Culture in Crisis: Bectu comments on research into Covid-19’s impact on UK cultural sector

Bectu has welcomed the publication of research findings on the impact of Covid-19 on the UK’s cultural sector.

The Culture in Crisis: impacts of Covid-19 on the UK cultural sector and where we go from here report, led by the Centre for Cultural Value, shares research findings from one of the world’s largest investigations into the impacts of Covid-19 on the cultural industries.

The extensive study took place between September 2020 and November 2021, comprising over 230 interviews, labour force data from the Office for National Statistics, social media analysis, five waves of a UK population survey (the Cultural Participation Monitor led by The Audience Agency) and an analysis of the cultural ecosystem of Greater Manchester. Bectu was also interviewed for the research study.

Among its key findings, the report details the pandemic’s significant impact on freelance workers, who constituted 62% of the UK’s core creative workforce before the pandemic and only 52% at the end of 2020.

It also outlines a host of challenges threatening the future stability of the cultural sector, including imminent burnout alongside significant skills and workforce gaps.

Commenting on the report’s findings, Head of Bectu Philippa Childs said:

“Covid-19’s impact on the creative industries was devastating and prolonged, with many cultural venues the first to close and the last to re-open throughout the pandemic and significant numbers of creative workers being laid off. We welcome the publication of this report, which makes clear what we have long known – our cultural sector was and remains at crisis point.

“Freelance and self-employed workers have been particularly hard hit, with government support packages leaving them falling through the gaps. While we saw encouraging commitment to supporting the freelance community in Scotland and Wales, freelancers in England were repeatedly left out in the cold and continue to face career insecurity.

“We echo the report’s findings that the crisis facing our cultural sector is far from over. Skilled and experienced staff are leaving the industry in large numbers as a result of low pay and long hours. Unless pay and terms and conditions are improved the skills shortage will only get worse. The Government needs to step up and protect the creative industries and ensure a resilient future for its workers, who do so much to enrich our lives.”

Read the full report here.