The case studies in this publication highlight just a few of the many ways in which culture, leisure and sports have responded quickly and innovatively to the challenges posed by COVID-19.
They are representative of huge swathes of activity happening throughout the country and there are many more examples which we were unable to include here. They represent a snapshot in time from lockdown in March 2020 to the easing of lockdown and reopening of museums, libraries, leisure centres and theatres from August 2020.
We have grouped the case studies into three broad themes.
- Digital Innovation
Council services responded quickly to the closure of their buildings by expanding their digital offer. These examples illustrate some of this new work and explore the impact on services and communities.
- Community action
Access to the internet is by no means universal and the examples in this section highlight some of the important ways in which culture and leisure services and organisations connected with vulnerable communities, tackled loneliness and engaged directly with those affected by COVID-19.
- Frontline response
Many culture and leisure staff were redeployed during the early days of the pandemic, to support wider council efforts to address the impact of the pandemic. These case studies demonstrate some of the ways in which their specialist professional skills were vital to response work outside culture and leisure.
The examples captured in this report highlights the important role culture and leisure was able to play at this time, connecting people, combatting loneliness, supporting educational outcomes, and helping those who were shielding. They show that public interest in these services was high during the first lockdown.
- Some libraries saw a 600 percent increase in digital membership as well as fourfold increase in the number of ebooks borrowed. Estimates suggest that libraries made 5 million additional digital loans and loaned 3.5 million more ebooks than usual.
- Loans of online e-books, e-magazines and audiobooks went up an average of 63 percent in March compared with the previous year
- 120,000 people joined libraries in the three weeks after lockdown began, a significant increase on previous years.
- Kingston Library Service reached on average 10,000 people for each of its online Rhyme Time sessions.
- Norfolk Libraries’ filmed activities were viewed over 172,000 times. That includes over 93,000 views of Bounce and Rhyme session videos.
- Barnsley Museums Facebook page alone had a reach of over 5 million people. Around 500 people a day took part in online daily challenges created under the banner of ‘Beat the Boredom’. Over 20,000 took part in tours online around exhibitions
- Hackney Council had around 1,700 viewers on their Windrush council page and around 3,000 in total for their virtual Windrush Festival.
The case studies also demonstrate the positive impact these services had on residents and on council staff.
- Magna Vitae in Lincolnshire were able to undertake 1,539 wellbeing calls and to distribute 110 ‘Bags of Happiness Survival Kits’ across 4 towns.
- The Festival Bridge organisation in Norwich distributed printed creative learning packs to 7,500 families in May, and 18,000 families ahead of the summer holidays.
- Gateshead Libraries produced 7,500 visors and made deliveries to over 60 different private care homes, paramedics, the Red Cross, the Council’s undertaker service, schools and nurseries as well as satisfying the demand to help protect Council care workers.
- The archive team in Gloucestershire allowed over 2000 colleagues to work successfully from home and continue delivering the councils’ wide range of services by creating a new system for logging and delivering post.
- The Rugby parks team made up and distributed nearly 1,700 supply packages to over 300 shielding residents. Supply packages also contained activity packs created by Rugby Art Gallery and Museum, which included puzzle books, sketch pads, pencils, paints and 'lockdown diaries' for children. Their foodbank operation provided more than 700 food parcels to residents and delivered nearly 150 parcels to people unable to visit the foodbank to collect.
While culture and leisure services and organisations have played a vital role within their communities, they also face uncertain futures. The Government's announcement of a £1.57 billion support package for the arts is very welcome, and yet it may be too late for many. The experience of a second lockdown will place further pressure on organisations already at breaking point.
Julian Bird, CEO of UK Theatre and the Society of London Theatre, told the Digital, Media, Culture and Sport Committee that 70 per cent of theatres and production companies risk going out of business by the end of this year. The Music Venue Trust estimates that 93 per cent of the grassroots venue network faces permanent closure and The Association of Independent Festivals says that 92 per cent of its members face permanent collapse [1].
The leisure sector continues to feel the impact of COVID-19, with many providers facing the risk of closure. The majority of council leisure providers have been ineligible for much of the initial funding support due to their business models and typically charitable status. They have high fixed operating costs, which they have continued to incur whilst closed and are reliant on income generation, which has been placed under pressure by closures and reduced capacity on reopening due to social distancing.
Community Leisure UK indicates that as of September 2020 returning gym memberships have stalled and started to decline because of a loss of consumer confidence[2]. Their research also showed that only 56 percent of facilities reopened when they were allowed to, with the most common reason for keeping facilities closed being the economic unviability of reopening. In addition to this, over a third of leisure trusts feel their future is insecure and facilities remain at risk [3].
This is a significant concern for councils, who in England are responsible for a third of swimming pools and grass pitches; 13 per cent of sports halls; and almost of fifth of all health and fitness facilities. They also run nearly 3000 libraries, over 350 museums, numerous theatres and galleries, and are responsible for many historic building and monuments.
Losing these services would leave many people and families without access to affordable culture, leisure and physical activity provision. Besides their intrinsic value to society, they play an important role in tackling health inequalities, delivering educational opportunity, promoting community cohesion and generating economic growth.
As some of the stories in this publication show, the impact of the pandemic has not been evenly distributed in communities. Public Health England research has shown that among people already diagnosed with COVID-19, people who were 80 or older were seventy times more likely to die than those under 40. The risk of dying among those diagnosed with COVID-19 was also higher in those living in the more deprived areas than those living in the least deprived; and higher in those in Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups than in White ethnic groups [4].
These inequalities are not limited to medical outcomes. Many of the groups most affected by COVID-19 are also more likely to experience digital poverty, while research from Public Health England has shown that the most economically deprived areas have less available good quality public greenspace and that people exposed to poor quality environments are more likely to experience poorer health outcomes than people who enjoy good quality environments [5].
Councils will have a significant role to play in defining the ‘new normal’ for communities, in tackling health inequalities and delivering the ‘levelling up’ agenda. These case studies demonstrate that culture and leisure can be central to these objectives.
Councils currently spend £2.2 billion a year on culture and leisure services in England, making them one of the biggest investors in this area. As largely discretionary services, they will be under huge pressure as a result of the current gap in council finances, so it is essential we acknowledge the important role culture and leisure has played in community health and wellbeing during COVID-19 and its potential in supporting a positive recovery.
There is an opportunity to build back better and it should not be a question of health or culture when it comes to investment. As these case studies show, the two are deeply intertwined.
Through the creativity of our artists, arts organisations, museums and libraries, we will be heard, and we will explore the meaning of all this. We will celebrate, console, commemorate and come together. Through creativity and culture, we will heal.
Darren Henley, Arts Council England