How Covid-19 has affected the creative industry

It's been a long year for all of us. Many industries have suffered as they have had to close their doors to keep out the invisible enemy that haunts our globe. There is no doubt that the economy has taken an unavoidable hit, with the UK's GDP, which is the value of everything produced in the economy, down by 9.9% in 2020 compared with 2019. We are an economy reliant on consumer spending on leisure, restaurants, theatre shows and of course, the pub.

Hospitality and travel are two of the most discussed industries dearly missed, with people understandably desperate to dine out with friends and to hear those magical words, "please fasten your seatbelt for landing."

On the other hand, the creative industry is a unique sector because it relies largely on charitable donations and sponsorships. According to Gov.UK, the UK's creative industries contributes almost £13 million to the UK economy every hour. The figures show the country's successful creative industries contributed £111.7 billion to the UK in 2018, equivalent to £306 million every day.

Of course, like many other industries, the creative sector has suffered profusely. In a report by Oxford Economics, creative industries projected a combined £77bn turnover loss throughout 2020 compared to 2019 (-31%). As a result, 409,000 jobs are considered at risk.

The creative industry has a diverse labour market made up of self-employed workers and freelance professionals. There is a real disparity in pay and career lifespans.

As they always do, creative professionals have taken it on the chin and adapted to the new alien environment. Taking jobs in supermarkets and as delivery drivers to sustain their income is nothing new to many artists or performers. According to Economics Observatory, "many artists earn below the national average or even below-median income. By contrast, the few very successful ones – the superstars – earn very high incomes".  

West End performer, Hannah Taylor, regularly worked at a pub on a zero-hours contract to sustain her income, even after performing in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph the Musical. 

"It's not as glamorous as everyone thinks", she says. "I worked on a zero-hours contract at a pub in-between jobs to keep my income steady".

 The 23-year-old triple threat was due to star in a new show in Scotland last April 2020. However, after only graduating a few months before, Hannah did not have any tax returns, so she was not entitled to any government funding.

"All the theatres suddenly closed, and I got an email from my agent saying, 'bad news, the show isn't going ahead’, and so it was taken away from me.

"I had no option but to go out and get another job. It's made my job [performing] really hard as I can't go to the studio to practice. I rely on my body for work, and it's so important to keep fit and keep my technique up. I worry that having a year out of practising properly, if I got a job tomorrow, would I be job-ready?" she says.

Hannah has worked part-time at Aldi and part-time as a nanny and teaching dance to 4–6-year-olds over Zoom. "Creatives are so adaptable and did a lot to cheer others up during the pandemic by offering free classes online, for example”, she says. “We are used to always looking for a new job, especially when we are told we have a week left in a role as they are closing the show early.

"But this is different, and many have struggled mentally as it's been a long time now. It's not just about not being able to do what we love, it's about not being able to pay bills and support our families,” she says.

"I miss performing so much. At one point in the last year, I questioned whether I even wanted to do it anymore. The shows I had done all felt like a dream, but then I started to sing in my room, and I pretended I was on stage, and it reminded me, this is what I am meant to be doing," she says.

As well as free-lancers and self-employed creatives, creative companies have suffered. Production teams have had to reduce their staff to help with social distancing, which then adds stress to those working as they have to take on multiple roles while others are out of a job. Ultimately, this has created a shift in creative work. 

Prosthetic makeup artist, Jess Cheong, was working in Prague on Amazon Prime's Carnival Row when the pandemic hit.

"We were about one month off of finishing filming. I remember waking up and seeing that the show was postponing through Orlando Bloom's (who stars in the show) Instagram story before my boss had even told us," she says. "I remember thinking, oh great, I've lost my job overnight."

Jess managed to pick up some temping work with her brother's company, cleaning and sorting out computer units which gave her a routine. Fortunately, not long after, she managed to get back out to Prague during the summer of 2020 for six-weeks. 

"Working during Covid was strange. We had to get Covid tested three times a week and wear full PPE at all times whilst applying makeup. It was during the summer in a hot tent, so we were all dripping with sweat," she says. "I then came home after the six-weeks and managed to get work in Ireland in the winter on another TV show. Again, we got tested three times a week, but we had a really small crew to reduce numbers for social distancing, so our workload was quite big.”

Not only have companies had to cut their workforce, but they've also had to cut their spending budget. In particular, marketing departments have had to envision new ways to reach their audience. Gideon Spaniersays about the survival of creative marketing in Campaign Live, that "We have coped because this is an industry that is fuelled by creativity and ideas and energy."

Fashion retailers such as Asos and Topshop have turned to influencers to promote their apparel. Asos also uses its models to style their clothes at home with an initiative they created last year- "Models at Home". The marketing industry has seen a fundamental shift in the previous few years, especially during the pandemic. The humanisation of seeing these models in their natural habitat offers the consumer an alternative perspective when shopping for new clothes. 

It's not just the fashion industry that has adapted its marketing. If you look at many other television adverts, many focus on just one person at a time or have scrapped actors altogether and have turned to animation. In particular, the infamous Christmas advert campaigns by John Lewis even had a creative makeover. 

According to The Guardian, "the retail group said it had deliberately commissioned eight animation artists as a way to provide work for the struggling creative community, which Coronavirus restrictions have crippled." Additionally, the department store used an original song by rising musician Celeste, compared to an adaptation by a well-known artist of a well-known song. This itself was a fantastic way of showcasing these artists and a subtle supportive nod to the creative industry, further emphasising their Christmas campaign around kindness and inclusivity. 

Digitisation has, to an extent, helped many creative companies stay afloat during the pandemic. While some have offered their shows and services for free, others, such as commercially oriented IT-based industries, such as video games, have benefited, highlighting the disparity within the creative industry labour market regarding the diverse employment mixture. 

Theatre productions have been performed online, musicians have held digital gigs, and museums have held virtual exhibitions. Even Louis Vuitton broadcast their FW21 fashion show on Instagram Live.

Many artists, however, argue the lack of authenticity of these online experiences and worry about what long-term impact it may have post-Covid-19, whether that's economic or social. The fixed costs of theatres and concert halls still have to be paid, regardless of if they only have half the audience capacity due to social distancing. Additionally, will there be a long-term effect on society due to the deprivation of live performances and creative physical experiences? 

Hannah says she cannot wait to be back in a theatre, supporting her friends or, better yet, be on the stage herself. "Theatres will lose money putting on a show at first, but after a year, it will come back,” she says. “After the war, it boomed, and after the first lockdown, people almost forgot social distancing and went back to normal. That will happen again, but it will be even better as I think people will be much more hygienic.”

Similarly, Jess Cheong believes there will be a massive boom in the film industry because everyone has relied on the various streaming services in the lockdowns. "Luckily, there's so much money in the film industry too, so they can afford to pay for Covid testing etc.," she says.

Once again, however, that emphasis's the disparity in the creative industry. Theatres may take a year to profit, but the film and television industry has gained from the pandemic. Jason Hariton, chief real estate officer at US film studio operator MBS Group, told The Guardian, "The quantity, the budget, the amount of films and TV shows being made in all the [world's] main production hubs is all increasing. In the fourth quarter this year, we are setting a seven-year record for quantities of productions serviced.

"We are seeing all the projects that stopped when the pandemic hit starting up again and seeing new projects being raced to market to fill the void because of all the content that was consumed. Even if you take [the pandemic] aside, the industry has been on an explosive upward path,” he says.

So, although the pandemic has wiped almost £1bm from cinema box office sales, the television and film industry have adapted, like many others in the creative industry, and turned to digital. For example, Disney released new films such as Mulan and Soul to their £7.99 a month streaming service, so families instead have huddled in the living room to watch the latest releases with supermarket popcorn.

The creative industry has supplied us with much-needed entertainment throughout this unprecedented time, whether that's through television series and films, new music releases or online art classes. 

Engaging in a creative outlet has been proven to ease mental health challenges such as anxiety and depression, with many in lockdown finding a creative hobby as a form of escapism. But it is also the physical, social impact of a pottery class with a friend and the energy which runs like an electric current throughout the dance studio, which completes the immersive creative experience.

We find ourselves in this era as the ultimate test of survival and adaptability, one the world hasn't faced in a while. Some artists ern for normality pre-2020, and others see this new and fast-growing fusion of technology and creativity as exciting, promising, and a natural creative industry progression. Gideon Spainer in Campaign Live says, "creativity, informed and inspired by technology, offers a bright future in a Covid world." But will we be in a Covid-19 world forever? Is this our new future?  

Brighter times are ahead. The roadmap out of lockdown marks the provisional reopening of theatres in May, and social contact restrictions eased no earlier than June 21 (the date we all have written in bold in our diaries, underlined three times). The impact Covid-19 will have on our beloved creative world will soon tell, as it will for many other industries. 

However, let's use what we have learned to make the world a better place for now. Creativity has been a lifejacket for many, just like digitisation has been for struggling artists. We have binged Netflix series, taken up a new creative hobby to pass the days and enjoyed free music events through our mobile phones. So, let's give back to them that they have given us. Pay to see the live production, buy your artwork from an independent artist, don't copyright because it's the 'cheaper' and 'easier' option. Let's get the creative industry buzzing again. 

A note from the Creative Director, Flo Charlton:

“Here at Natcho, we’ve felt heartache throughout this period for many reasons. Being a small start-up company left us in the dark as we slipped through the cracks of government help and watched all our hard work unravel before us with no control. However, we believe the creative industry is a community. It is one big family, and we can already see it forming back together. If you are a creative and struggling during these times, please feel free to reach out to us and stay strong. We can already see a positive future.”