"We need to rethink how we build a sustainable and inclusive working environment for cultural and artistic professionals who play a vital role for society, the world over."
Those are the words of Ernesto Ottone, assistant director-general for culture at the UN's United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, after a new report found that 10 million jobs in the world's cultural and creative industries were lost in 2020 thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and national lockdowns.
The report, Reshaping Policies for Creativity, notes that these job losses had an impact on the entire economy as well, wiping $750 billion off the value of the global cultural and creative industries, per Quartz.
"Many artists and cultural professionals seized the opportunity of the rise in niche streaming services to develop innovative projects in the digital sphere," the report says.
However, digital revenues failed to make up for the decline in live events caused by the pandemic, the report says.
In the music sector, where live shows are a key part of artists' income, the dominance of digital means the division of revenues among creators, producers, and distributors "remains highly unequal," the report says.
UNESCO's recommendations include increasing public investment, taking a whole-of-government approach, creating more work opportunities
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