A guest post by Armin Alic
The social media are full of self-experts and conspiracy theorists who believe now know to be called, what it had with the Situation. Since I do not have the necessary expert knowledge on the topic of epidemiology, and it is to me furthermore, than not at all appears to make sense to me in the very long series of the above-mentioned classified, I’ll leave this as far as possible.
As a freelance musician and music educator I can, however, by the effects of the Corona-crisis on the culture and the working people reports:
concerts, tours and events of any kind will not be cancelled, which only affects the main actors, in this case, the on the stage the artists, but also to all the people whose work is necessary in order for a concert or a similar event ever to take place.
As a spectator who buys a Ticket to a concert goes, you might not think about how many people work behind the Scenes of such a production: booking agencies, local operators, promotion agencies, companies that provide the required technology available, catering companies, the catering on the day of the event responsible, security companies and all the local helpers, who ensure the implementation of an event. Depending on the size of the production so the number of only one event involved people can be located quickly in the higher two-digit or even triple digit range.
Many existences are threatened
All of these people are now affected by work default, and thus lack of revenue. During this unexpected Situation is, of course, for all the unpleasant, there may be a few that are due to the fact that you have earned very well in the past, will be able to shoulder the resulting losses somehow.
arise, however, Because the majority of people living on the border, or even in the precariat, within only a few days of situations, existence are quickly threatening.
most of The musicians in Germany, which have now been concerts and tours cancelled, unfortunately, are not in the Situation to have a financial “cushion” can be created, but are more likely to be happy if you have month-to-month in a reasonably regulated to get along. This is also true for many of the already to a broad Public known, one of which you wouldn’t actually think, let alone musicians and artists, for their art, a rather smaller group of people interested. So in the short term, cancelled the longer tour can quickly result in personal bankruptcy.
Many of the members to improve their income so that you can music are freelance educational activities, either instrumental teaching at music schools or institutions of higher education, or music classes at schools take care of. Due to the closure of all educational institutions, this revenue accounts for only once.
The Problem: the organizer must, in advance, A local organizer, is forced to go
one or more larger events to cancel, went for the same events in advance, he may pay portions of the artists ‘ fees or costs for equipment and personnel, or are already a non-negligible amounts for the application of the said events has been established. For larger events, a six-digit amounts do not come together as quickly, the man, even if it has worked well in the past and performed, has time available, but will be recorded by the revenue after the successful completion of an event, in the best case, so that, after deduction of all costs, the bottom line is also a little Profit remains.
The Situation for event technology companies and the people working there is similar. One can certainly say that there is in all of these areas, there are many that are on the verge of personal bankruptcy.
If you are lucky, you can find for certain events, catch-up dates, but there currently is not telling how long the crisis will last, one can not say with certainty whether the said catch-up can take place on dates at all. De facto, therefore, a complete branch of the economy, such as the third-largest in Germany, can be laid dry, without that you can predict it in any Form, what time is it again you can go further.
Contradictory statements of policy in terms of assistance
The very large number of the Affected has to wait for the announcement of relief measures on the part of the policy. But it is really and how exactly you will look? There are already contradictory statements in this regard: at Times it is, it will, of course, to give aid and advice just about how exactly this would look, it also means that there are going to be for the event industry-first economic program.
The offer of “unlimited low-interest loans” appears in every culture as a mockery is already very happy, if you managed to get after years of working debt-free and to economies. The fact that the interest rates are already on the lowest level of all times, you don’t want to even begin.
The proposal to go to the “office” and register with the employment services, is also one to follow the many will not be ready, since they are very thankful to be in this Situation through years of hard work eventually to escape, especially since they have basically to work and want to pursue, basically, also very much like to continue.
if You want Helmut Schmidt
of Course, the current Situation is for the policy to be a challenge to match, but you wish for as a creative artist, especially in terms of how quickly in the past, banks in the financial crisis, Billions have been saved, it will be for the economy of culture similar to the fast and effective relief measures, the clear resulting undue hardship for culture stop generating, or at least mitigate, that is not immediately whole livelihoods are at stake. One wishes, in a sense, a Helmut Schmidt, during the time of the great storm flood in Hamburg in February 1962 brought about.
The realization that in our society an extreme disproportion between the social-societal relevance of the work culture, and the importance of a lot of the actors in today’s society have or not have, is not a novelty. Perhaps, and hopefully, however, the current Situation provides an opportunity to change that, at least in the short-term. The majority of cultural workers are instructed in this Situation, whether or not it will, however, come to that, it will show.
In the meantime, musicians and artists to do what they have always done: be creative and new ways to come up with how they can help themselves, each other and, ultimately, to all people, to endure this for all of us, new and difficult Situation as good as possible, and at the end, at best emerge from you to go. In this sense, stay healthy…
author: Studio line Photography Armin Alic
Armin Alic, born in 1980 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, lives since 1992 in Wuppertal, Germany, and works since 2005 as a freelance musician and music teacher. As a Bassist, he is currently in Europe with the Henrik Freischlader Band and the Royal Street Orchestra on the road, in the pedagogical field, he works since 2013 as a lecturer in the framework of the Austrian Federal Ministry for education and research programme “culture is strength – education alliances”.
In Horny action against Corona: So your support for the small cinemas and see really good movies! PCP Horny action against Corona: So your support for the small cinemas and see really good movies!
