INTERVIEW WITH PAOLA

PROFESSIONAL DANCE TEACHER, CHOREOGRAPHER, ACTOR AND EVENTS ORGANISER

Prior to the lockdown, Paola was working in organising corporate and sport events / parties / dance videos / flash mobs / music videos and acting projects. But during the lockdown, her work as she knew it had to stop and she had to adjust to working digitally using Zoom technology. There was a change in energy which was quite new to her but she worked with her counterparts to support each other. Paola reflects that it was good to have a routine as she continued to teach virtually but it was a very different experience from working with people face to face. It has been a de-stabilising experience as it restricted her freedom and creativity pre-lockdown. She lost a lot of her dance company clients due to cancellation of parties and major summer events like this year’s London marathon, fundraising events and the cricket league in Dubai to name a few. When the first lockdown ended, she managed to get some jobs in corporate shooting and all the cast had to be tested for COVID-19 and a separate budget was set aside for this. Paola feels angry and frustrated as she has not been able to be creative in the current situation. It has affected her quite badly and she has lost trust in a protective system due to how things have been handled regarding the Coronavirus situation. She does feel fortunate that there is now some financial support for freelancers like her. The future feels unclear as furlough schemes or Self-Employed Income Support Scheme, simply called SEISS that Paola is receiving, seems to have been extended to April 2021. She deducts that it would mean social venues like theatres/ studios will be shut for longer and that due to job losses people may not have much money to spend and would probably have more negative reverberations. She is a positive person however the current situation is really testing and feels the government has not done a very good job with track and trace and providing support to the NHS. The lockdown could potentially go beyond December into next year and more support is needed. The Covid-19 pandemic has, and is changing her life completely.