Page 8 - APAP - Inside Arts - Summer 2020

VO!CE
THE SHOW MUST
GO ON(LINE)
Lockdowns. Quarantines. Shelter-in-place orders.
In the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, the arts world turned upside-down. Theaters went dark. Entire seasons were canceled. Funding and income streams dried up overnight. In times like these, people turn to the arts for inspiration, connection, humanity. And the performing arts community has risen to the challenge, finding ways
to help on the front lines and behind the scenes, discovering new ways of reaching audiences, redefining what performance can be, and how it may evolve after this is all over. Here is a sampling of various projects that rose up.
POWER PLAY
As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, performances, exhibitions and classes were dramatically reduced, as were opportunities for artists working to support community development, public health, and other social services. An April 2020 survey by Americans for the Arts found that 95 percent of artists have lost income as a result of the pandemic, while two-thirds face unemployment. Those sheltering alone face unprecedented social isolation and loss of access to peers and collaborators.
In response, the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) has created the Artist Power Center, a digital platform and hotline to help artists and cultural workers navigate emergency relief and build toward recovery and regeneration. Launched with support from the software and CRM provider Zendesk, this long-term initiative features customized tools
designed to eliminate the challenges of tracking funding opportunities and will serve as a space for artists to organize knowledge, share resources, and create connections that will strengthen the creative community across the United States.
In addition to maintaining a continuously updated list of funders and resources, the Artist Power Center will provide phone support to artists as they navigate opportunities during Covid-19 and beyond. The Artist Power Center also includes a community forum page where artists and cultural workers can connect. YBCA will curate webinars developed by peer organizations across the country on how to apply for various programs.
“Covid-19 has made clear that many of our economic and political systems were already in need of reimagining,” says YBCA CEO Deborah Cullinan. “As we work to
rebuild a more just and inclusive world, we will need creativity and imagination at the forefront, driving social progress and policy change. The Artist Power Center will allow us to collaborate and support artists nationwide and develop a more informed understanding of the challenges they face.”
“Put yourself in the shoes of an artist who has just lost a significant amount of work. That’s overwhelming enough. Now add hours and hours
of grant and relief fund research
on top of that. It’s just too much,”
says Meklit Hadero, YBCA’s chief of program. “The Artist Power Center
is here so folks can connect with real people standing ready to assist. We will support members of our creative community in cultivating their own power as we work together to reshape the broader landscape for cultural workers.”
For information, visit https://ybca. zendesk.com/hc/en-us.
6 INSIDE ARTS SUMMER 2020
BRETT COOK