Life during lockdown

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9736 Londoners have responded | 27/03/2020 - 09/06/2020

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Cultural activities after COVID-19

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Culture and the creative industries contribute £52 billion to London’s economy every year and provide one in six jobs in London. Essential lockdown measures introduced to slow the spread of the coronavirus have had a catastrophic impact on the sector. Research from the culture trade body The Creative Industries Federation suggests that 60% of creative organisations won’t survive the next two months. Half of the industry’s workforce is self-employed or freelance and many creative industries businesses are excluded from business rates relief and grants from Government.

This is a snapshot of some of the ways City Hall is supporting culture, creative industries and night time businesses: 

  • Culture at Risk Business Support Fund to help save grassroots music venues; LGBTQ+ venues; independent cinemas; and creative workspaces.
  • London Community Response Fund launched 14th April is also supporting arts and culture.
  • PayItForward crowdfunding platform launched to help businesses trade by pre-selling vouchers, goods and services.
  • Lobbying Government – to urge them to fund the survival of the creative economy and support self-employed workers.
  • London Together – to help Londoners in lockdown access culture and educational resources from home.
  • Cultural programmes – supporting existing cultural and trade programmes (London Games Festival and London Fashion Week online; Brent Unlocked giving skills training and support for local artists as part of Brent Borough of Culture).
  • World Culture Cities Forum – weekly meetings with cities across the world to look at common ways of achieving exit and recovery. 
  • Recovery Planning – working with promotional agency London & Partners and industry partners to prepare cultural venues and creative industries to emerge safely from lockdown.

The discussion ran from 05 June 2020 - 05 September 2020

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Comments (261)

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Government incompetence and Cummings power within it as mentioned by Turquoise below, worry me too - and for the same reasons given. 

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Government incompetence and Cummings power within it as mentioned by Turquoise below, worry me too - and for the same reasons given. 

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Very much agree with comments of Schnabel and others below. I would love to go back to galleries, exhibitions, cinema, theatre etc, but only if this can be done without increased risk of community transmission of C19 (and increase...

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Very much agree with comments of Schnabel and others below. I would love to go back to galleries, exhibitions, cinema, theatre etc, but only if this can be done without increased risk of community transmission of C19 (and increase individual risk). I can't see how this can be financially viable for venues in the short to medium term. They will need on-going and increased funding to enable this vital part of our national & local life and culture to survive. Funding so important also for the smaller and/or community venues and initiatives, as well as the bigger and more well-known ones. Also would love to eat out and socialise - but bars and restaurants will need lots of support to cater for us in a different and safer way; that means more outdoor spaces (ie roads) pedestrianised and made available for restaurants and bars to seat people outside safely.

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!00% agree with this. I love London's culture, music, museum and arts scene, it's why I moved here in the first place, but we still know too little about this virus, and in particular who will get a serious case of it, for me personally...

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!00% agree with this. I love London's culture, music, museum and arts scene, it's why I moved here in the first place, but we still know too little about this virus, and in particular who will get a serious case of it, for me personally, and I would guess many others, to be comfortable to take the risk of going to any indoor cultural activity (even with social distancing measures in place) with the virus still in fairly common circulation, and personally I am not going to take the tube or train unless it is absolutely necessary until a vaccine or an effective treatment that works for the vast majority of cases of Covid19 requiring ventilation is available. With cycling (too far) and driving (too expensive and very restricted in Central London anyway) out, that leaves only local venues, of which there are a couple in my case but not anything like the rich choice that London as a whole can offer.

I agree 100% that arts, music, cultural venues and museums need support NOW from the government - not just an extension of the furlough scheme specifically for the arts but targeted sector funding and financial support (grants not loans or tax cuts), including, as Ptookey above says, smaller and community venues. However as others have pointed out, this government (and Cummings in particular, who I agree wields far too much power for an unelected bureaucrat) seems to consider the arts at best irrelevant and at worst actively to be discouraged, so I have little confidence of it happening. Cummings in particular seems so pathologically averse to regarding anything he does not like himself (the arts/humanities amongst them) as worthy of attention, that it seems unlikely to me that the arts will get any support at all. This appals me, but unfortunately this is where we are with the government having a huge majority and Cummings seemingly untouchable in the eyes of No. 10.

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The big problem is public transport. I strongly suspect that the tube was a key means of transmitting the disease before lockdown - why London at first had it so badly, and indeed why the UK did.  How can we make the tube safe and usable by...

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The big problem is public transport. I strongly suspect that the tube was a key means of transmitting the disease before lockdown - why London at first had it so badly, and indeed why the UK did.  How can we make the tube safe and usable by a reasonable number of people in the new world?  Would screens down the middle of carriages help, both to stop people infecting those opposite them and to limit standing?  Maybe seats all facing the front rather than across the carriages?

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The government's incompetence is the main thing that worries me.  Cummings seems to be running the show  and I do not trust him to take any care of other peoples welfare, he does not seem to think it is important at all.  So we are on our...

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The government's incompetence is the main thing that worries me.  Cummings seems to be running the show  and I do not trust him to take any care of other peoples welfare, he does not seem to think it is important at all.  So we are on our own here, I feel, and the development of a vaccine and a large drop in the R number and case numbers will be what I go by. 

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with public transport restricted to essential use only, i am restricted to my immediate vicinity or areas with affordable car parking. This rules out most of london inside Zone 5. With government not explaining why it was not safe under 2m...

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with public transport restricted to essential use only, i am restricted to my immediate vicinity or areas with affordable car parking. This rules out most of london inside Zone 5. With government not explaining why it was not safe under 2m before and now it is safe, I am fast losing confidence in the government guidance (much of which cannot be legally enforced). My focus is health before economy and seeing the inability of authorities to control crowds on beaches, a lot more needs to be done before I feel confident in participating in normal life. 

Add to this people not wearing any masks on the underground and not following any social distancing on queuing and with the policing hugely underfunded and under resourced, I am not assured by any of the government marketing messages. 

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It is much safer to go to a seated live concert, theatre or cinema than it is to go to a pub with alcohol flowing. Museums are easy to keep a distance from others as well - especially if footfall is monitored. Seeing the crowds on the...

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It is much safer to go to a seated live concert, theatre or cinema than it is to go to a pub with alcohol flowing. Museums are easy to keep a distance from others as well - especially if footfall is monitored. Seeing the crowds on the beaches and the mess they left, I wonder what the point of any lockdown was. Queues (with hardly any social distancing) to get into Primark when I last went to the supermarket in my local area. Some people not wearing masks on public transport (only been on a bus) and allowed to get on board, offended if you ask where is your mask or when they are wearing it below their mouth, or below their nose. 

I spoke to a young lady who went to Sweden just before our lockdown - everyone observing social distancing, restaurant / cafes making space between tables / seating etc. Everyone did this. Can't imagine that happening here when not even our government led by example.

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GET EVERYWHERE OPEN -- life isn't safe and it is nonsense to wait until the pandemic has "ceased". The economy and cultural life will be dead for all the population. 

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GET EVERYWHERE OPEN -- life isn't safe and it is nonsense to wait until the pandemic has "ceased". The economy and cultural life will be dead for all the population. 

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It's a political decision to support cultural life or not - we shouldn't have to sacrifice lives to keep the economy going.

You may not have loved ones to worry about, but lots of us do and I couldn't live with myself knowing that my...

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It's a political decision to support cultural life or not - we shouldn't have to sacrifice lives to keep the economy going.

You may not have loved ones to worry about, but lots of us do and I couldn't live with myself knowing that my actions brought Covid to them, or to any of my friends. 

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.

 

I can understand individual groups clamouring for public gatherings for various purposes, but until the pandemic has genuinely ceased, the Mayor and his team should not be supporting them.

 

Staying home to protect yourself and...

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I can understand individual groups clamouring for public gatherings for various purposes, but until the pandemic has genuinely ceased, the Mayor and his team should not be supporting them.

 

Staying home to protect yourself and others isn't that hard, and is the only decent thing to do at this time.

 

 

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Actually many people do find it hard. I'm not a youngster (65), but haven't found it easy. It won't be really safe unless we get a vaccine and there may never be one. This survey was about online cultural events. I used to visit a museum...

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Actually many people do find it hard. I'm not a youngster (65), but haven't found it easy. It won't be really safe unless we get a vaccine and there may never be one. This survey was about online cultural events. I used to visit a museum/gallery exhibition once a month and more regularly used to go to cinemas, theatres, pubs and restaurants; but I really can't work up any interest in online exhibitions etc. It just isn't the same.

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I would return to cultural venues as soon as they were reopened, assuming that sensible safety precautions had been taken. In a theatre or musem / gallery, i see this as being more straightforward as you can easily control numbers, practice...

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I would return to cultural venues as soon as they were reopened, assuming that sensible safety precautions had been taken. In a theatre or musem / gallery, i see this as being more straightforward as you can easily control numbers, practice distancing, wearing a mask wouldn't be the end of the world... surely this isn't far off?

 

Bars, clubs and music venues is a different story and whilst i would love to see these return sooner rather than later, I don't think some places - especially music venues - will be viable or enjoyable with a mandatory distance between people! However perhaps limiting numbers initially is the way forward, to allow these places to re-open and at least start somewhere. I truly miss these places and I think many others feel the same. I am sure people are willing to work with creative ideas to support the reopening of cultural venues. 

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I would like to see specific support for live music venues. These provide the seeds of what is a succesful £multi-million industry which is acclaimed acrosss the world. We all suffer if new musical artists are not allowed to emerge and...

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I would like to see specific support for live music venues. These provide the seeds of what is a succesful £multi-million industry which is acclaimed acrosss the world. We all suffer if new musical artists are not allowed to emerge and flourish in grass-roots settings. Applications for new live venues should be considered favourably but more importantly existing venues should be protected. Any planning applications affectig the area immediately around venues should be considered on the basis that keeping the venue open for love music is the priority.
What will it take to get me back in a live music venue? When its safe, i'll be there. By safe I mean when its safe to wander freely, go to the bar, and dance in a sweaty mass with fellow music lovers. 2 metres or one metre, beither equate to the enjoyment of live music. 

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The performing arts are being discussed with high-profile lobbyists in the media but no-one appears to be campaigning for the visual arts which are as important as the others. Many artists are really suffering from the shutdown of art fairs...

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The performing arts are being discussed with high-profile lobbyists in the media but no-one appears to be campaigning for the visual arts which are as important as the others. Many artists are really suffering from the shutdown of art fairs, exhibitions and art galleries, as well as the physical interaction with curators, gallerists, art consultants etc. As far as I can see this is not being addressed. There is no indication when, for example, art fairs will be able to re-open.

There has been a response from artists with many online projects but none of these can adequately replace the physical experience of interacting with a piece of art in the flesh. I for one have seen my income evaporate from one day to the next. I am not even able to work in my studio even though I am still paying full rent on it (no subsidies from the council so far despite applications).

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Museums, galleries, libraries and exhibitions are probably amongst the easiest places to practice and manage social distancing, when the lockdown crisis is over.  Moreover, we need these places to begin opening again.  It is wonderful that...

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Museums, galleries, libraries and exhibitions are probably amongst the easiest places to practice and manage social distancing, when the lockdown crisis is over.  Moreover, we need these places to begin opening again.  It is wonderful that so many organisations have been able to be creative during this lockdown with how they share their collections online, but this does not replace seeing something live.

My particular passion is the theatre and, in my limited viewpoint, the only way we will be able to enjoy theatre again after lockdown would be to have empty seats between each booked seat or group of seats, and empty seats in front and behind.  This would, thankfully, open the theatres again, but at such a reduced income it would be difficult for most cash-strapped arts organisations to sustain.  Our theatres and music venues are a huge draw for visitors and tourists each year so support and extra funding must be made available in order to maintain our rich cultural heritage going forward into the future.

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Culture in the widest sense is what differentiates us humans from the animals. (Nothing against animals!) Culture is vitally important for our health, both mental and physical. My own first love is music, and there is increasing evidence to...

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Culture in the widest sense is what differentiates us humans from the animals. (Nothing against animals!) Culture is vitally important for our health, both mental and physical. My own first love is music, and there is increasing evidence to show how absolutely necessary music is to all of us.

But the arts altogether are vital - to our national economy too. Please can we have generous help for the arts, which will struggle to survive the pandemic - particularly the performance arts. SUPPORT OUR ACTORS, SINGERS, MUSICIANS, and all those who help live arts to happen!!! We NEED them!!! 
 

Thanks for reading this - now please publicise and act on it!

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