Covid-19 Backstage: The voices of those behind the arts, post-pandemic.
The arts is a cutthroat industry, hit the hardest by covid-19 causing venues to close, rehearsals to be curbed and leaving thousands of jobs at risk. However, as it begins to open up we speak to three individuals, all of whom career paths were impacted by the fall of the cultural sector.
“I was working in a patriarchal environment where I was the only female delivery driver. They would say ‘look at the clown, you’re doing a real job now”.
Beckie Briley, a Humanitarian Clown, swapped her flamboyant costume for her Tesco uniform, in order to pay her bills.
She said: “It was rewarding to a degree because I’m delivering a service which people at the time were grateful for, but then there’s no creativity there”.
When fellow colleagues and customers discovered her job role as a Children’s Entertainer, she received some negative remarks.
“The older generation would say, ‘you’re contributing to society now you have a real job’. I’ve always been in a bubble of the humanitarian and performing world, as soon as you step out of it you see the hierarchy”, Beckie commented.
Pre-covid, Beckie worked for The Flying Seagull Project, a non-profit charity that travels across the world facilitating play sessions for refugee and struggling communities and individuals.
Despite The Flying Seagull’s initial plans paused due to travel restrictions, the charity continued to set up Laugh and Play Project across the UK, appealing to socially distanced food banks and recently SEND schools, teaching and performing to children and young adults.
Laugh ’n’ Play UK 2021! — YouTube
However, remaining positive during such testing times was challenging for individuals like Beckie. The “covid slump”, as she called it, “after Christmas there was a month or two where I had no energy left and I began to think, is it ever going to change?”
She continued: “I know a lot of people who would say, ‘survive without your music, survive without podcasts, survive without Netflix, survive without the National Theatre giving you free theatre. There needs to be more comparison between how the arts affect mental health and how important it is in society”.
With a light at the end of the tunnel, Beckie has been offered the role of Principal of nought to six year olds at a theatre school starting this September.
“It is insulting being told to retrain when we have spent so many years trying to perfect a craft that isn’t easy”.
Clementina Allende Iriarte, continued to consistently work throughout the pandemic and has recently ventured into television acting for an upcoming CBBC series.
She said: “I’ve been quite fortunate, I have performed in a lot of Zoom shows, a socially distanced pantomime last summer and a Greek play performed outdoors in London.”
However, Clem commented on the apparent disregard for the sector from the government. “It’s been hugely demoralising, and there were even times where people said that theatre is not going to survive this pandemic.”
She fears that when the industry rebuilds itself the loss of fellow artists will be too great. “For actors, the opportunities just haven’t been there and instead many have considered transferring their skills into teaching for financial security.
“On the flip side, I’ve realised what a great community we have. Casting directors were offering free workshops with graduates and actors reading via Zoom with other actors for their audition tapes, all sorts of things were happening to raise morale”, Clem said.
Clementina from Argentina by Clementina Allende Iriarte — YouTube
Since bursting into the television world, Clem has been adapting to the changes coronavirus has had on acting. On set, Clem works within rehearsal bubbles and is surrounded by covid ‘marshals’ who organise their days.
“It’s organised chaos everywhere. There’s social distancing between the cast and the crew and windows are always open. My issue is I don’t know how obvious it’s going to be when it’s aired and actually some of us have asked ‘does it look disjointed?’”
Despite her worries, Clem is excited to be working amongst an “insane cast”, she commented, in particular alongside actors that she remembers watching from her own childhood.
“I lost the motivation and Theatreland was disappearing”.
Constance Hastie, swapped her passport for clothes hangers has her plans of flying off to the New York Film Academy came to a sudden halt.
In the summer of 2020, Connie decided to decline her opportunity to attend the New York Film Academy due to travel restrictions. Not wanting to return to online training courses, she picked up a job modelling and working in-store for a local clothing store.
“The industry conditions you into a mentality that you have to choose your training over the money. It was hard to get out of that mindset.
“For a long time I was so used to going back and forth between New York and home with auditions, I had in my head ‘I hate being home’. But I’ve really enjoyed this job. I think it’s been really good for me,” Connie said.
Growing up, Connie would enjoy the theatre and after experiencing the escapism of live shows she realised how much she wanted to pursue musical studies.
Mean Girls World Burn cover — YouTube
However, coronavirus impacted her desire for the stage. “Eventually, I fell out of love with it, which wouldn’t have happened if the pandemic didn’t hit. Instead, I looked at television, which kept everyone going throughout the pandemic. I thought, ‘Well, that’s the line of work that’s always going to guarantee jobs’,” she commented.
The lockdown saw the rise of Zoom pantomimes, Disney Plus’ screening of Hamilton and Tick Tock musicals. Connie mentioned how “reinforcing theatre on streaming platforms reminded people what they love about the arts and kept so many sane during lockdown periods”.
However, Connie also felt devastated by the lack of government support shown towards the community. She mentioned: “The arts were struggling pre-covid and theatres weren’t even filled with half of the capacity.
“The thought of some children who have not even had the opportunity to be inspired by the theatre like I was growing up really upsets me,” she said.
Despite the wake up call, Connie has accepted a position at Neighbourhood Playhouse in New York to pursue her dream career in acting.
