UNESCO Warns Of ‘Crisis’ In Cultural, Creative Industries Due To COVID-19

A recent report from UNESCO has shed light on the difficulties in the creative industries, with over 10 million jobs lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic in what the agency has called “an unprecedented crisis in the cultural sector.” 

It noted that artists had already been facing social insecurity in many countries, with the pandemic only worsening the situation for workers in the cultural and creative sectors. 

According to i24News, UNESCO hopes leaders around the world will step up to ensure greater labor security for employees in the industry, which could include coming up with a minimum wage policy or better pension and leave benefits for freelancers. 

“Even in countries with social security schemes designed for freelancers or self-employed people (who constitute a large part of the creative economy workforce), a significant proportion of such workers were often ineligible,” the report said. 

Interestingly, according to ARTnews, the report noted that while the cultural sector was one of the fastest-growing across the globe, it remained one of the most neglected. 

Museums and other in-person exhibitions suffered greatly from lockdown rules, while government budgets often overlooked or cut proceeds for the creative industry during the pandemic.

In fact, in 2020, the global gross value of the creative economy slowed by US$750 billion. 

“All over the world, museums, cinemas, theaters, and concert halls—places of creation and sharing—have closed their doors. What was already a precarious situation for many artists has become unsustainable, threatening creative diversity,” said Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO.

“We need to rethink how we build a sustainable and inclusive working environment for cultural and artistic professionals who play a vital role for society, the world over,” added Ernesto Ottone, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Culture. 

[via ARTnews and i24News, cover image via F11photo | Dreamstime.com]