Coronavirus: Creative industries “swept under the rug”
Just one look at Joce White’s feed and you’ll be longing to take a trip abroad. The 27-year-old dancer lives the life you can only dream of: travelling, partying and most importantly – doing a career that she loves, performing at some of the biggest events in the industry. Her favourite? Electric Daisy Carnival.
But all of that changed when the world went into lockdown. Her early 2020 jobs in Ibiza, Croatia, Bali and Australia were cancelled or put on hold – leaving her in financial worry. Thanks to savings and an online income, she was able to get through it. She’s only been able to start dancing again since July.
“I hit the drawing board and tried to come up with new and effective ways to continue growing as a performer when the world began to reopen.”
£13 million an hour is added to the UK economy from the creative industries alone. Yet, it’s predicted by Oxford Economics that 400,000 jobs could be lost due to COVID-19.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has recently said in an interview with ITV News that some people will need to ‘adapt’ and change career paths.
Although Joce has “always believed in having multiple streams of income”, she doesn’t think aspiring creatives should give up on their dreams and suggests they remain “adaptable” and “think outside of the box.”
“This will not last forever so keep your eye on the prize and the passion alive! Use this downtime to train more, stretch more, and sharpen your skills and technique. Most importantly, never forget what made you want to pursue this path in the first place.”
In a bid to increase government support, various protests have been taking place across the country.
Save Our Scene UK has raised £4,000 for the charity Help Musicians. Founded by George Fleming, 26, his mission is to “bring as many music lovers and professionals together” to protect the music industry. They want a tailored support package for creatives, which they say they haven’t yet seen.
The campaign also raises awareness through protests and social media. From dancers and DJs to the crew and security - he wants to protect the whole eco-system: “Right now, it’s being swept under the rug. These people are so important to the fabric of our country.”
400 music lovers took part in their #OnYourBike protest on October 14. Cycling from Hyde Park to Parliament Square - they even had Josh Parkinson spinning on a rickshaw. Before tougher restrictions came into place earlier this year, they hosted fundraising gigs across London.
Their second ride was set to take place on Monday but was cancelled due to the new ban on protests over two people during lockdown.
Save Our Scene UK is set to expand across different cities in the UK, each with its own ambassador and community platform. Future bike rides will run in unison for “ultimate impact and exposure.”
“Hopefully we’re going to be a platform which brings people together with engaging initiatives that people enjoy being a part of, whilst also sending out a strong message to the powers at be.”
So, what does 2021 hold? Joce is looking forward to making it through the year and hopes she’ll be able to perform at some festivals soon. “There’s nothing like looking out into a sea of thousands of people and feeding off of their energy. I’ll be proud of myself for staying committed to a dream I’ve held for so long.”
Written by: Megan Milstead