Artists of Apple Market share different perspectives on the affordability crisis
“I’ll get worried if people run out of pocket change or don’t want to buy a little treat,” says artist Jenny Godley.
On a sunny afternoon in May at the tail-end of a global pandemic and a burgeoning cost-of-living crisis —and still too early for the hoped-for return of summer tourism — one might expect Covent Garden to be emptier than normal. But there were a good number of people in the famed shopping center, with many walking through Apple Market, Covent Garden’s British and handmade crafts stalls.
“It’s busier than normal,” remarked artist Steve O’Connell while selling a tin with an original drawing of a ballerina on it.
He runs booths for both of his shops The Art of Dance, which are his original drawings made into print and shirt form, and Miss Ellie Dancewear, which sells dance attire and shoe bags with his original drawings on them.
“This market is recession-proof with all of the visitors,” said O’Connell, but he also considers how in October, when the government will be giving out a £200 ($246.35) loan for energy bills that households will need to pay back in £40 ($49.27) installments over the next five years according to The Big Issue, will affect visitation to the market.
May isn’t usually a peak-travel month, but with COVID restrictions decreasing, Covent Garden is seeing more visitors than a pre-COVID May.
“It’s a bit early [in the crisis] to tell now,” said Jenny Godley, artist and owner of Culpably Cute, while selling a pair of tiny tea-cup earrings. “I’ll get worried if people run out of pocket change or don’t want to buy a little treat.”
Godley hasn’t seen any rise in manufacturing costs to make her products, nor for a stall at Apple Market. When Covent Garden was allowed to re-open, the landlord made rent free to encourage artists to travel to the location. Rent was free for about two years since then.
Personally, Godley can still afford her bills as she shares costs with her partner, but she doesn’t see the government as helping out with the cost-of-living crisis. “[The government] is not interested in helping. They haven’t done more for artists than they have for anyone else,” said Godley.
The government’s response to the cost-of-living crisis has been heavily criticized for its lack of it. The U.K.’s Labour Party, a left-of-center political party, has been critical of the government response under Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer — a role that criticizes the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the senior minister responsible for all economic and financial business for the U.K. — Rachel Reeves was quoted saying that the government is willing to watch people “financially drown.” Meanwhile, the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has said, “The next few months will be tough, but where we can act, we will.”
“The government has shown its true colors, artists are second-class citizens,” said artist and designer Heidi Sturgess of Maison Heidi, a signature brand of custom bags and buckles known worldwide as the silhouette collection. “Artists build up skills over decades [and] should be valued more.”
Sturgess used to have a studio but now works from home, but was able to keep the prices of her products the same.
What is an equal or bigger difference that has affected all of the artists, is Brexit, Britain’s rocky withdrawal from the European Union in 2020. Sturgess lost customers in Europe due to the new shipping, handling and duty costs.
“After Brexit [manufacturing] was raised by 20%, but Brexit was just the excuse,” said O’Connell. The government is “all talk” and if they do anything it’ll only have a “tiny impact.”
O’Connell felt that the pandemic was the biggest upheaval since the second world war. With London being shut down for 10 months, theatre and arts were affected especially due to the nature of the profession.
“Artists are resilient. ‘Plow your own field,’ that’s what my grandfather always said,” said Sturgess, as a potential customer comes up to the stall to look at the array of bags and buckles.
