The arts and post-pandemic transformations: Societal changes, artists, and the arts
Volume - No 183 / March 2, 20222 March 2022
What is the role of artists and the arts in a post-pandemic future where the goal is to “build back better”? Four recent articles offer interesting perspectives and visions of what this might look like and how this might happen. Common themes include: a desire for radical transformation in the arts; significant improvements in equity and justice within the sector; a need to better connect and embed artists (and the arts more broadly) with other societal issues; and an increased focus on artistic processes rather than products.
Resources
State of Emergence: Why We Need Artists Right Now
Arts Research MonitorThe thesis of this essay is that “artists are not adequately centred or supported in the professional arts ecosystem, nor have they been ambitiously mobilized as change agents during this time of crisis, much to the detriment of the arts and culture… View this resource
Art and the World After This
Arts Research MonitorThis qualitative report is devoted to examining two key questions: “What does the world need from the art-society relationship right now? And what do we need to do as a sector to meet that need?” A key finding of the report is that there are four dis… View this resource
BC Everyday Creativity & COVID-19
Arts Research MonitorHighlighting ”the ways in which [British Columbia] residents turned to creative activities during the COVID-19 pandemic”, this study argues that greater value should be placed on the arts, beyond aesthetic excellence, including “civic impacts related… View this resource
1,243 Voices: Live Performance Artists’ Hopes for a Post-COVID Future
Arts Research MonitorDuring the pandemic, 1,243 emerging performing artists applying to a unique granting program from Jerwood Arts completed a qualitative survey and provided “a vision and ideas for the future of their artistic or creative practice”. The 33 successful a… View this resource
