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Friday 11 September 2020

Loss and More Loss:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the Cultural and Creative Sectors of Aruba

tutions have provided online and threat to the cultural and creative
ORANJESTAD — Along with the tourism industry, cultural and creative free content in recent weeks for industries, as some companies
sectors are among the most affected economies by the current coro- that purpose. Sustainable busi- and self-employed persons suf-
navirus (Covid-19) crisis. Last month on Monday, August 3rd 2020 the ness models during and after the fer major losses. Many freelancers
Prime Minister of Aruba announced the new Covid procedures in ef- initial crisis are now crucial for the and micro-enterprises work in the
fect, after a rise in (local transmissions) registered cases emerged. sector’s survival. Leaving behind creative industries. They depend
These procedures include but are not limited to: obligatory use of the more unstable part of the in- more than others on events and
masks, no dancing, no DJ/Band performances, no agglomeration at dustry could trigger irreparable markets for earning money. Many
bars, and 4 people max at a table in a restaurant, just to name a few. socio-economic destruction. The artists, such as singers, profession-
The reaction of the community, especially professionals in the Aruban current trial for all countries, es- als in event and stage technol-
Cultural and Creative Industry (CCI), were not positive. pecially small island states such ogy, photographers, actors or
as Aruba is to design public pro- writers, live on the edge of subsis-
Many specifically in the music industry came forth on their Facebook visions that alleviate the negative tence anyway. Due to the can-
pages and expressed their disappointment and deep concern in re- impacts in the short term and help cellation of events, these groups
gards to the new procedures. Most of these people completely de- pinpoint new opportunities in the face severe existential problems.
pend on their gigs and performances to put food on the table and to medium term for different public, We also observe that the cultural
pay their bills. These new guidelines cause a huge financial loss and to private and non-profit stakehold- industries are more affected than
make it more stressful, considering most of them are not even eligible ers engaged in cultural and cre- the creative industries” (p.1). The
to receive the subsidy plan of the Aruban Government. Up until now, ative production. difference between the cultural
most of these measures are still in effect. and creative industries is that
Research Case Study in Germany cultural industries consist of more
Besides the financial aspects, many others questioned the purpose Germany is one of the “best prac- cultural expressive output such as
for opening Aruba’s borders if tourists can’t enjoy some musical per- tice” countries that has used this performance arts, virtual arts, arts
formances at restaurants, lounges, bars, and other places of leisure. crisis as an opportunity to conduct and crafts, museums and galler-
The cultural sector of Aruba is experiencing a complete paralysis. proper research on their Cultural ies, while creative industries con-
Most museums are closed and no cultural performances are allowed. and Creative Industry. One of sists out of more creative outputs
However, Aruba compared to other islands in the region has the most these ongoing research projects that require more technological
organized and well planned recovery plan. Aruba has been praised is titled: “COVID-19 Impact on the support such as graphic design,
even by tourists for having a good plan and taking this virus seriously. Cultural and Creative Industries in gaming industry, big data and so
However, Aruban creative entrepreneurs are asking for a fair plan. Germany: Economic Effects in a on. There are other sectors that
They are not against social distancing and wearing masks, but are Scenario Analysis” and is conduct- fall in between such as publishing,
asking clearance to do their job in a safe manner and following all ed by the Federal Government’s marketing, writing and so on. To-
guidelines of the Public Health Department. Unlike many others on the Centre of Excellence for the Cul- gether, they form the Cultural and
island, they can’t work from home and they can’t receive the Gov- tural and Creative, in partnership Creative Industries.
ernment’s Covid financial coverage plan. So, their hands are tied and with Dr. Olaf Arndt, Kathleen Fre-
it feels inequitable to say the least. itag, Roman Bartuli, and Dr. Tobias In the report, the researchers
Theel, and the Federal Ministry for state that three major industries
According to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Develop- Economic Affairs and Energy in are directly affected; the music
ment better known as OECD (2020) expresses that “the current crisis Berlin. In this report, they analyze industry, performing arts, and the
is particularly critical for cultural and creative sectors due to the sud- the extent to which the cultural broadcasting industry. In the mu-
den and massive loss of revenue opportunities, especially for the more and creative industries (CCIs) are sic industry, it is expected that a
fragile players. Some actors benefit from public support (e.g. public affected by the COVID-19 pan- large part of the annual turnover
museums, libraries, theatres) but may experience significant budget demic in Germany. Their chosen of self-employed persons or busi-
shortfalls” (n.p). In bigger countries, the sector includes major multi- methodology is a scenario analy- nesses will be lost. This estimation is
national businesses with sustainable profits, but in small islands many sis in which they aim to examine based on the nationwide (world-
(small) companies and freelance professionals essential for the sec- the economic effects of public wide) cancellation of events and
tor could face bankruptcy. Ultimate loss is caused among the self- health measures which were intro- the consequent post-lockdown
employed persons and freelancers of the CCIs. This nationwide and duced to cope with the COVID-19 results. The crisis is furthermore as-
worldwide crisis creates a structural threat to the survival of many firms crisis. sumed to be of burden for self-
and workers in cultural and creative production. employed people and compa-
According to the Federal Govern- nies from the art market and the
Now, more than ever, the significance of culture and creativity for ment’s Centre of Excellence for performing arts.
society is undeniable. The accessibility of cultural content contributes the Cultural and Creative Indus-
to mental health and well-being (SDG #3), and many cultural insti- tries (2020) “the restrictions pose a Continued on Page 9