Malta’s arts now ‘on hold’ as workers fear for the future

More than half of those employed in the arts industry were last month fearing for their future employment, despite the gradual easing of virus restrictions.
According to a survey carried out bet-ween June 15 and 21, as COVID-19 restrictions began to be reduced, 58 per cent said their jobs were at risk.
And 70 per cent felt that current guidelines, which include ensuring social distancing among audiences, were restricting them from earning a living in the arts.
“The arts were the first to shut down and will be the last to recover. Time is running out,” consultancy firm Culture Venture, which carried out the survey, said.
The majority (86 per cent) of those working in the industry say they need specific measures to support the industry while a similar proportion (84 per cent) believe the government does not understand the challenges faced by artists.
Some 180 people working in the culture sector were surveyed online. Half were employed full-time in the arts, with the majority coming from a background of theatre, arts education and music.

Since March, half of those claiming to have lost all their income due to COVID-19 said their losses amounted to bet-ween €3,000 and...