It’s not a great time for anyone in an area affected by the coranavirus pandemic, but for artists, freelancers of various kinds, and people in insecure employment the escalating building closures and cancellations of shows, commissions and other self-employed ad hoc work is financially disastrous too. Forthcoming live shows of mine have been cancelled or postponed for at least the next three months, and it will probably be autumn at the very earliest before any kind of bookings or commissions become possible again. It could be much longer.
Some things you can do: If you’ve bought tickets for events, gigs, live art or anything similar then you can probably also afford not to get them refunded now that you can’t go. This money can help an organisation and the people who work for it retain some financial liquidity instead of taking another hit right after the initial one of having to close. If you can afford to buy work directly from artists, employ them freelance in any capacity, chip in to crowd funders, or anything similar, please do.
Some things the British government could do but probably won’t: rent holiday for people who don’t have mortgages. Universal basic income, or failing that, a considerable cash lump sum to every person who earns less than the median national wage (which includes the vast majority of artists, musicians, writers, animators, and other creative or home workers). No-strings grants for self-employed people to match projected and actual, already-incurred lost income.
Anyway, hopefully I’ll see you on the other side* but until then let’s try to look after each other and keep everything safe, sane and consensual. Solidarity to all my artists, writers, musicians and various uncategorisables, known and unknown.
* Of this horrible situation, not the afterlife.
Alistair Gentry 