Abstract
There are concerns that the socioeconomic consequences of COVID-19, including unemployment and financial insecurity, are having adverse effects on the mental wellbeing of the population. One group particularly vulnerable to socioeconomic adversity during this period are those employed freelance within the cultural industry. Many workers in the sector were already subject to income instability, erratic work schedules and a lack of economic security before the pandemic, and it is possible that COVID-19 may exacerbate pre-existing economic precarity. Through interviews with 20 freelancers working within the performing arts, visual arts, and film and television industries, this article explores the impact of the pandemic on their working lives. Findings suggest the pandemic is affecting the psychological wellbeing of freelancers through employment loss, financial instability and work dissonance, and illustrates the need for urgent economic and psychosocial support for those employed within the cultural sector.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 672694 |
| Journal | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Volume | 12 |
| Early online date | 13 Jan 2022 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 13 Jan 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:With restricted incomes, many participants reported difficulties with managing day-to-day essentials. This included concerns about the ability to pay utilities, including household bills (“Well, financially, I went from feeling that I was really able to pay my bills, to completely cut off bare,” ID9_theatre director) and rent (“I can’t pay rent if I don’t work,” ID10_stage actor). Some noted how financial disruptions had implications for material possessions (“I would have been able to go out and buy a new car, I could’ve got myself my new phone,” ID11_independent production associate – community arts and film) and the maintenance of existing lifestyles (“my lifestyle’s very expensive because of all the travel. . .so my savings are not as secure as I’d like them to be, and that feeling of, oh my god, this could all end, is so frightening,” ID7_theatre director). For some, the solution to these difficulties was to seek financial support from parents or partners. Often, however, this was a source of embarrassment:
Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2022 May, Warran, Burton and Fancourt.
Keywords
- COVID-19
- creative careers
- mental health
- qualitative
- wellbeing
- work
Access to Document
- Full-text PDF (final published version)
This is the final published version of the article (version of record). It first appeared online via Frontiers at https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.672694 . Please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher.