Images and writing by Hebe Lawson

The infinite scrolling through social media became a positive outlet for creative content during the COVID pandemic, but this dystopic environment was both a blessing and a curse to the creative industry. Nearly 30% of those in the performing arts and 14.5 per cent of those in the wider arts sector were unemployed by May 2020, leaving the industry as a whole, in search of government schemes and financial support.

Furlough schemes and arts funding were accused by many for being inaccessible and disproportionate to the industry’s needs, so the sector turned to social media for a solution. The innovative creativity and community spirit from the fine art, music and theatre sectors can be seen throughout these hugely successful social media campaigns.

#artistsupportpledge was established by artist Matthew Burrows to allow artists a platform to sell their work, where galleries and museums could not. Those involved sold their work, pledging that when they make over £1000, they will spend 20 per cent of their earnings on others artwork. As a system built on the community spirit of the arts, this campaign has been a dynamic force within the industry in bringing isolated artists, together. With over £15m raised within a month of the campaign’s creation back in March 2020, #artistsupportpledge has been a huge success and continues to support individual in the sector.

I spoke to self-employed figurative artist Liorah Tchiprout about her experiences of the scheme. The pandemic left Liorah without any income because she missed out on various government support packages. She explained that “technically I was self-employed, but I hadn’t been for long enough, so I didn’t get anything.” If she hadn’t stumbled upon #artistsupportpledge, Liorah would have had “nothing to fall back on.” She said that thanks to social media and the “supportive network of artists” in #artistsupportpledge, “suddenly I was a full-time artist with all my income generated from my work, and I still am a year and a half later.”

#saveourvenues was the charity hashtag used across Queen’s Radio’s fundraising last year. Along with hundreds of venues across the UK, the Oh Yeah Centre, Blackbox, The 343, The American Bar and Voodoo had been fundraising throughout the year, sharing their passion for the Northern Ireland live music scene and the return to in-person events. The campaign is also closely linked to #weareevents whose socially distanced protests highlighted the need for the events sector to receive further government support.

Dee McAdams, the operations manager at the Oh Yeah Centre, spoke to me on how the centre was forced to “shut down everything.” He said, “we were losing loads of events and seeing our outreach and support programmes stop.” Dee highlighted his disappointment at the government support schemes, being “slow at first” given that the “government struggled a little to grasp exactly what was needed and how to administer it.” With the support of the Music Venues Alliance, #saveourvenues and the Oh Yeah Centre’s ability to “learn, design and adapt” to the changing circumstances, the industry has continued to create “amazing events that we are very proud of.” The #saveourvenues Northern Irish venues have raised nearly £25,000 through its campaign.

#theshowmustgoon is a scheme supported by big names in the theatre industry such as Judie Dench, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Derek Jacobi. The campaign was established to raise funds for three charities, Acting for Others, The Fleabag Support Group, and the NHS Covid-Urgent Appeal. They have managed to raise over £1 million for the industry through merchandise, ticket sales and generous donations.

The campaign peaked in June with an incredible all-star musical theatre concert. The founders Chris Marcus and Damien Stanton said, this was a night of “pure joyous entertainment” featuring an amalgamation of new and old musicals, including Hamilton, Les Mis, a debut of Back to the Future and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s finest productions, all streamed live for the campaign. It celebrated “the wealth of talent in the industry and included a multi award winning creative team, over 50 performers and an orchestra made up of some of the finest musicians.” On reaching the million-pound mark, the founders said, “The views of the concert and donations from across the world really show the love and admiration there is for theatre and our talented community.”

These three campaigns are truly an illustration of the enduring community of the arts. These industries have embraced the necessity of social media. It’s important to highlight the positives that can arise from social media within an atmosphere of growing social media mistrust and it’s clear this new combination is likely to be a long-standing union.

Hebe Lawson is the Station Manager at Queen’s Radio and an English and Politics student at Queen’s University Belfast.

“Creativity takes courage”- Henri Matisse: The social media campaigns that saved the arts during the pandemic