Creative and cultural work without filters: Covid-19 and exposed precarity in the creative economy

TLDR

Creative and cultural work is widely recognized as precarious yet largely invisible to policy, and the COVID‑19 pandemic prompted rapid research into its economic impact. The study synthesizes UK surveys and research to reveal the main concerns of industry and policy bodies regarding the creative sector during COVID‑19. Findings show that both visible and hidden challenges persist, raising the question whether COVID‑19 is a crisis or merely exposes the unsustainable nature of creative work.

Abstract

The precarious nature of creative and cultural work is widely acknowledged in academic literature. However, it has often been invisible in the eyes of policy and policymaking. As soon as the spread of Covid-19 started impacting local and national economies across the globe, many industry and policy bodies rushed into researching the impact of Covid-19 on the creative and cultural industries (CCIs) and the workers in the sector. The paper offers an insight into the key concerns of these organizations through the meta-analysis of the survey and research projects that are currently being undertaken in the context of the UK. The results highlight common concerns in relation to visible and invisible issues that need addressing in the sector. The paper concludes by questioning if Covid-19 represents a moment of crisis for the sector or has simply exposed the unsustainable price of creative and cultural work.