Coronavirus crisis has critically affected cultural and creative sectors due to the sudden and massive loss of revenue opportunities. Cultural&Creative Sectors are fragmented, and the weight of small and micro firms and freelance professionals is vast. Income breakdown plus limited access to credit can easily wipe away consistent portions of the productive fabric. Nevertheless, COVID-19 crisis has also led to new interesting opportunities for the Cultural&Creative sectors.

ICTs have brought about a revolution in many aspects of the cultural sector during the COVID-19 crisis, accelerating their implementation, offering challenges and opportunities at the digital level that have to do with communication, digital culture, increased interactivity between agents and new artistic and creative formats. Therefore, innovation and digital technology have helped to alleviate the impact of COVID-19 on individuals, businesses and governments. A new digital-based era is emerging, creating new opportunities. It has changed the way we work, learn, buy and interact. We must be prepared for the so-called new normality. But, at the same time, the benefits of technology are not equally distributed.

Part of the negative impact and lack of response from the cultural industries and live arts, as well as from public bodies, has been due to the fact that they have not yet come to understand and assimilate the keys to this context.

The digital context means both an approach and an extension. It implies a reduction in the physical distances that can act as a barrier and allows individuals to be brought into contact with products, agents or other individuals in previously impossible ways. The digital environment allows multiplying the links and/or reinforcing them. Although they may be considered weaker, with less commitment, it offers new terrain. In this sense, it is important to understand that the digital (virtual) environment represents an extension, and not a substitution, of the traditional (physical) social environment.

In addition, there is a digital divide that makes it an inaccessible medium for minority sectors of the population, but equally important for business opportunities. There is, therefore, a long road for innovation and many unexplored areas.

Find out how digitisation and Living Labs play a key role in creativity and experimentation in the new Social&Creative Policy Brief available [here].