ABSTRACT
When Winston Churchill was asked to cut arts funding in favor of the war effort, he simply replied, ‘then what are we fighting for?’
COVID-19 pandemic has been nothing less than the giant of all wars humans have fought lately, and it has had an adverse effect on the art industry across the world as well as in India. Cultural and creative industries especially performing arts have been the worst hit by the crisis. Owing to its nature as a cultural practice that requires the physical presence of an audience – no longer permissible under the pandemic – performance activities were among the first to cease. The Performing Arts industry plays an important role from many perspectives, including its contributions to the economy and society, employment, sustainable development, tourism, education, and a range of well-being benefits. But during the pandemic, the industry was worst hit. It has been very difficult for the industry and artists to survive amid the lockdown and many families whose soul work is their engagement with performing arts had a difficult time surviving with basic needs. Many artists have been affected economically and psychologically. The pandemic brought drastic changes to the art and culture industry 128with new normal being adopted in creative sector too, where concerts and performances were staged online to many artists bearing the brunt of having no means to survive. This chapter is an attempt to understand the social-psychological effects of pandemic on art and culture industry and artists in India and across the world and will also try to understand the coping strategies being used by the artists and how governments and culture organizations can nurture the art and culture industry survive from being drowned by the cyclone called COVID-19 pandemic.
