The Covid-19 Crisis and the Art Institutions

The Covid-19 crisis has caused unprecedented challenges for the art world. The lockdown has blown a hole in the finances of large metropolitan institutions and smaller provincial galleries alike, with knock-on effects for staff and artists. It is causing arts organisations to rethink their relationships with local communities and with the internet, and to consider how exhibitions and other functions might work in the age of social distancing, with a likely fall in visitors and revenue when they eventually decide to reopen. Joining Juliet to discuss this are Stefan Kalmár, Director of the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, and Helen Stalker, CEO and Director of the Turnpike Gallery in Leigh, Lancashire. They talked about the origins of the two institutions in the age of cultural democracy, and how they navigated the challenges of austerity and Brexit; their funding models, and expectations of what might change in the wake of the 2019 General Election; how they handled lockdown, including when and why they closed, how they managed their staff and artists, and how much support they’ve received from the Arts Council and elsewhere; when they might reopen, how they might deal with social distancing, how this might change their practice, and whether any crisis-induced changes might be for the good. A full list of references for the programme, with links, can be found via our Patreon at www.patreon.com/suite212, and are available to $3 subscribers.