Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny: COVID-19 and hitting the wrong notes for the arts

Abstract

On this Democracy Sausage we take a look at how the arts world has been impacted by COVID-19, plus whether the crisis has changed what Australians want from their governments, with historian Paul Pickering and composer and musician Kim Cunio. Even before the coronavirus crisis struck, artists were doing it tough – with crushingly-low incomes, and a sector withering from low funding, a reliance on philanthropy, and a workforce who have to take on additional skill sets to survive. But lockdowns around the world have highlighted how reliant we all are on the escapism and diversions that art of all kinds provide. So what could and should governments be doing to provide the support our creative artists need? Joining Professor Mark Kenny to discuss this and more are historian Professor Paul Pickering and head of ANU School of Music Associate Professor Kim Cunio.