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Culture in the time of Covid19 

The cultural and creative industries have experienced some of the most extreme impacts from the restrictions imposed in response to the COVID 19 pandemic.

Many creative practices and processes of cultural production have had to halt due to the new requirements of social (and more importantly) physical distancing.  Dance, theatrical and musical rehearsals could no longer take place in person. Film sets had to temporarily close due to the unsafe nature of a busy studio or on location environments.  Meanwhile the spaces for the consumption of culture and artistic performance – museums, heritage sites, cinemas, theatres, community and festival spaces have all had a period of complete closure and are only now beginning to reopen, adapt and develop plans for survival.

The value of arts and culture is once again a headline issue and the UK government’s response to this sector crisis has included misguided moments of public communication such as the ‘ballerina retraining in cybersecurity’ campaign. A financial injection from the Cultural Recovery Fund will enable some creative production to continue and allows venues to retain staff and accommodate reduced audiences, but the distribution of funding across artforms has sparked controversy and not all applicants received grants.  Mainstream cinema exhibition is seriously challenged by the delay of major blockbuster titles or straight-to-streaming release strategies, leading to the closure of large outlets such as Cineworld, and the reduced opening of others such as the Odeon group.

Despite the enormity of the restrictions imposed upon them, artists, performers, filmmakers, curators, exhibitors, and producers have experimented, innovated and adapted to the restrictions in ways that have not only impacted on current practices but are likely to shape both the production and the experiencing of arts and culture for years to come. 

The Institute for Policy and Engagement, in partnership with the Department of Cultural, Media and Visual Studies, are creating a series of colloquia to share and debate some of the most compelling examples of innovation and adaption that have emerged in response to this period of global pandemic. The series will feature themed sessions including contributions from those working in performance, filmmaking and the heritage sector. Each of these events will have contributions from both exhibition and creative production and key insights will be recorded and shared online. 

Programme of past events