What does the cancellation of the Edinburgh Fringe mean for the arts and entertainment sector?
On the first of April, the Chief Executive of Edinburgh Fringe announced its cancellation following the Coronavirus pandemic. This was a low blow for the many artists that were due to perform at the festival that was supposed to take place in August. Although Brighton Fringe has been postponed to September/October 2020, it leaves artists around the UK (and around the globe too) worried about their careers.
Even though the world would be absolutely empty and miserable without the arts, it is also true that this is the first sector that suffers when an economic crisis hit or… a pandemic.
This is devastating especially for small artists that rely on the support of local communities and events just like the Fringe Festival. The festival is a charitable organisation that is considered to be “the single biggest celebration of arts and culture on the planet”.The arts as a sector is already underfunded, to see the Edingburgh Fringe cancelled is certainly a moment that brings sadness to artists and audience alike.
In a statement, Shona McCarthy (CE) says that the decision was not taken lightly but “Public health must and always will come first.” Scotland has reported 354 COVID-19 related deaths as of April 5th. The worries that the health system will not be able to cope with the number of people affected is what is bringing many events to be cancelled.
Members of the audience have been reassured that their tickets and their memberships are going to be refunded and a donation to support artists and the festival is encouraged. However, this leaves many wondering “What about the artists?”.
On Twitter, many of those that were supposed to perform at EdFringe expressed their sadness even though they agreed that it was the right thing to do considering the weird times we are living.
This though leaves many worrying about the future since artists’ careers have been put on hold. Even though donations to the Fringe are directed to support and encourage artists, producers and venues, it is definitely not enough to be able to support one’s living.
The issue goes well beyond the cancellation of the Fringe Festival, it is a lot more complex, and it could only be the beginning. Many believe that after the pandemic the world is going to face important economic challenges, that will see the world entering a new recession. With many companies on the verge of bankruptcy and many losing their jobs, the fear of people not having enough money to spend on entertainment is becoming more and more real.
Photo by mostafa meraji on Unsplash
Back to 2008 when the financial crisis hit, the arts sector was heavily affected, to the point that even Hollywood actors started getting worried about not finding work and losing the money they had in the bank.
I interviewed actress and director Carmen Diana Almeida Eleno, based in Cardiff, who said that all her plays have been postponed to a date to be defined. She recalled when her first play was announced to be postponed saying “We were almost ready! And the quarantine started the week before our first night... So it was pretty sad to be lockdown thinking that we were supposed to be on stage”.
Regarding the prospect of being out of work, she said “I guess that after this we will be in a period of less work for everyone. Less productions, less audience, an industry taking less risks.”
On a happier note, she mentioned how this break “is a good time to reflect about your career, your art, your style, what you want, what you don't want”.
The times we are living in require communities around the globe to come together. We are surely all affected by this weird situation, but if you have that spare penny in your pocket then it is worth donating it to charities like the Fringe.
Many artists, actors and comedians have set up Patreon pages in which you can buy a subscription to unlock the amazing content they create. If you can buy local and support the community around you. Just by doing that you are helping a lot the entertainment’s industry.
Written by Cloe Grampa
