We are all trying to figure out how COVID-19 is going to change our lives: Will schools be cancelled (if yours hasn’t, already)? Is working from home an option? How much of a pantry stash do we need? By now, there’s a good chance that an event you were planning to attend has been cancelled. There’s every reason to believe that even more will be in the weeks to come.
With all of these cancellations – which are of course understandable – the arts community is currently getting hit with a devastating loss of livelihood. It’s no secret that working in the arts is often a hard-scrabble existence in the best of times, so when you wake up one day and every gig on your calendar is cancelled, that is heartbreaking, even when you know it’s the right call. The arts will continue no matter what (just look at the gorgeous videos of Italians singing on their balconies), but the current climate may be enough to put an end to some small companies and cause real financial distress for individual artists and their families.
If you value the arts, it is worth considering if you can take any small measures to make sure that our artists are not forgotten, even when we can’t be face to face with them.
Here are a few ways that you can support the arts during the COVID-19 outbreak. Drop me a line if you have more ideas – I will continue to add to this!
Donate Your Tickets
This image has been doing the rounds of my Facebook feed all day (uncredited, so I apologize that I don’t know the source), and I wanted to share it here:
This is an American meme, so the health care part isn’t as relevant here in Australia, but the rest is true. If you are holding tickets to a theatre event or other arts activity that has been cancelled – especially one presented by a non-profit company – consider donating your tickets rather than asking for a refund. I understand that this is not financially possible for everyone, but if it is something you are able to do, it will do a lot to help smooth the short term for that organisation and the artists involved.
Buy a Gift Certificate
Don’t have tickets to donate back? We know things will return to normal one of these days, and we are all going to be stir crazy, so why not buy a gift certificate for a future show, where possible? It’s money into the pocket of the artists today, and a treat for you later.
Check Out Their Online Shops
Retail therapy for the win-win.
Do you have a theatre, dance company, or small band that you love? Now would be a great time to get some of their merch. T-shirts, hats, keyrings, tea towels, whatever!
Or, perhaps your kids attend art lessons that have gone on hiatus. Does the studio have any e-books or online courses that you might use at home?
New Books and Tunes
Don’t forget the authors, as we talk about lost opportunities. For most children’s authors, the income they get from their published books is only a small portion of what they live on. Many supplement with teaching and public/school appearances, among other jobs. Literary festivals, school assemblies, and book signings are all falling by the wayside, and that is going to mean a hit to many authors’ bottom lines. So, stock up on some new books, especially since there’s a good chance you’ll have plenty of reading time at home. Consider buying from an independent bookstore because they are going to be hit terribly, as well, and we need them!
Check out 25 Gorgeous Australian Picture Books from 2019 for some suggestions.
Also for your impending quarantine with kids at home, perhaps it’s a chance to try some new family-friendly music. Buy the album, rather than free streaming to put some change into the musician’s pockets. Touring/gigging musicians are going to be hit harder than almost anyone in terms of income lost.
Want some ideas? Here is my most recent Family Music review – scroll to the end for the complete list of children’s albums we’ve reviewed and deem cool for the whole family.
Take a Class Online
I have already seen many artists and schools going online with classes and coaching sessions.
Always wanted to learn the ukulele? You’d better bet there are musicians out there who will give you and/or your kids some lessons over Skype. If you get stuck at home with the kids, learning an instrument, a new art technique, or taking an acting class in the comfort of your living room would be an excellent use of your time, while also supporting an independent artist.
Social Support
Yes, most of these ideas involve spending money because – real talk – that’s what artists are going to need most to weather this storm. However, I realise that, especially now, many of us may not have a lot of extra cash on hand. You can still give a big dose of moral support by being a social media cheerleader.
Follow the artists, arts companies, museums, and arts classes that you enjoy on their social media platforms. Like their posts, drop them some encouraging comments, and share their content. These may seem like small things, but likes, comments, and shares are actually huge for anyone trying to get eyeballs on their work. And, artists are people, too. Everyone can use some extra encouragement in difficult times.
Artists Are Already Giving Back to Us
It’s no surprise to me that the big-hearted arts community immediately jumped on board with creating opportunities for families with kids out of school and under quarantine to continue to experience the arts. Here are just a few:
- 17 Museum Virtual Tours that you can take in your living room (compiled by Families Magazine)
- Storyline Online features well known actors reading children’s books, and also includes activity guides that kids can do at home.
- Emily Arrow offers singalong sessions on her YouTube channel
- Oliver Jeffers has announced that he will do online readings of his books for kids to watch
- McHarpor Manor Art Studio in Ohio will be doing daily online 20 – 30 minute art lessons for kids
- Arty Arts Dublin is encouraging kids to make signs to hang in their windows if their community is quarantined, using materials that they have at home.
- The Metropolitan Opera will stream a live opera each day, which will be available to view for 20 hours, each day during the week of 16 March.
- Actress Laura Benanti has encouraged high school students whose school musicals have been cancelled to send her videos of their songs.
It is so often the inclination of members of the arts community to give back (many here in Australia are already stretched thin from giving their time and money to bushfire relief). Now, the arts need us to show them that we value their immeasurable contribution to our lives by supporting them when the going has gotten tough.
