Plea to creative organisations over bid to support arts and culture sector

As part of a combined piece of work from the partner authorities in the Leeds City Region, Calderdale Council is urging arts organisations, freelancers and other creative professionals to complete and submit the arts and culture survey which is now live hereThe survey asks a series of questions on the economic and other impacts of COVID- 19 on creative businesses, with the opportunity to contribute more information if preferred.

Responses will be collated and used to get a comprehensive picture of the impact across the region as well as locally here in Calderdale.

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Services and Communities, Councillor Susan Press, said: “The arts and culture sector has been particularly badly impacted by the coronavirus lockdown with museums, theatres and libraries closed and festivals, filming and performances all cancelled.

“This survey will help us understand the unique problems faced by cultural organisations and also let us know about the innovative ways that many have found to deal with the current challenges.

“The results will be used locally, regionally and submitted as part of national conversations to help us identify appropriate support for new ways of operating in the future.”

This region wide collaboration will help to track the impact that the lockdown has had on the sector, as well as evidence the new and creative ways that individuals and organisations have responded to the crisis.

The information gathered will also be submitted as evidence for the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee’s formal inquiry into the ‘Impact of COVID-19 on DCMS sectors’. This will consider both the immediate and long-term effects of coronavirus on all sectors that fall under its remit.

The deadline for submissions is Sunday May 31 2020.

The survey is one of the strands of work that the Council’s cultural services team has been doing to support creative practitioners, artists and organisations based in Calderdale.

Other activity has involved providing one to one support for organisations, highlighting opportunities where the arts and culture can be used to support resident wellbeing and signposting to funding specifically available for the sector. With many existing funds oversubscribed or on hold, the information from the survey will also be used to help funders to target their resources more effectively and identify any gaps requiring support.

All survey responses are anonymous and will be collated with results made public in June 2020.