There were innovative productions shared by many arts companies throughout the past year, such as the series Grand Acts of Theatre which engaged 14 theatre companies to create and perform works in front of live audiences outdoors, and then shared video performances online.
In an article, Janne Cleveland of Carleton University says these were co-curated by National Arts Centre’s English artistic director Jillian Keiley with Sherry J. Yoon, artistic director of Boca del Lupo.
According to Cleveland, these kinds of collaborations that straddle live performance and online content may well have welcome permanent effects on how the arts engages audiences and how diverse audiences and creators access theatre resources. But we must remember that online experiences not a replacement for live performance.
Our policy-makers need to pay closer attention to the critical role of the arts in healthy and vibrant societies and do a much better job at prioritising live arts in Covid-19 reopenings.
As the OECD notes, arts and entertainment are among the sectors most at risk due to the effects of Covid-19 closures. The downsizing of creative and cultural sectors would have a negative impact on cities and regions not only in terms of direct economic and social impact but also in terms of well-being, the vibrancy of cities and communities and cultural diversity.
Economists like Annie Tubadji have similarly argued that the cultural sector is predominantly a public good for preserving mental health and that as such, there is justification for much more public spending to support this sector which includes venues and producers devoted to arts like music and theatre.