What has been full impact of the pandemic on creative sector?

14 Mar, 2021 - 00:03 0 Views
What has been full impact of the pandemic on creative sector?

The Sunday News

The full impact of Covid 19 on Zimbabwean artistes will never be fully known and this is mainly because the sector is run more as informal sector than anything else. So, the impact will obviously be talked about, at best as estimates and never something accurate and properly researched.

For example, how many artistes lost their jobs during the pandemic? But before we get to those who lost their jobs during the pandemic, we might have to start with how many were employed before it came? What are the real figures in the sector? How much money, in terms of income, was lost by the sector. This we may never know unless someone comes up with a research around it but again the figures may not come up well because we are a sector that is very secret and very shy with figures and facts.

Just to give an example of how we are always shy with numbers, maybe this is so because it benefits other players. Last year the Government availed about $10 million to the parent ministry to distribute to artistes and sports people. The assumption is that the $10 million was divided equally between sports and arts. So, let’s just assume $5 million went towards the arts sector.

This is where it gets interesting. How many artistes applied for the relief fund? Remember we have 10 provinces. And how many artistes got the relief funds? And how much was given out? It unfortunate that this information is shrouded in secrecy. And that is how the sector has been operating and keeps operating. In secrecy.

Why would it be important to know the full extent of Covid 19 on the arts sector, one may be tempted to ask. Well, we can only plan properly for the sector if we know the full extent of the impact on the sector. How were the skills set in the sector affected? What needs to be beefed up? Who has left, what jobs were affected, and how did the pandemic affect the livelihood of the artistes in general? Knowledge of the proper impact would help the sector plan better.

In many countries across the world the talk is that the arts sector is one of the most affected sectors. Shows were cancelled. Tours called off. Theatre closed. Jobs lost. As we write they are setting up proper systems to help the creative sector get back to its feet. And what are we doing? Nothing. Maybe waiting for the parent ministry to come up with another new strategy to help the arts.

And that strategy will obviously not be based on any research. Just guess work by some ministry executives. It’s high time we started basing our strategies on proper research.

While we are at it what is the status of creative industries at the moment? Are they open like every informal sector or they closed together with bars and pubs? There seems to be this unspoken agreement by those that make rules that the arts belong to bars and pubs. And so, with bars and pubs still closed therefore the arts are still closed. We need a proper clarification and even communication on this.

On a different note, we want to congratulate artiste Jeys Marabini for being brave enough to change his sound and his music to reggae. Most of us would not do it. But Jeys Marabini realises the importance of adapting and changing to survive. We hope his new venture and new music is successful.

Share This:

Survey


We value your opinion! Take a moment to complete our survey

This will close in 20 seconds