Covid has cost me my job - what do all these redundancies mean for the sector?
So, the time has come for me to announce that I'm being made redundant.
I've had to sit on this news for a few weeks, and it sucks. Watching other companies announce redundancies has been painful, as I watch the industry I care so much for be gutted. Like all of us, I don't know what the future holds - personally or for the sector.
Whilst I've been keeping my situation quiet, I've been thinking about the impact these redundancies will have across the industry. I've been looking at other organisations & talking to people in similar situations to try and see the bigger picture, and I find it extremely worrying. Big organisations are losing people publicly, but small ones are also suffering with less visibility - they have less capacity to tell people how they’re suffering, and subsequently lots of vital grassroots work is going to be cut. My role was an artist-facing one, and it will no longer exist. I know a number of other organisations have cut similar roles to mine, and it seems supporting artists long-term is not the priority it once was - the focus is buying in product which will sell tickets.
What happens if venues/organisations don't support artists? We've talked so much about using this time to improve the sector, but the focus seems to be on what is already established. This is backwards thinking. Independents & emerging artists are under-supported as it is, and need support and engagement from those with infrastructure and resources. Trickle-down support is vital, but it seems doors may be closing in people's faces.
As well as programmes themselves, we're losing the people whose passion, knowledge and connections often drive change. Redundancies look at the roles, but we can't forget the people who have held them. Some of them may never return to the sector. This loss of talent is even more concerning when you consider how many people being made redundant are early in their careers. Like many, I relied on casual FOH/Box Office work to support me when starting my career; my heart breaks for those who never even got started.
In some organisations, their casual staff base impacts hugely on how they address the Creative Case for Diversity. With all the proclamations of 'being better' (particularly in response to Black Lives Matter), how many companies are actually considering WHO they are losing? I'm a disabled person from a working class background. I’ve had to work BLOODY HARD to make a career in the arts, like everyone who faces barriers to engagement has. Would it be possible to have the same career if I was starting out today? Or is the sector going to be increasingly homogenised?
Where does the power and influence lie? I understand tough decisions are being made and I sympathise - but they are mostly happening behind closed doors. We need more transparency to understand WHAT decisions are being made, and WHY.
I don't know what I'll do in the long-term. In the short-term, though, I want to try and help others in positions similar to the one I'm in - and to help the sector learn from this. I'm figuring out how to do this, but I have some ideas.
I'm now looking for work, so feel free to hit me up if a) you want to work with me, b) know of a job I'd be suited to or c) want to send me money so I'll be able to pay my rent. I'm not too proud to admit I'm worried about where money is going to come from. Hopefully something comes up...
Beyond my personal situation, though - I ask you all to keep thinking about what we need to do to fix our sector. Keep shouting loud. Don't stop campaigning for change. Reach out to anyone you think may need some help. Make space for others if you can. And KEEP MAKING GREAT ART.
