A major survey will add up the impact of Covid-19 on culture in Sheffield – from closures, cancellations and lost income to young people’s future prospects

It was, says Professor Vanessa Toulmin, 'like a light going out' when the novel coronavirus and the ensuing lockdown cut a swathe through arts and culture.
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At their most basic level, theatres, galleries, festivals, gigs and conferences all rely on people gathering together to enjoy a shared experience. This, sadly, is the precise environment a deadly pathogen thrives in – so closures and cancellations came in an avalanche.

"It literally was overnight," says Prof Toulmin, Sheffield University's director of city and culture, who is leading a survey to gauge the immediate financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Sheffield's cultural sector. "One of our unique selling points as a city is our creative industry. There are 21,000 individuals working in it - how are they being picked up?"

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She is 'confident' audiences will return after the worst of the pandemic is over – but if the correct level of support is not in place, some ventures may never return.

Amy Farry, of Museums Sheffield, looks at Richard Hamilton’s work Kent State from 1970 at the Graves Gallery. Picture: Tony Johnson.Amy Farry, of Museums Sheffield, looks at Richard Hamilton’s work Kent State from 1970 at the Graves Gallery. Picture: Tony Johnson.
Amy Farry, of Museums Sheffield, looks at Richard Hamilton’s work Kent State from 1970 at the Graves Gallery. Picture: Tony Johnson.

"There are certain groups that are talking about completely remodelling what they do or certain ones that just won't carry on. That's what started my thinking about what we need to do, really."

As well as quantifying the lost income - "That money will never be returned," Prof Toulmin warns - the research will also examine changes to visitor numbers, and how organisations have adapted to deliver events in alternative ways. Submissions will be anonymised; the data will be analysed by the university and shared with Sheffield Council, the City Region's Local Enterprise Partnership, central government, and Arts Council England.

"Culture is not seen as a sector in the same way as manufacturing is - I don't mean that in a negative way, but the nature of it is not the same as 400 companies operating with 50 people in each," Prof Toulmin explains. "I was alarmed that culture was being missed out of business. It's quite clear that the creative ecology in Sheffield is massively impacted. There are lots of national surveys, every sector is putting their stuff together - music, theatre, art - but Sheffield I think is a city that really works on that creative ecology. It's all interconnected."

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Past reports have found that art contributes significantly to Sheffield's vibrancy and its economy - studio space alone generates a turnover of more than £1 million each year - while over 800,000 people go to live music events in Sheffield and its surrounding towns annually.

The Leadmill in Sheffield is shut at present and staff have been furloughed because of the coronavirus crisis. Picture: Simon Hulme.The Leadmill in Sheffield is shut at present and staff have been furloughed because of the coronavirus crisis. Picture: Simon Hulme.
The Leadmill in Sheffield is shut at present and staff have been furloughed because of the coronavirus crisis. Picture: Simon Hulme.
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"Ultimately the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Arts Council and local authorities will need evidence to show which areas need support," says Prof Toulmin. "The restaurant and pub business is already pushing forward, saying 'If you want us to operate on reduced capacity you've got to help us'."

It is 'pretty publicly known', she says, that Sheffield Theatres relies almost entirely on income from ticket purchases, while the Doc/Fest operates on a mix of sponsorship, public money, and the proceeds from tickets and passes.

"Some venues that are 50 to 80 to 100 per cent public-funded will be far more resilient than venues that rely on ticket income. The Arts Council model of pushing people towards a more resilient economic model is actually now penalising those venues who were operating in that way. That's what we can see, but we want to get the evidence."

A scene from Standing At The Sky's Edge, which ran at the Crucible in 2019. Picture: Johan Persson.A scene from Standing At The Sky's Edge, which ran at the Crucible in 2019. Picture: Johan Persson.
A scene from Standing At The Sky's Edge, which ran at the Crucible in 2019. Picture: Johan Persson.
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Venues in particular use funds from commercial events such as weddings and private hires to subsidise community-based activities that often benefit people's health and wellbeing, she says, while the availability of free online content such as gallery tours and live-streamed plays may be unsustainable in the long term.

"I think there will be a retrenchment," says Prof Toulmin. "How do you monetise that digital content?"

Doc/Fest is one of the events that has managed to adapt by moving some of its programme online, and making plans for screenings in the autumn. Likewise the university is planning a 'physical and virtual' Festival of the Mind, and the Off The Shelf literary festival is scheduled to go ahead but perhaps with a reduced number of venues.

The research is to be replicated in Rotherham and Barnsley, and the results will help to form an idea of the impact on 'future growth', says Prof Toulmin. "What if you're a young, independent, creative person - what is the opportunity for you in the next two years?"

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The survey is open until 9am on May 4. Representatives from events, festivals, organisations and venues can visit https://forms.gle/fMgBNRmVphGDQFf49 to take part.

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