Evidence library

Covid-19/Coronavirus. This interim report provides a summary of the impact of Covid-19 on the Cultural Sector in Scotland, based on an initial one-hundred and forty-one responses. The first pages of the report covers individuals, the second part organisations.

Key findings from cultural organisations:

• organisations are keen to explore how to move work such as training events or workshops online, allowing people to continue to participate and possibly not having to issue refunds. Organisations are also not sure what systems or technology would be best for this purpose. There is also concern that the impact and outcome will not be as good as running the event in person, and that this will negatively impact future sales.
• Community and outreach organisations have done absolutely outstanding work to ensure the continuation of support online or by phone;

Next steps

We welcome Creative Scotland’s commitment for existing funding allocations to be fully honoured and the flexibility for them to be repurposed for core activity to secure resilience where needed; and we would ask Scottish Government to encourage the same commitment and flexibility from all public funders. Ask Scottish Government to ask all banks to support people who need to take a mortgage holiday or temporarily reduce payments; as regards to supporting those who are concerned about damage to credit ratings. Sector advice and resources around how to move events; workshops onto an online format; while considering how to monetise lost ticket income from in- person events. Information and guidance as to how to keep audiences interested who are used to in-person events; including how to communicate with older audiences who are not online. Marketing advice around how to get interest in future bookings without being able to perform live. It may be useful for Skills Development Scotland to provide guidance for those whose careers were just beginning? What questions should they be asking themselves? How could they support each other? What support do they need from mentors? A group/network for dealing with the issue of getting people back out their houses when this is over could be established