Shuttered Venues
- The Music, Theater, Dance, and Visual Arts industry cluster is responsible for the majority of Colorado creative industry losses due to the COVID-19 crisis. The cluster is estimated to lose 31,781 jobs and $823 million in sales revenue between April and July. (See Table 7: 2020 Colorado Creative Economy Report) This represents just over half of all estimated jobs lost and 31% of all estimated sales revenue lost in the state’s creative industries during the time period. These significant losses are due largely to the state’s music industry coming to a complete stop in addition to other performing arts activities such as theater and dance having to cease all live performances.
- SBA Shuttered Venues Grants announced (June 3) https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2021-06/SVOG%20Public%20Report%20-%20Midday%20June%203%202021-508_0.pdf
- Marc Benning andLulu’s Reopening Story: https://gazette.com/arts-entertainment/lulus-in-manitou-springs-reopens-unveiling-months-of-thrifty-renovations-new-venue/article_a2d8b1d0-b758-11eb-8c39-1f75c86acff8.html
- Drew LiVigni and Il Vegano: https://www.csindy.com/food_and_culture/food_and_drink/il-vegano-s-elegant-italian-style-cookies-are-indistinguishable-from-non-plant-based/article_75ef085c-4eb9-11eb-b7a9-b7fcd5e9b25b.html
COVID Impacts – Job Loss
Colorado Creative Industries (CCI), a division of the state’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade, included initial impacts of the COVID-19 crisis in its 2020 Colorado Creative Economy Report. CCI defines the creative industries as including not only performing and visual arts, but design and advertising, publishing, architecture, film, television and radio, creative technology, fashion, culinary arts (like wineries, breweries, distilleries, artisanal food producers), and culture and heritage organizations. Through July 2020, Colorado’s creative industries had already lost more than 59,000 jobs. Hardest hit were jobs in the performing and visual arts, with more than 31,000 jobs lost. This is a stunning loss of jobs across the creative industries, an economic engine that had seen 25% job growth from 2010-2019 and that was responsible for $31.6 billion in sales of goods and services in 2019.
Gig Workers
- Manitou Springs moved to support self-employed gig workers including musicians, ride share drivers, and artists. https://gazette.com/news/local/manitou-springs-to-disburse-money-to-displaced-employees/article_9eee0e06-6d64-11ea-ab4c-5f9c1034dc63.html
- NBC published a story on the effect of economic recovery efforts on gig workers who had also posted W-2 income in a given year. That income made them ineligible for 2020 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, or PUA, a new federal relief program for self-employed gig workers and independent contractors: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/bureaucratic-snag-leaves-thousands-gig-workers-shut-out-relief-aid-n1234192
