IMPACT OF COVID PANDEMIC ON THE LIFE OF ARTISTS

Abstract

To be an artist is to believe in life. However, artists from around the world failed to live by this truth when the covid-19 pandemic hit the earth in the year 2019. The deadly virus snatched away the livelihood of many artists, leaving many to the fate of time in the years to come. Though the situation now has much improved than it used to be during the early advent of the virus, the artist community is still struggling to relive the glorious days of the past. A majority of artists still count on on-stage performances to earn their bread and butter. They have not yet been psychologically and/ or financially prepared to switch to online platforms. On the other hand, for the audience, switching to digital platforms for the daily dose of entertainment has become a new normal. This has led to fewer stage shows, loss of opportunities, a higher rate of unemployment, and a high rate of stress and anxiety amongst the artist community. This article has tried to touch upon various pain points of the artist community, in general, around the world, backed by numerous statistics and data secured from verified online resources. The aim is to create an acknowledgement of the fact that the artist community is in desperate need of a friendly push, now more than ever, to be able to retain its healthy contribution to society, like it used to be before the pandemic.