22
Feature
Vulnerability
by Isobel Knight An independent muso’s take on where Sydney could be headed
Locked Out Locked Down What Now?
Isobel Knight
When I tell people I’m a musician, the general response is laconic, sympathetic sarcasm; “You must have had a fun 2020.” According to data from the Australia Council for the Arts1, 81% of arts workers are gig-based. By March 23rd last year, gigs were danger-zones and 50% of arts businesses had stopped trading entirely. In tandem with the federal government’s merger of the arts portfolio with transport (of all things), morale has, from my limited surveillance, been rather low across arts communities. This comes for Sydney musicians after five years of lockout laws. Access Economics data2 reveals that within this period, more than 270 venues closed. Foot traffic decreased by 20-40% in the city, and a whopping 80% in the Cross. In a concurrent but purely anecdotal turn, a number of my Sydney musician friends moved to Melbourne because they simply could not make a living in this city. A bit of doom and gloom, lighting a candle for all that was lost, even if it’s as frivolous as gigs in the midst of a global pandemic, is warranted. It’s also worth saying that the previous music landscape in Sydney was not at its most thriving nor inclusive peak. People were making cool stuff because diverse collections of people in concentrated space do that. But in the wake of the lock-outs and subsequent closures, it was hard to get in the cycle of getting booked, and the existing structural barriers for artists with disabilities, queer artists, artists who are BIPOC, and women, were amplified. It seemed like more people saw stadium shows than a band in their local bar. Then corona happened. Continues to happen. So what now?
