Climate-related emergencies, political unrest, economic pressures, and public health crises all threaten the viability of drama, dance, opera and other live events, as well as their benefits to society and community wellbeing.
This is the conclusion of research, led by the Universities of Bristol and Exeter, looking at the varied responses of the G7 nations to the COVID-19 pandemic, saying major lessons must be learned to safeguard the future of the sector.
Commissioned by the British Academy, Pandemic Preparedness in the Live Performing Arts: Lessons to Learn from COVID-19 has been researched and written by academics from leading institutions across the G7. Unprecedented in its geographical scope, the report was unveiled and discussed at an online briefing on Tuesday, 26 March 2024.
Its five major recommendations are:
- UK and regional government should support arts councils and development agencies to establish a clear resilience strategy for live performance
- A UK-wide strategy should be developed to ensure that creative organisations, individuals and audiences have access to digital infrastructure, skills and rights frameworks
- Work should be undertaken to better understand the value of culture to society alongside its economic contribution
- Research and analysis is needed of the live performing arts sector’s workforce, ecosystem and audience to identify vulnerabilities
- Addressing skills gaps and recruiting a more diverse workforce are required to improve the sector’s crisis response.