North East workers in the culture sector are being asked to contribute to a survey which will help employees during the coronavirus pandemic.
The survey, run by Newcastle City Council, asks employees and freelancers working in the sector to share support they have used throughout the pandemic. This includes any practical support and how local authorities have helped to support people.
The culture industry helps to employ thousands of people in the North East and more than 4000 freelancers were employed in the industry.
Newcastle City Council launched the survey to understand the impact of the virus on the industry and hope to plan further support for those in the culture sector.
Cllr Ged Bell, cabinet member for employment and culture, said: “Newcastle is a leading cultural destination and we are proud to be the home to a large and vibrant community of world-class creative professionals and venues.
“Right now times are exceptionally hard for both, and we are doing all we can to support them.
“We know that culture will play a key role in helping our city to recover from the effects of this pandemic, supporting economic development, public health, and quality of life, and we want to see an environment in which those individuals, businesses and organisations can again flourish.
“For that to happen we need to know precisely what is needed, so that we can tell the Government, and ask them to work with us to get the sector back on its feet.
“That includes providing ongoing Government financial support for venues that will both struggle to reopen due to social distancing then need time to rebuild audiences’ confidence in visiting, and support for creatives to produce the new films, shows and works which are the lifeblood of those places.
“We also want to enable cultural professionals to go back into schools and communities to stimulate creative activity across the city.”
Newcastle Council is running the survey alongside local organisations Newcastle Culture Compact, the North East Culture Partnership, the North of Tyne Combined Authority and Tyne and Wear Cultural Freelancers Network.
To fill in the survey visit: https://bit.ly/2NqVERD
