With several art shows, exhibits and performances canceled or postponed, creators are worried about staying afloat as uncertainty mounts on the future of the creative industries.
By Samreen Maqsood
The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted Canada’s job market with there being a reported 1.1 million fewer paid workers than in February 2020 even despite the additional 246,000 jobs added in August. These job losses represent various sectors including the creative industries.
With several art shows, exhibits and performances canceled or postponed, creators are worried about staying afloat as uncertainty mounts on the future of the creative industries.
“Venue-based creative fields such as live entertainment, museums, and cinema have been impacted more than others,” said Emma Hartley, a Career Education Specialist at Ryerson’s Career & Co-op Centre. Impacts include a rise in layoffs, cancelation of internships, and decreased funding. There is also lower demand for new workers with Glassdoor reporting that their number of entry-level and new grad jobs has dropped by 68 per cent.
Since the hiring freeze that occurred in spring into early summer, some jobs have since started to recover and with there being a spike in job opportunities across sectors. “I have been seeing and sharing a lot of creative job opportunities in some areas of technology, as well as marketing and communication roles with our students and alumni,” said Hartley who noted that changes to the hiring process include “the frequency of remote interviewing” and the need for applications to be “effective communicators who can work efficiently in a distributed team.”
These challenges have not stopped new projects and brands from emerging as creatives use excess time during quarantine to start to launch creative careers.
Nevaitha Rajeswaran, a third-year marketing co-op student at Ryerson, launched her brand in August after wanting to start her own business for several years. “When we went into lockdown and shifted to a whole new world, I was temporarily laid off and doing school online. I knew that I would never have a better time to start,” Rajeswaran’s business bynev.ca focuses on creating custom gifts, stickers, cards, and event art.
“I think that I would’ve prioritized getting a full-time job rather than launching and building up my small business if the pandemic hadn’t happened,” said Emiliana Ayala, a recent graduate of Ryerson’s fashion communication program whose small business helped her focus on something that she “loves and is passionate about” amidst the pandemic.
Diphy Wellness is the personal wellness brand that emerged from Ayala’s thesis project during her final year of study. “I studied consumer behavior, sustainable consumption, and marketing which guided Diphy Wellness’ foundation as a brand and still supports our business practices,” she said.
For others, the pandemic has been a motivator to switch career paths.
“I was applying every week but a lot of jobs were pushed to next year. That's why, to make some sort of income, I decided to start my own business,” said Naima Javaid, a graduate student from OCAD University who developed igotchuna, a brand of personalized care packages.
Other creative ventures that normally rely on a physical, in-person experience are also finding unique ways to adapt to COVID-19 protocol. Virtual fashion shows, live-streamed concerts, and performances in empty arenas are just some examples of how businesses and organizers are making the most out of the current circumstances.
Though, certain financial hardships remain.
As a small business owner, Javaid said a challenge has been being unable to publicly display her work. “Connecting and communicating has been very hard for my business. I cannot showcase my work in public or local cafes because of the rules,” she said.
Canada does offer government grants and bursaries for artists and businesses. There is also the CBC Creative Relief Fund which has given immediate financial support to 119 Canadian projects - 43 per cent of which were from BIPOC creators.
As Canada’s creative sector continues to evolve, many creatives remain dedicated to pursuing their passions even in spite of new hardships as a result of COVID-19. While Canada has lost many iconic brands to financial hardships recently, this is only more reason to celebrate and support the emerging creatives.