Our Sector Is Screaming Out For Help, But Who Will Listen?
My work is heavily intertwined with the arts, cultural and entertainment industry. In March of 2020 the news of the pandemic came and staff were sent home for 2 weeks to flatten the curve…18+ months later and there’s still no change.
Ireland has been subject to one of the severest lockdowns in Europe so far! Certain industries have not been allowed to operate to full capacity. My industry falls under this category and we have been out of work for 18+ months now, with no end in sight, no roadmap to reopening and no meaningful government support.
I work for a community centre and at the heart of it lies a theatre. In my first year there, I was closely involved with the theatre. I worked with, musicians, artists, actors, singers, sound engineers, theatre groups and their managers and promoters. In my second year, my role became more focused on the community, public events, charity events and local businesses, which tied in with the production of a 12 page newsletter that was distributed to the local community on a monthly basis.
Over the past year and a half, I have watched closely that network, through their emails and social media pages, in some cases public and in others private. Some small businesses are still surviving, some new ones have even opened up but there is a lot that had to stop…
