Understanding the impact of COVID on arts and culture in the Puget Sound region

Men and women on a stage singing and playing guitars.

Source: Village Theater

BERK, partnered with High Peak Strategies, surveyed local arts and cultural workers to better understand the near- and potential long-term impacts COVID had on the industry and support recovery and resiliency. The majority of respondents indicated that lack of affordable housing and low wages were pushing them to leave either the region, the sector, or both. Building from the recent ArtsFund COVID Cultural Impact Study, BERK worked with an advisory committee to develop an Arts and Culture Economic Recovery Strategy for the Puget Sound Regional Council. The report outlines action items to retain and support the region’s creative economy, and guide the region towards a more equitable and sustainable vision for arts and culture. The vision also emphasizes the need for a new business model for the arts that enables collaboration and recognizes the contributions of the sector to the greater good.

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