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No one will get rich from concerts, theater, and stand-up shows this Christmas. And fortunately for that.
In 2017, Kurt Nilsen sold 46,000 tickets to his Christmas concerts. This year, you have to cover a much smaller audience, if you choose to go on tour. Photo: K&U / K&U, brochure
commentary
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On Monday, Culture Minister Abid Raja released the details of the new stimulus plan for cultural life. It was almost to be able to hear the ringing of the Christmas bells.
Finally, restless musicians, comedians and actors can hit the road again. And most importantly, it will be a cultural Christmas in the many concert stages, theater stages, houses of culture and churches in the country.
Why is this so important right now? Yes, because most of the culture industry has two peak seasons in a work year. One is the summer festival, the other is Christmas.
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We won’t be billionaires this time
This year’s coronary festival season was a sad affair for Norwegian cultural life. After cancellations across the country, most were left with a fraction of what they were used to. And although various compensation schemes have kept artificial life in the Norwegian culture industry to the end, the crisis in the crown is really starting to erode.
When the Minister of Culture now asks the culture industry to “turn around, turn around and act,” then the time is right. Norwegian cultural life desperately needs hard-working artists to go on tour again, even if they don’t get rich. It will create life throughout the value chain and it is absolutely necessary.
Where the previous crown scheme gave the culture industry money to stay at home, the new scheme will reward those who help keep the wheels turning.
It is designed so that it hits wide. The money will go towards operating costs, such as rental expenses and salary expenses. Everyone should be paid for the work they do, including artists and organizers. But they can only cover a three percent profit, so the biggest fish in the growing pond has yet to seek far and wide for this year’s big millions of profit.
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It can do more harm than good
At the same time that the new scheme was presented, there was also a clear signal that the tap will soon be closed again for those who cancel the events. As of the New Year, it is over. This generated reactions in the culture industry earlier this fall.
A month ago, several Norwegian cultural buildings were lit red to support Red alert. It was a coordinated European demonstration against cuts in the crown bracket, driven by lighting, sound and image technicians.
It is understandable that cultural workers with thin wallets doubt existing support schemes. But support that rewards passivity over activity can, in the long run, do more harm than good.
The culture industry is already an industry characterized by small margins and a lot of hard work. Re-experiencing 20,000 people in Valle Hovin is still a very distant dream for most of us.
The reality is that the culture industry is probably one of the industries that has the most to live with the crisis of the crown. If parts of the industry fall completely, the damage can have a ripple effect for many years after the pandemic is fought.
Therefore, it is important that both authorities and cultural life do what they can to help create activity and keep the wheels moving for as many people as possible. Although that does mean that normally high-paid Christmas artists and organizers have to look far and wide for this year’s Christmas bonus.
