From Hope to Reality: A Global South Perspective on The Issues of Performing Artists During The Covid-19 Pandemic in India

Abstract

This article explores how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted artists and practitioners in the performing arts, particularly in Kerala, which declared a medical emergency upon becoming the first state in India to confirm an active case of COVID-19. The results show that online platforms and going digital were essential to keeping Kerala’s theatre activities alive during the year and a half of the pandemic starting from March 2020. Government protocols primarily affected seasonal performing artists and crews, whose economic and creative engagements were most heavily impacted, along with their freedom as artists caught in limbo under circumstances determined by politicians and bureaucracy. The protocols, though sharply restricting live performances, contained no emergency relief for artists with sorely limited sources of income as a result. Recognizing the state’s neglect, Kerala’s performing arts community continues to remain uncertain about its future.