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Artists and workers associated with arts are struggling in the face of the lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the country.

Theatres, art galleries and all kinds of entertainment activities have been shut down for about a month, and the lack of work means that artists and workers have no way to bring in an income.

Jhalak Ali, a theatre actor, told Dawn she had been unemployed since the lockdown was imposed and was having difficulty with her household expenses.

“I don’t know any other work,” she said. “Acting is my passion and my profession. But without any work, I face problems and no one knows how many days theatres will stay closed.”

Artists, performers say they have had to borrow money and rely on rations

Writer, director and actor Yar Mohammad told Dawn that the lockdown had brought art activities in the twin cities to a halt and left people attached to the industry unemployed.

When contacted, Pakistan Artist Welfare Foundation Chairman Masood Khawaja, an artist himself, said theatre performances had been shut since March 13 in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, leaving people unemployed.

“All the theatre artists were paid on a weekly basis for three shows a week. From outstanding artists to small actors, all have suffered the financial crisis equally and it is the government’s duty to compensate them,” he said.

“We - the artists and directors - are not beggars. We gave 37pc taxes to the government especially three types of taxes to Punjab government and if the government will give the artists unemployment allowance then they will not feel ashamed,” he said.

Mr Khawaja said the Punjab government gives local artists who cannot find work Rs5,000 a month.

Punjab Arts Council Rawalpindi Director Waqar Ahmed told Dawn: “As a government organisation, we paid the actors and workers but the private sector has not paid artists a single penny.”

He said 127 artists from the Rawalpindi region had been paid Rs5,000 per month.

Islamabad

Local art in the capital is also feeling the impact of the ban on public gatherings imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA), which was holding cultural events every day since February 1, has cancelled all theatre and musical performances indefinitely. Lok Virsa, too, has called off all its engagements. The situation has put artists out of work.

Two weeks ago, the Rawalpindi Islamabad Musicians Welfare Organisation also ran out of its funds to support musicians. Musicians paid Rs500 each into the fund to help members hit by financial difficulties.

“We have only ourselves to turn to. We still have not heard from Rawalpindi arts council, which took our details 10 days ago. The Rs200,000 was used to buy rations for some of the needy fellow musicians whose children had gone a few days without breakfast,” said the fund’s president, Zahid Ali.

A musician himself, Mr Ali has played piano with many renowned singers from across the country over the last 24 years. He fears that even after restrictions on events are lifted, musicians will still have no source of income when things are quiet during the month of Ramazan.

“And June and July are too warm for concerts and weddings and musicians are left to struggle,” he added.

Drummer Shahid Ali, 42, looks forward to small gigs to make a living. He is equally pessimistic. The outbreak has forced him to rely on rations that are provided daily.

“I don’t know how long before people will want to sit in a hall next to someone and listen to music. It’s going to change the whole scene,” he said.

Senior drama director at the Punjab Arts Council Rawalpindi Amin Shahzada used to direct, write and act in theatre productions on an almost daily basis.

“I could easily engage 25 to 30 people when producing a drama. Better still were performances at schools and colleges that added to our daily incomes. But everything is cancelled now and we do not know for how long,” Mr Shahzada told Dawn.

Lok Virsa Executive Director Talha Ali Kushvaha said his organisation can pay the salaries of low-income artists for now but beyond June Lok Virsa may have to cut the salaries of higher paid staff to pay artists in the lower income brackets.

“We have to open the museum soon and rent out two concert spaces to make money. But if restrictions on social distancing are extended, the situation for artists will get very serious,” he told Dawn.

The PNCA is trying to connect daily-wage artists to the prime minister’s welfare package.

But lovers of art and artists need not despair, said PNCA Director General Dr Fouzia Saeed.

With mandatory social distancing measures imposed, the PNCA is working on new ways to keep entertainment alive. In this, the internet plays a huge role, she said.

Originally published in Dawn, April 13th, 2020