In my line of work, I get to interact with many creatives. Last week, in a rather small work meeting, I asked some creatives how they were coping during COVID-19. Surprisingly, some of them are really happy. The ones who have jobs, at least. Others, not so much.
At Zeda Magazine, part of our focus is on industry culture, giving creatives a louder microphone to shout about how the future could look like. We try to shine a light on creatives in Kenya, their hustle, their challenges and dreams about the sector.
Companies in our industry are working around the clock to make a notable difference on the perception of creatives and entertainers. As many would agree, this is not the time to make industry mistakes, lest they lose bigwig advertisers, and lose whatever little money they could rake in during this time.
As a young writer, relatively new in this space, I was expecting to deliver a shocking expose. Dark tales of 22-year-olds holed up in tiny rooms with no windows, being monitored on Zoom by power-hungry managers for 15 hours a day, without even a break to eat some something, if they are lucky to afford it. Such is our industry’s reputation.
For some, this is not the case. In fact, junior agency staff are smashing it. They are enjoying more support than expected, greater autonomy, and nice little touches like personalized packages bosses have been sending their way during these weird working from home months.
Personally, I miss the physical office space, sometimes finding it tough to bring fresh energy in a Working From Home environment. In terms of mental support, maintaining strong mental health has been the most difficult aspect of the COVID-19 restrictions, but the positive culture of Zeda has provided ample support.
According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), as the COVID-19 crisis deepens, artists and creatives in Kenya are flocking to both well-known and emerging platforms to eke out a living. And while digital solutions cannot replace the value and beauty of a live show, they are helping the artists survive.
This trend is giving fresh impetus to e-commerce channels and platforms for creatives. It has led the government to request UNCTAD to help address key e-commerce gaps limiting the uptake of digital solutions.
While digital platforms are useful for survival, scale is key. Livestreaming has a merit, but it is not without challenges. It is difficult to get attention because of the oversaturation in the market, marked by a significant rise in live performers moving online. Issues of electricity and internet connectivity issues can also frustrate the streaming experience.
Revenue streams generated by music aggregators, such as YouTube or Spotify, and in particular the Kenyan platform Mdundo, have helped mitigate pandemic-related losses, through the download of artists’ music tunes and ringtones for mobile phones, like Skiza.
With the current COVID-19 restrictions, most notably the recent lockdown and curfew hours, most artists are suffering. Those that depended on live shows, bars, waiters, waitresses, cabs, even restaurants, are all experiencing hard times with little or no income coming in.
In conclusion, there is a massive negative effect of the pandemic on the creative sector. Some are experiencing sunny days, but majority are having it very rough. But until COVID-19 is eradicated, I suggest conformity, adaptivity, productive dialogue, and a clear post-COVID-19 recovery plan.
