469 days ago, Boris ordered that theatres must close in an act to slow the spread of the covid-19 virus. I don’t think anyone could have predicted what was to come. Theatres up and down the country have closed indefinitely, companies have ceased and freelance artists have struggled but fought threw this valiantly, guiding the way for the rest of the sector as they always do.
But how many people have walked away from the arts during this shitshow? A lot. Voices largely unnoticed because they haven't got a platform to shout for help (and there will be more). There have been weeks, months where I've considered my place in this industry but whilst I can still carry on, I will do.
What this pandemic has done though is given us a minute to pause, reflect and ‘build back better’ a more inclusive and diverse environment. For a few years prior to March 2020, conversations were being had about how the industry can be truly representative of society and whilst arguments can be made that things were moving in the right direction, those changes were mainly cosmetic.
2020-21 has started to see real, structural shake-ups but there’s still a long way to go. The mainstream arts scene is still riddled with privileged elitists who cannot and will not engage with the everyday working class person and when they do seem to make contact, it’s never a conversation, it’s always a lecture. ‘We’re doing this show about football, here’s a £5 ticket, come and see it’ as oppose to ‘we want to make a show that reflects the city, come and help us make it’. A poor analogy maybe but you get the idea.
If we’re going to make the return to theatres worth it then the people at the top need to ensure that everyone is being accounted for. I am already seeing a flurry of freelancers worried that orgs are moving at rapid speeds and leaving them behind. Burnt out, exhausted, adjusting, struggling, left out are all terms that I’m seeing branded about at the moment by freelancers expressing their feelings.
I know that orgs are being met with very unrealistic expectations from CRF and are working to tight schedules as the world adjusts but ensure that all the learning from the 2020 isn’t forgotten. Transparency is key, lay cards on the table at the start of every conversation and let the artists you’re working with know where you’re at so they don’t feel shafted.
As an industry, we’ve merged back into the left lane from the hard shoulder but we’re not in a position to start overtaking yet so take it slow and ensure, more than anything, that your artists are okay, still. That also goes for fellow artists, lets check in on each other. We've all come through this at different speeds and we've all felt it at one point or another. My direct messages and emails are always open should you need someone to speak to or rant at.