICAN THEATRE

Wednesday 8 July

B.I.P.O.C. DEMANDS FOR WHITE AMERICAN THEATRE

“…Racism and white supremacy are cultural formations constructed to rationalize unjust behavior for economic gain, and eradicating them requires radical change on both cultural and economic fronts. We also wish to underscore that our emphasis on antiracism should not be taken as an excuse to overlook sexism, ableism, ageism, heteronormativity, gender binarism, and transphobia, as our identities are intersectional…”

Download “B.I.P.O.C. Demands for White American Theatre

A photo of Richard Steggall

BRASS PLAYING & CORONAVIRUS – MYTH BUSTER

Wednesday 1 July

Richard Steggall: Brass Playing and Coronavirus – Myth Buster

Please watch my new explainer video: Brass Playing and Coronavirus – Myth Buster

Production Managers Forum logo

PMF: DELIVERING COVID-SECURE EVENTS

Thursday 23 June

Production Managers Forum: Video – Preparing for and Delivering Covid-Secure Events

Alan Law – Event Safety Advisor presents this 25 minute video about preparing for and delivering events in a Covid-19 world.

SDUK logo

SDUK: SUPPORTING A FREELANCE CREATIVE WORKFORCE

Thursday 23 June

SDUK: Releases their Report into SUPPORTING A FREELANCE CREATIVE WORKFORCE

“Over the past couple of months SDUK has been working to ensure that the freelance workforce is protected and represented.
As part of our work we are releasing some research into the importance of the freelance workforce in the creative sector, and also into a variety of financial schemes that have helped support a freelance workforce in other contexts. These ideas are starting points for discussion – this is an ‘opening offer’ rather than a fixed set of recommendations.”

Download “Supporting a Freelance Creative Workforce”  here: Supporting a freelance creative workforce

White Light Logo

A COVID THEATRE PRACTICE IS LAUNCHED

Wednesday 17 June

A Covid Theatre Practice is Launched with “Production Lighting in a Post Pandemic World”

A group of theatre production electricians have come together to launch A Covid Theatre Practice – a platform for anyone who works backstage in UK theatre to share ideas on how we may have to work differently when theatre re-opens post pandemic. 

The group consists of Gerry Amies, Martin Chisnall, Fraser Hall and Pete Lambert; all of whom are well known on the West End theatre circuit and between them are responsible for working on thousands of shows over the years. 

Martin comments: “We were all well aware of the hard work being undertaken by a lot of people in considering how theatre can re-open at all, but we weren’t aware of anybody thinking about the finer details of what we do, and how that might need to change in order to get a show onstage i.e. how would you ‘do a fit up’. We then realised that we were as qualified as anybody to have a go at detailing what this may look like so we started putting our heads today. As such, with the help of friends and colleagues we’ve come up with a list of ideas and suggestions”.

Download “Production Lighting in a Post Pandemic World” here: Production Lighting in a Post Pandemic World

ABC Australia logo

HOW EASILY CAN COVID SPREAD WHEN PEOPLE SING?

Monday 15 June

When and how can choirs sing again without becoming ‘super spreaders’?

“Paul McCartney once said the cooperation of a choir makes him feel “optimistic about the human race”.

But for those who love to sing with others, the expert view on whether we should do so during the coronavirus pandemic is less than optimistic — now is a very risky time to belt out a tune together.

Some experts have even described choirs as ‘super spreaders’.

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, several clusters (and subsequent deaths) within choirs in the US and the Netherlands provided a frightening wake up call for the choral community. 

Since then singers have been asking the ABC when (or if) they will sing face to face again, and to help explore the risks associated with singing.”

Slipped disc logo

ASSESSMENT OF RISK OF PLAYING WIND INSTRUMENTS

Thursday 11 June

A FULL ASSESSMENT OF THE COVID RISK OF PLAYING WIND INSTRUMENTS

Dr Adam T Schwalje, Resident Physician , Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, has been working on a full assessment of the risk of speading Covid-19 by playing wind and woodwind instruments. 

Together with his colleague Dr Henry T Hoffman, Dr Schwalje, who is himself a wind player (pictured), has written this paper for publication in medical journals. 

ABTT Logo

ABTT – WORKING SAFE AND HEALTHY POST COVID-19

Thursday 11 June

ABTT Seminar – Raising the Curtain: Working Safe & Healthy Post COVID-19

This seminar was chaired by Phill Brown from SOLT UK Theatre as he discussed Health and Safety planning for COVID-19, with a panel of Industry Experts. Phill was joined by ABTT Chairman Richard Bunn (ARUP), Tom Goode from Goode Projects and PLASA, Stu Beeby & Stuart Graham from the Ambassadors Theatre Group, Emma Wilson from The Royal Opera House, Gary Wright from Charcoal Blue and Gav Pell from Pirate Crew. Together they investigated the way forward for our Industry after the current pandemic, possible strategies for reopening and the precautions that must be in place for this to happen.

Full Findings Statistics ‘at a glance’ here: After The Interval at a glance

Read the Full Report here: After The Interval full findings

Nashville Music Scoring logo

BRASS & WOODWIND SAFETY

Tuesday 9 June

Brass and Woodwind Safety in the COVID envirorment

This video intends solely to show that the the commonly held belief that wind and brass instruments “project” air over great distances is not true. As a result, “droplets” are not spread a great distance as some assume. This video does not address any aerosol issues. Aerosols may or may not be a significant means of transmission. While there have been studies that show aerosols can remain in the air for a period of time, it has not (as of yet) been shown scientifically that this is a major means of actual virus infection. While anecdotal, it should be noted that there are not generally huge outbreaks of flu each year in orchestras and recording studios. If aerosols were a huge contributing factor in virus transmission, one would think that every year there would be large outbreaks of flu in performing organizations. There are not. This video is not, in itself, a scientific study, but was meant to demonstrate information provided in other scientific studies. For those interested in these studies that are specific to musical instruments and performances, please investigate the following links:

https://www.mh-freiburg.de/fileadmin/…

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ioeidub27n4…

Indigo Logo

ONLY 19% OF AUDIENCE WOULD RETURN AT RE-OPENING

Monday 8 June

After the Interval: Full 6 Week report report now available

Indigo – A consultancy for the cultural sector – has produced a national report “After the Interval” a UK-wide survey of 137,000 attenders of live cultural events.

The full findings after 6 weeks of surveying over 137,000 audience members from 317 organisations show that audiences are booking less, and becoming less confident about attending large gatherings without social distancing measures in place.

The full study received responses from 16 April – 27 May, before the latest set of lockdown relaxations were announced. So this research reflects what audiences were thinking and feeling during that six-week period.

Full Findings Statistics ‘at a glance’ here: Full Findings Statistics at a glance

Read the Full Report here: Read the Full Report here

British Film Commission Logo

BRITISH FILM COMMISSION WORKING SAFELY COVID-19

Thursday 4 June

BRITISH FILM COMMISSION-Working Safely During COVID-19 in Film and High-end TV Drama Production

This document is intended to provide high-level guidance to manage COVID-19 specific risk in producing film and high-end TV drama in the UK.

It has been prepared in consultation with the Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) with input from crew and crew representatives, industry bodies, unions and the devolved administrations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and in consultation with Public Health England (PHE) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

This guidance should be read in conjunction with the latest UK Government guidance. Productions based in Northern IrelandScotland and Wales should additionally check for the relevant devolved Government guidance as it may differ.

Download the study here: Working Safely During Covid19

Pirate Crew logo

VIRUS PROTECTION PROTOCOL FOR CREW

Thursday 4 June

PIRATE CREW – Virus Protection Protocol for Crew

Crewing company, Pirate Crew, have produced this guide to working in the entertainment industry during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Louise Blackwell Logo

THIS IS THE TIME – STUDY OF ARTS FREELANCERS

Monday 1 June

THIS IS THE TIME – A snapshot of the creative industry’s independent workers: their needs, ideas, dreams and offers to support themselves and their industry.

‘It feels like a sector wide (creative art/cultural industries) research document taking a snapshot of the current situation for freelancers, would be so helpful in the rebuilding phase.’

Over 70% of the Creative Industries is a self-employed workforce. There are also many entrepreneurial individuals who run small companies with under 5 staff. These independent thinkers and makers are the life-blood of the arts and culture sector and an important part of the cultural ecology in the UK.

Covid-19 is having a devastating effect on these people.

This document is a snapshot of this time as experienced by those working
in the performing and visual arts in England. It outlines some key problems the independent workforce is facing, and presents a series of ideas and visions that might contribute to a vibrant, impactful and imaginative Creative Industries sector now and in the future.

Download the study here: This Is The Time Report

Welsh Assembly logo

WALES: IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE ARTS SECTOR

Monday 1 June

WELSH PARLIAMENT: Impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the arts sector

“The Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee is looking into the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on areas within its remit, including the arts….”

Download the study here: Impact of Covid on the arts sector

American Repertory Theater logo

A.R.T. ROADMAP FOR RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE

Wednesday 27 May

Roadmap for Recovery & Resilience in Theater – A Collaboration Between the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University and the Healthy Buildings Program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

“For theaters around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in existential uncertainty about our future. It has also created an opportunity for a necessary reset and reimagining.

As we look to our future at the A.R.T., we see an opportunity to make an ongoing commitment to public health in our practice and our programming. We view this as a process that will guide our work for years to come. This journey will eventually include the creation of our new home in Allston—a breathable and healthy building that will provide a space for vital civic dialogue about the world we want to be.”

Charcoal Blue Logo

PERFORMANCE BUILDINGS IN A POST PANDEMIC WORLD

Wednesday 1 April

Performance Buildings in a Post-Pandemic World – What awaits us when artists and audiences return?

“It’s true that Broadway didn’t close during the so-called “Spanish” flu, but public entertainment venues were indeed closed in London and almost every other city in the US. While the performing arts industry is currently reeling from the blanket closure of venues, we can find useful guidance in the precedent of that earlier pandemic.

Following the re-opening of theatres, there was increased scrutiny of the health-worthiness of places for entertainment. Public health was on the mind of the theatre-going public and theatres began to boast about ventilation in advertisements.

The closure of venues in 1918 was not a death knell for the arts. The decade after the 1918 flu, fuelled by the post-war boom, saw the rapid development of theatre venues and a sustained period of well-funded creative development.

As audiences and artists return, venues will need to make a number of quick shifts. Audiences will need to be assured that attending events is safe. The conditions for artists, likewise, may need to be modified according to new best practice. Short-term impacts on certain performance types may also be experienced. We have every confidence that post COVID-19 performance practice will look largely the same as before.”

Download the study here: Performance Buildings in the Post-Pandemic World

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