Supporting creative solutions to sustain artists working in the gig economy Erasmus Project

Project Title

Supporting creative solutions to sustain artists working in the gig economy

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Partnerships for Creativity

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Creativity and culture

Project Summary

The word “gig,” now commonly applied to any informal form of paid work, as in “gig economy,” was originally specific to musicians. Shorthand for “engagement,” a gig was a paid performance in a club or other performance venue: the working musician’s bread and butter. It wasn’t surprising, therefore, that performing artists were the first to feel the sting of the enhanced community quarantine resulting from Covid-19 outbreaks in all Member States. Overnight, the entire gig economy, on which their fragile livelihoods depended, collapsed. While writers and painters can continue to create in solitude the musician’s art and that of other performing artists like dancers and actors comes to life only in performance. Not being able to play live is a double whammy: It hurts the wallet, and it hurts the artist. Living with Covid-19 demands that all performing artists really have to get creative and build resilience.

The performing arts have an inherent power to promote humanitarian values. They enable citizens to break out of the increasingly predominant simplistic us-against-them discourse and develop free room of accepting and understanding different points of view which are essential for a healthy democracy. Today, performing arts remain one of the few mediums of critical thought on the complexity of the environment we are living in. In this context, it is crucial and timely to highlight, promote and strengthen the power the performing arts to underpin the social component of the European project and the arts’ genuine value for the sustainable future of the EU.

GIGGING-4-LIVING will work with adult educators to build business acumen within the performing arts sector. The range of opportunities now open to performing artists to build sustainable careers in their chosen artistic discipline has been profoundly increased by the rapid growth of technology based platforms and social media channels. National and international markets are now open to almost every individual artist on a scale that has only previously available to a very small, select few. While project partners are aware of these opportunities they are also aware that performing artists are not an homogenous group. Within the performing arts sector there are different sub-sets that will have different needs and different potential opportunities to exploit. Covid-19 has also had a significant impact on the mental health and well being of performing artists for whom live performance is their ‘raison d’etre’, the oxygen that flows through their life-blood.

IO1 – GIGGING-4-LIVING will develop a bespoke training curriculum that will have specific modules tailored to the needs of 3 distinct groups, namely; Musicians; Dancers; Actors. The 12 modules will be tailored to suit the needs and address the opportunities for each of these sub-sets of the performing arts sector that still pertain despite the impact of Covid-19.
IO2 – GIGGING-4-Living will provide a toolkit of resources that focuses on building resilience to promote positive mental health within the performing arts sector. The 4 modules will address issues like anxiety, low self-esteem, loneliness and self-confidence.

IO1 and IO2 will be presented in a series of 12 (IO1) and 4 (IO2) EduZines that are specifically designed to provide learning through smartphones and tablets. Each EduZine will comprise a range of different interactive learning resources that are built around the following 5 stage education and training cycle:
1. Introduction – Expert presentation to set the scene and outline the aims and objectives
2. Assessment of Prior Knowledge – Using an online gamified diagnostic tool
3. Formative Assessment – Setting questions and challenges that are designed to spark reflection or research
4. Peer Assessment – Submitted responses shared between peers to elicit feedback
5. Validation – Summative assessment through self-reflection after the peer review stage

IO3 – As the key training and education channel for aspiring performing artists adult educators will be supported with a comprehensive in-service training programme that looks at 3 distinct elements, namely; (1) Building an understanding of opportunities for performing artists in today’s digital economy; (2) Building the skills of adult educators to promote resilience within the performing arts sector; (3) Building the digital skills of adult educators to work in remote learning environments and to develop interactive resources for online use.

IO4 – All resources will be available on a MOOC specifically designed with both sets of target groups in mind.

Target groups for GIGGING-4-LIVING are (1) performing artists working in the “gig” economy; (2) Adult educators.

Project Website

http://gigging4living.eu/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 240809 Eur

Project Coordinator

FUTURE IN PERSPECTIVE LIMITED & Country: IE

Project Partners

• FO-Aarhus
• ALIANCE LEKTORU a KONZULTANTU
• Hauptstadtallee 239 V V UG (Skills Elevation FHB)
• INSTITUTO PARA EL FOMENTO DEL DESARROLLO Y LA FORMACION SL
• ENOROS CONSULTING LIMITED
• Rightchallenge – Associação
• MALTA COLLEGE OF ARTS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY