INTRODUCTION
The arts is crucial to the well-being of society in normal times. My question is then: What is the role of the Performing Arts during Covid-19? In order to answer this question I will briefly describe the role of the arts in life before the pandemic and then discuss how the role of the performing arts was relevant to the lives of people in isolation and uncertainty during covid-19. I will discuss the role of arts management in the evolution of new ways to present the arts during covid. I will provide examples that demonstrate the crucial role of the arts across the globe, the benefits and disadvantages faced by the performing arts industry during this time and I will conclude by providing recommendations for the future of the sector.
THE ROLE OF THE PERFORMING ARTS IN SOCIETY
In order to understand the role of the performing arts during covid it’s necessary to briefly explain the value of performing arts in general. The role of the performing arts in society is extremely broad. The uniqueness of the performing arts is that the audience is exchanging with performers so that for individuals the experience and meaning can be different but broadly it can be summarised as the arts provides meaning to people’s lives. The Arts has been found to be valuable to us because it is engaging and entertains, it’s therapeutic, is mentally and emotionally stimulating, creates and binds communities and allows us a space to engage and interact as both audience and performers. In general the arts helps us explain the world. ‘Art-making and viewing art allows us to process our experiences. Art helps us to express and to understand the world around us.’ (ArtWork Archive, n.d.) According to the W.H.O. ‘The arts can affect the social determinants of health, support child development, encourage health-promoting behaviours, help to prevent health issues and support caregiving. They can also reduce stress, which help to prevent or slow the progression of a range of conditions including cardiovascular diseases and even some cancers.’ (World Health Organisation N.D.) Performing artists present stories of hope that in turn lift our spirits. The performing arts has great benefits for our mental and physical health but can also be measured in other terms. The arts can help cross the divide between seemingly opposite groups of people, extract the purposeful knowledge, make us think in new ways and find commonalities in the performance experience that all can engage in. (Creative Victoria 2016). Performing arts often asks us to analyse our political, economic and social systems in order to progress socially (Artwork Archive 2015). The performing arts also attracts visitors to our city and creates jobs which keeps surrounding businesses visited and draws new businesses to the area. The performing arts employs not only performers but all the creative and technical staff required to stage a production. It also outsources work such as graphic design, sign writing, food manufacturing, the creation of merchandise, set builds, accounting, legal representation and public relations to name a few, thereby helping to keep many more people in work at their respective jobs.
THE ROLE OF PERFORMING ARTS DURING COVID
As a result of the lockdowns and business closures during the first two years of the pandemic, the world experienced a severe recession. Casual workers and people working as part of the gig economy suffered also and were at more risk at becoming infected by the disease. This particularly affected arts workers many of whom are part of the gig economy. It triggered panic-buying, agitators saw an opportunity to disseminate misinformation on social media platforms, conspiracy theorists seized the chance to spread their stories through social media and SMS messaging and we saw government office-holders seizing an opportunity to make the pandemic a tool for political gain. All of these contributed to the anxiety felt by many people during the pandemic. During the lockdowns there was a concern that people would become unhealthy because we simply weren’t covering the foot mileage that we would by being in a normal work environment and by running errands, shopping and taking part in team sports. Many people started to lose hope and stopped their personal exercise regimes. During Covid-19 our physical and emotional lives became isolated. As lockdowns dragged on it became apparent that the mental health and wellbeing of the general public was suffering. At the same time there was a push for those same arts organisations who were suffering revenue and staff cuts to provide entertainment, creative activities and thought provoking productions to a society that was becoming increasingly bored and deflated in spirit. The role of the arts in general helps people understand their place in the world in times of uncertainty. In a world that became increasingly unfamiliar and isolated, society needed a way of making sense of what was happening and the arts became even more necessary because our need to understand the world around us was brought into greater focus.
The benefits of the arts are far and wide reaching and can be enjoyed by all. Arts workers took it on as their responsibility and realised they could take on a central role in a situation where people were isolated. Performing arts became a focal point for creating community where we were forced into physical and emotional isolation. Arts organisations around the world started to provide at home dance classes, yoga sessions and creative movement workshops for the physical and mental benefits it provides. Paint along sessions sprung up all over Facebook. It was now possible to take a virtual tour of many art galleries that hadn’t previously made this available. Arts historians and curators provided guided tours and the opportunity for groups of people to discuss the artworks they had just witnessed in ways that had not existed pre-covid. Online choirs and musical groups became an important weekly event as people struggled with loneliness and purpose. Learning hubs offered the materials and lessons in craft, visual arts, performing arts and cooking providing social engagement and the motivation to complete projects.
Traditionally the audience member and the performer have always engaged in the same physical space. However, the online environment has provided an opportunity for people to engage as they used technology to their advantage. Some organisations had started developing new streaming services already and really thinking about how to make the technology inclusive for all. This allowed people who could not access these performances because of disability or their remote location to be able to experience the performing arts where previously it had not been possible through traditional arts environments. Theatre companies made pre-recorded performances of their productions and live streamed from their theatres. Not only were we able to watch our favourite theatre companies present exciting new works, we were able to witness companies from across the globe that we previously didn’t have the opportunity to watch because of distance and costs. When traditional forms of entertainment were not an option, modern technology was used to bring people together as communities and a way to connect. There were already organisations who were developing streaming and pre-recorded productions but covid fast tracked this. These new ideas of connection between audience and performers were not without their challenges but performing arts groups were able to look around when the pandemic started and follow the frontrunner organisations and this made for a relatively smoother transition. Modern technology became part of the framework. Arts management was well and truly in that space looking for new avenues before covid. The arts organisations not only presented performances but also featured other creatives involved in productions who gave educational talks about anything from sourcing fabrics for costume making to the history of any given production using a variety of digital technologies. It was a way of engaging patrons and encouraging them to stay connected because the risk during the pandemic was of losing audiences and then not being able to get them back or having to work even hard to get them back. The audiences needed the arts organisations and the arts organisations needed the audiences.
WHY IS IT RELEVANT?
They say we are in the age of technology and technology was no more important than during the first two years of the pandemic. In order to access performing arts and subsequently connection to other humans it was necessary to explore that space using something that had previously been thought of as somewhat non-human – technology. Previously arts festivals such as the LIFT Festival in London had already been using technology to engage millennials now we were in a position to not only use that technology to engage millennials but all of society who were isolated. This enabled people to have a sense of belonging and community. Those who had previously been hesitant to step into these spaces had no choice but to come on board or become increasingly isolated. Early on in the pandemic in 2020 19,000 UK residents were surveyed and it was found that a high number had boosted their participation in arts activities at home. (Bradbury A et al. 2021) There is no doubt that the arts was a saving grace for many during the pandemic. Some of the innovations found during this time will have a lasting effect. ‘More than four in ten Australians have changed their engagement habits with the arts since the lockdowns (44%). (Australia Council for the Arts. 2021). Although the lockdowns and most restrictions have now been lifted the pandemic still affects our lives. Recently shows have shut down because too many of the cast have become ill with covid and other workplaces have been affected in this way too. So our lives continue within the pandemic but we are warned by commentators such as Bill Gates that these pandemics will continue and with more frequency.
The question of the performing arts’ role during Covid-19 is relevant because this is the world we live in now – we can’t forget and shouldn’t be forgetting about the lessons we have learnt about community help during covid. Can we take some of the lessons forward for use in the future? Because performing arts is performed in community spaces it is supremely relevant. Are the performing arts relevant without the community space? The artists need an audience and the audience needs a space to receive a performance – it’s a relationship. During times of being in isolation the question became important of how can we solve this problem? The need to create without a community space from an artist’s point of view is visceral not just desired. Performing arts works best when there is an immediate interaction between artist and audience. So the challenge was how to create that when we are all isolated during a pandemic. We now have the opportunity to look at arts management and how their role will play in the future of arts organisations, society’s connectedness and public policy making.
HOW DID THE ARTS HELP DURING THE PANDEMIC
In the U.K. during the middle of 2020 13% of 3,000 respondents who took part in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Taking Part Survey watched more pre-recorded arts and music or dance events online than before lockdown. (Bradbury A. et al. 2021) Similar results were found in other countries across the European continent. In Australia, since the lockdowns started 34% of Australians participated in online arts events such as music events, visual arts and crafts and literary events. (Australia Council for the Arts. 2021). These statistics represent how important the arts were in times of a crisis. Looking beyond the obvious there were more benefits than just the case of occupying one’s mind. The potential value of the arts events and classes that were provided online were cardiovascular, bone and muscle strength, conditioning, coordination, strength and increased attention. Those that engaged in the performing arts online also received the benefits of a sense of belonging, resilience, self-esteem and accessibility. Those who had previously been unable to access these services because of location or physical restrictions were now using these classes and workshops. The arts helped in two ways: presentations, productions and performances engaged people in thought provoking ways; and arts classes, workshops and online gatherings brought people together to create a sense of belonging as well as keeping people occupied. The pandemic forced us to think about the delivery of the arts in different ways. We know that the role of the arts in society, as discussed earlier, is about relationships, engagement and interaction between the artist and the audience. During covid things changed and it became more relevant because we needed, in the absence of other outlets, ways to connect. Covid created an environment where new and original ways of thinking about how to make that happen were able to be explored.
PERFORMING ARTS MANAGEMENT AND THE PANDEMIC
Months before the Covid-19 pandemic hit globally in the first few months of 2020, most of the world was unaware of what lay ahead of them and that the pandemic would still be affecting the global population years later. This was particularly true of the performing arts sector which was hit hard soon after the pandemic commenced. Around the world theatres were shut, arts workers furloughed and revenues and funding lost. It was the arts organisations responsibility to inform the public of the requirements of the government which included cancelled shows and after a while the requirements that were asked of for patrons by the health departments. It was one of the arts management functions during the lockdown phase of the pandemic to act as an intermediary between the authorities and the audience and artists. So on one hand there was a need to keep both the audience and performers safe but also for theatre companies and performing arts organisations to survive. The ways in which the arts industry managements reacted were varied but one thing that was a common denominator was that a solution for revenue and funding was needed to be found in order for the performing arts companies to survive. At the same time, lockdowns were keeping the general population indoors, inside their houses and so another hurdle was added. Rising to this challenge and providing a chance to market themselves and find a source of revenue, arts organisations turned to technology in the form of pre-recorded performances and live streamed productions. Many arts organisations became more active on the social networks as well, both from the marketing angle but also from a simplified version of live streaming via Google Meets and similar platforms. In this reasonably new world of digital content new processes had to be found to put in place in order to operate in a whole new way. Arts management had the chance to look at what had been done before for very specific demographics in terms of technology and performances and use some of those examples as a stepping stone to creating the best performance experience that one could provide in a pandemic.
As we know the innovative responses that arts organisations came up with were in reaction to a very unique and difficult situation. The arts were heavily and negatively affected and the solutions by the arts organisations were in response to a negative situation caused by the pandemic. The first challenges when the pandemic began were the shutting of theatrical venues. Coming out of lockdowns, the big question became how to create a space which is safe and inviting and encourages people to attend. Audience confidence became a very important step to enticing audiences back to our theatres. Policies were created to circumvent the barrier of patron’s hesitation in coming back to the theatre. Policy needed to be developed because policies are about addressing challenges and looking toward the future. One of the major roles of the arts management during the pandemic was creating and ensuring audiences felt safe during production experiences. This was one of the key roles of arts management. It is now quite unusual to go to an arts organisation’s website without seeing their Covid policies being displayed or at least a link that takes you to the policies. Transparency is key. It was also the arts management team’s responsibility to make the artists feel safe as per WorkSafe guidelines. Many arts management officers developed covid safe policies for both audiences as well as the artists.
Melbourne Theatre Company (MTC) have the following covid policy in place and is clearly listed on their website.
What MTC are doing:
- Frequent intensive cleaning
- Upgraded air conditioning systems
- Ticket exchange flexibility
- Expanded outdoor forecourt
What they are asking the public to do:
- Stay at home if you feel unwell
- Face masks are strongly recommended
- Be respectful of others and their space
- Sanitise your hands
- Choose eTickets
- Card payments preferred
Other theatres have very similar covid policies on their website. The Malthouse Theatre in Melbourne have also divided their requirements into what the venue is doing and what they are asking patrons to do. Their conditions of entry are a little more to the point than the MTC ones and the list of what they are doing also includes that their staff are all vaccinated and that aside from cleaning they also have commercial grade sterilization of all glasses, crockery and cutlery.
As demonstrated by the Melbourne Theatre Company and Malthouse covid policies it is very difficult to enforce strict rules when they are not mandated by the government. The venues can only ask that patrons follow their guidelines. In that respect are the Covid policies just little more than lip service? The fact that these venues are undertaking extra deep cleaning and other measures should give patrons some peace of mind. As we guide our arts organisations toward a state of living with covid we also look to market research around how audiences see their return to the theatre. Previously, some audiences didn’t want to return to arts events before a vaccine was widely available. Organisations such as Patternmakers in Australia are one group that monitor these statistics. Patternmakers has surveyed audiences regarding their return to theatre and spaces and in turn this is available to arts organisations. In one of their surveys conducted in March 2022 they found that 70% of theatre goers are back at performances but half of them are still concerned about the risks (Patternmakers. 2022). This emphasises the importance of having the policies clearly available on your website to say we are doing everything we can to make your experience a safe and healthy one and these are our policies that are in place. It will be arts management’s responsibility to gauge the confidence of their audiences and to help them return to the arts spaces after any future pandemics. Other challenges for arts organisations’ management to consider would be how to protect the organisation itself when its main source of revenue is depleted through pandemic, conflict or any other crisis. It may be that organisations need to diversify so that they have multiple streams of income and obviously a few of these would need to be able to still operate during a crisis situation. The question of how the arts helped society during covid mainly only applies to those who have internet connection. For people on the lower socio-economic level across the globe or those who are in extremely remote areas without internet connection the solution of social connection is a very difficult one. Perhaps in the future there can be a way that these people can receive the benefit of the arts too. This is a question of accessibility and is one that many arts organisations already have looked at.
If we have another pandemic will we do the same things? Would our responses be the same and would the policies created during this pandemic be the same next time? The covid policies were continuously changing through the first two years of the pandemic in accordance with the health department requirements. It was quite challenging to keep informed about the changes and then pass on the information to the public while still giving audiences an emotionally engaging experience that didn’t lose any impact. Arts venues needed to relax their rules around ticketing as shows were, and still are being, cancelled due to performer covid sickness. Theatres are requesting people not to attend events when they feel ill and so the ticketing relaxation comes into play here also. The public can purchase tickets feeling confident that if the event needs to be cancelled they have a good chance of getting their money back. Management groups need to look at their policies and decide what each of the policies are are trying to achieve? Will arts management leave these policies in place once covid becomes an annual flu like event?
CONCLUSION
As you can see in the paragraphs above I have described what the role of the arts were during the pandemic. I discussed issues that were challenging and some that were advantageous. And I have made suggestions for the future of arts management. When discussing the future of the sector it leads us to several questions. 1. Will we be able to manage in a new pandemic? 2. How has it impacted in a world where we are actually living with covid? 3. What is the performing arts role during pandemics in the future? It has been discussed that in the future we will be living with further pandemics of some form so how do we live in the world now where performing arts has to exist with covid? Performances are back but not back in the same they were before covid.
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