Artists face tough time in lockdown, many struggling to survive

As exhibitions, cultural events and even religious functions have been put on hold after the lockdown, artists, dependent on their art for survival, are facing acute hardships these days.

Artists are caught in the throes of multiple woes following Covid-19 outbreak and subsequent lockdown.

As exhibitions, cultural events and even religious functions have been put on hold after the lockdown, artists, dependent on their art for survival, are facing acute hardships these days.

“All painting exhibitions have been postponed or cancelled across the country. As a result, sale of paintings through such events has also come to a naught. With art buyers out of the scene, freelance painters like me have been hit hard,” shared Poonam Kishor, a resident of Rambagh locality of Sangam city.

She said that many painters reside in metros as they find more scope to succeed there. “Many such young artists as well as MFA students known to me also take painting classes to supplement their earning and pay the monthly house rent. However, the lockdown has put their very survival on the stake,” she added.

Folk artists are another lot, who are in deep trouble. “Barring big cities like Mumbai and Delhi, there are very limited options for a folk artist to make a living through his art. However due to the lockdown, all cultural events including local ones and those in metro cities have been either cancelled or postponed indefinitely right since March 2020,” shared young folk musician Saundarya Singh, a harmonium player and a resident of Jhunsi.

“As a result, opportunities for earning Rs 1000 to Rs 1500 at each local event or even more at out-station events have all dried up. I am struggling financially”, rued the 25-year-old artist.

His friend and colleague Hansraj, a percussion artist and a resident of Naini said that with religious events like jagrans also no longer being held, bhajan singers and instrument players like him were facing acute financial problems.

The scale of the problem can be understood by the fact that North Central Zone Cultural Centre (NCZCC), Prayagraj— a centre dedicated to promoting arts and artists while functioning under the central government—has set up a dedicated helpline (Amit Srivastava: 8840885937, Shailendra Kumar: 9026304208 and Ravi Sahnkar Gupta: 9140215796) to extend helping hand to urban, folk and tribal artists in distress during the lockdown.

The initiative has been taken following orders in this regard from the union ministry of culture.

“As part of the initiative, the centre will help out artists of the seven states under its jurisdiction including UP, Bihar, MP, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttaranchal and Delhi with the help of respective state governments. At a time when the artists are facing problems, we wish to stand with them and do everything that we can to help them,” said NCZCC-Prayagraj director Indrajeet Grover.