GIG WORKERS
FEELING PANDEMIC’S BRUNT, MICHAEL KAST WRITES,
As artists, we know only two kinds of money: very little money and no money at all. We now, more than ever, seem to be living in the latter. Blessed to have had a good job before the pandemic driven economic crisis. Many were laid off and because we paid into our national safety net, we can draw from it. Granted, changes to lifestyle will need to be made so that we can still make ends meet.
There is, however, a sector of artists/ creatives who are not so fortunate. They are the “gig workers.” Contract workers in the arts and entertainment field. Contract workers such as musicians, actors, stage managers, directors, stagehands, lighting designers, set designers, set builders, ad infinitum. Each is essential to the success of any show, recording, or concert. A lucky few live where they work while a vast majority hustle for gigs or contracts that lead them to different venues all over the country. Once those venues closed, the contracts were cancelled, shows postponed, shows closed in the middle of the run, galleries closed before the opening and people’s lives were thrown into chaos.
I had recently reached out to some of these gig workers to get a sense of what they are feeling during this pandemic. The following excerpts are from my Arts North blog posts or podcasts. I must graciously thank those people that shared what can be a frightening and unsettling experience.
Some, like set builder/stagehand/carpentry instructor, Karen Anderson are lucky enough to have a household with a second income but feel concern for those that may not be so lucky. “I don’t want to work gigs. I don’t want to be scrambling to find something for next month or even next week. I am not angry that the theatre cannot afford a full-time tech team, but I am angry that the arts are so poorly valued and funded that theatres around the world will struggle to survive this.”
In a recent Arts North podcast, actor/ director Ray Strachan from Winnipeg and Theatre NorthWest alum says that Equity (The Canadian Actors Equity Assoc.) has continued to be helpful. They are advocating on behalf of its members and still providing what benefits they can. However, the number of cancelled contracts continue to add up.
Local musician Naomi Kavka writes: “I watched gigs get cancelled, tours get postponed, and venues close their doors. Our careers are often in a fragile balance of needing to regularly perform or interact with people in order to function. The same can be said for the futures of the venues that give us stages to perform on and the studios that we record at. As self-employed individuals, there was also uncertainty towards the government’s ability to support us, and thankfully there has been a self-employment EI program implemented starting April 6th that will provide a great deal of relief.”
Heather Thompson, who was the resident stage manager at Theatre NorthWest, has told me that this summer will be only the third time in 20 seasons she has missed working the Blyth Festival in Ontario. Heather was also my mentor for many shows, as I was seeking to acquire the Equity stage management ticket. (That is a story for another time.)
Stewart Arnott, who appeared in Theatre NorthWest’s Hedda Noir and also the Oscar winning movie ‘The Shape of Water,” writes: “This production (The Room) may have another life, and we all want to believe that. But meanwhile, I lost half of my contract, and then teaching and corporate coaching work which was going to be my bread and butter for the summer... vanished. So, panic? Be miserable and sad and sorry for myself? How can I be when the world is collectively facing a challenge unlike any, we’ve known in the past 100 years.”
These gig workers are part of this nation’s cultural fabric and deserve the same safety net as any other employee from any other walk of life.
Regardless of how we feel about our government’s response to this crisis. Regardless of what part of the political spectrum you decide to inhabit, we are all in it together. If you are interested in reading more about these folks, connect with Arts North via Facebook or