Artists and creative workers are at the core of the creative industries and a significant part of the gig economy. They do not benefit from paid sick leave and other forms of paid time off. Canceled gigs mean no pay, and with a little safety net, that puts our creatives at risk.

We must also remember that many nonprofit organizations and educational institutions who are significant sources of employment for creatives rely heavily on endowments. The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on our markets further exacerbates the earned revenue issue already at play in those organizations because of lost ticket sales. Moreover, ticket sales rarely cover the costs of these events.

Nonprofit organizations rely heavily on contributed income from foundations whose grantmaking is heavily influenced by the market. For our for-profit creative businesses, such as live music clubs, art galleries and the like, access to capital is regularly an issue. However, in times like these, it is critical.

The United Arts Council remains available to serve our creative sector – but staff are working remotely for the next few weeks. We will focus our efforts on gathering resources to help our creative sector, which can be found on Creative Compass. We will work with our partners and funders to facilitate information gathering and sharing, and we will continue to educate and advocate on behalf of our creative industries.

RESOURCES

Relief for Lost Income

Information and updates for the arts

Calendar Updates

The United Arts Council of Collier County is working to update event cancellations on www.UACCollier.com/calendar/ If you have postponed or canceled an event that is posted, please contact Kristen Donovan, her email is KDonovan@UACCollier.org