Stuck inside: Context, precarity and the effect of COVID-19 on Romanian performers

Abstract

The coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 pandemic was expected to be particularly detrimental for performing artists, given the nature of their work. The scarce literature on the precarity experiences of performers following the COVID-19 pandemic has predominantly focused on Western and Central Europe. The present article contributes to the literature by investigating the experience of Romanian performers before and after the COVID-19 outbreak through in-depth semi-structured interviews. Romania is a valuable case study, given its peculiarities in terms of cultural policy. After the fall of communism, cultural policy was characterised by a constant dominant strategic focus on (mostly religious) heritage, while the cultural funding model is particularly detrimental to smaller independent artists and organisations. By focusing on it, the study shows that research on precarity needs to be embedded in the local (cultural) policy context, as it shapes the precarity experiences of artists. Without a proper understanding of the policy context, research will likely fail to offer effective policy recommendations.