Save the creative spaces
Difficulties are piling up, which has recently been the hard reality of the creative spaces. Before the Covid-19 epidemic struck, we still felt the vigorous vitality of these creative spaces …
Assoc.Prof. Ph.D. Bui Hoai Son, Director of the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies, supposed that an urgent support package is necessary to save creative spaces which are at risk of bankruptcy due to the Covid-19 epidemic.
If we don’t save creative spaces timely, It will never revive.
Since the Lunar New Year, large or small art shows have been delayed; the activities of Vietnamese showbiz have been almost frozen. Artists, impresario are in difficulties to maintain and wait for the comeback to the stage.
In this context, cultural creative spaces face many more and more difficulties. Mr. Bui Hoai Son said that it is necessary to have urgent policies for cultural creative spaces because these are small and medium, even super small enterprises but have an important role in cultural life. If they collapse, they will never live again. The creators also evaluated that they are the places that create a new color for cultural life. When people are not in the habit of going to museums, theaters, libraries, etc., at a certain aspect, creative spaces will evoke everyone especially the young of curiosity, desire to explore.
“No activities, no revenue. It’s really tragic” is the comment of most creative space business owners. The harsh time made them extremely reluctant to carry out online activities and events. However, this method is only to maintain the existence of these spaces and almost no money earned.
How will creative spaces revive after the epidemic?
According to an evaluation from the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies, the state of creative spaces in the context of the Covid-19 epidemic is alarming because the main source of revenue for these spaces is not based on direct activities (exhibitions, films, lectures, performances, etc.) but depends heavily on services or short-term funding and projects. When disease struck, they did not prepare for the resources and capacity in time to transform their products and services. Nearly 200 creative spaces operating in Vietnam’s network are mostly small and very small in scale. Meanwhile, expenses for leasing locations and maintaining operations are so high. The lack of revenue makes the difficulty pile up. Because these spaces are so small in scale, they are unable to deal with these big problems.
The epidemic will be over. But the question is, How can these creative spaces recover? Will they come back on their own or they need the support of the state and other sponsors? Mr. Bui Hoai Son said that in some countries, the state will focus on private cultural creative spaces if they need help. And he supposed that in the current context, an urgent bailout package is required. The package can include leasing expenses support, unemployment benefits, concessional loans, tax exemptions, etc. Also, it is necessary to support both in terms of technology to continue the programs, events, periodic activities on the online platform.
Many creative spaces are stagnating
After a period of stagnation, creative hubs need to make efforts to find their own way to rescue themselves along with wait for help. We are living in the context of the online entertainment on the throne, the applause is indicated by the “like” clicks, which shows that a different side of the epidemic has changed the way we experience and enjoy the culture. This is also a “problem” that forces the cultural creative spaces to be more creative if they do not want to have one foot in the grave.
Online creations are the solution highly recommended by most experts. Without the system of buildings and services, now these spaces require proving the real creative element. And of course, the spaces which can recover from the epidemic will be ready for resuscitation.
By Van Hoa News