Cultivating progressive development in the cultural industries: challenges and support needs identified by the creative workforce in the United Kingdom

Shaughnessy, Caitlin; Perkins, Rosie; Spiro, Neta; Waddell, George; Williamon, Aaron

doi:10.1080/09548963.2023.2227850

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…For example, 38% of professional musicians were not accounted for in the UK governments' support schemes [15], and revenue from live music within the music industry is not expected to recover fully until 2024 [16]. Policy initiatives provided to mitigate the impact on arts professionals such as the £1.57 billion Cultural Recovery Fund (CRF, [17], launched in July 2020), which provided grants to institutions, and the Self Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS, [18], launched in March 2020) which provided income support to individuals, only supported some workers with many freelance artists left unable to benefit [19]. At the outset of the pandemic, concerns were raised about the impact upon the diversity of the sector, and as research by the Centre for Cultural Value has since observed, younger artists, people of colour, and disabled workers are now leaving Funding: The research reported in this article was supported by HEartS Professional, an AHRC project investigating the health, economic and social impact of COVID-19 on professionals in the arts (Grant ref.…”

Section: Work Of Arts Professionals During the Pandemicmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modelling arts professionals’ wellbeing and career intentions within the context of COVID-19

Spiro,

Shaughnessy,

Waddell

et al. 2023

PLoS ONE

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The COVID-19 pandemic had a substantial effect on the creative and cultural industries in the United Kingdom (UK), as seen in our first snapshot of the HEartS Professional Survey (April–June 2020, Phase 1, N = 358). By analysing data collected one year later (April–May 2021, Phase 2, N = 685), the aims of the current study are to trace the contributors to (1) arts professionals’ mental and social wellbeing and (2) their expectations of staying in the arts. Findings show that artists continued to experience challenges in terms of finances, and mental and social wellbeing. Over half of the respondents reported financial hardship (59%), and over two thirds reported being lonelier (64%) and having increased anxiety (71%) than before the pandemic. Hierarchical multiple linear regression models, using the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, Social Connectedness Scale, and Three-Item Loneliness Scale as outcome variables, indicate that perceived financial hardship continued to be associated with higher depression and loneliness scores. As in our first study, more physical activity before lockdown was associated with higher wellbeing and social connectedness scores, and higher self-rated health scores were associated with higher wellbeing and lower depression scores. Similarly, increases in physical activity during lockdown, as well as older age, were still associated with higher wellbeing and social connectedness scores and with lower depression and loneliness scores. An ordinal logistic regression model indicated three contributors to artists’ professional expectations of remaining in the arts: greater proportion of income from the arts pre-pandemic, continued maintenance of skills, and greater proportion of freelance work. The results suggest that the wellbeing patterns observed at the start of the pandemic remained consistent a year on. They point to possible strategies to support wellbeing and underline the importance of finances for expectations of remaining in arts professions.

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Section: Work Of Arts Professionals During the Pandemicmentioning

confidence: 99%