The Silver Lining Of The Quarantine Life

All it took was a pandemic to slow us down.

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought the world to its knees. A global economic slowdown, a frenzy across healthcare systems and a constant state of uncertainty in the minds of many, has brought quite a bleak start to 2020.

With the intent of containment and caution, social distancing measures are being implemented globally, and its developed an unease to the busy bodies in many of us. Staying at home and away from friends, travels and then further plans for traveling and socialising has brought many into unfamiliar territory. What does one do when constrained with the limits of indoor entertainment?

Thankfully, we as human beings are adaptive by nature. The silver lining through this shutdown has been the opportunity for us to also shutdown from the chaos of our lives and, pause.

Through this period, many individuals have used this time at home to remain productive and entertained. Picking up a new skill, watching that Netflix show you’ve been meaning to watch, FaceTiming your friends and extended family from afar have been common activities for many of us during these lockdown periods. As a result, Netflix has seen a net increase of 7.5 million subscribers, as have online learning platforms such as Udemy, with a surge of 400% in enrolments.

The arts world has also adapted its engagement and content during the Covid-19 lockdown, playing a role in building hope, introspection and relief to those at home and at the frontlines. Both, emerging and established arts houses adapted to digital mediums to connect to its audiences. Aalap Concepts, an emerging Indian classical arts platform for instance, have used Instagram to provide daily live performances and conversation series, while the English National Ballet’s principal dancers have connected with aspiring dancers around the world through live dance classes online. Commercial artists are also doing their part with global digital concerts, such as Lady Gaga’s “One World: Together At Home”, that brought together more than 100 artists and gathered 5 million views across social media platforms. By and large, at this time of isolation, people have turned to art, in whatever shape or form, to engage themselves.

Ironically, despite its vitality in engagement for individuals in their homes, the arts industry has been hit pretty hard at this time of Covid-19 isolation. A majority of performing arts and entertainment houses rely on social settings not only for their engagement, but for their functioning and survival. A theater is only alive through the audience that attend their plays, a Hollywood film set, can only function with a 300-person production crew working in close proximity to each other. Singapore itself had seen a $2.6 million decline in its thriving arts scene, with freelancers and established performing arts houses alike feeling the impact of canceled shows on their funds. From Broadway to modest classical arts centers, many are relying on donations, grants and relief funds to stay afloat.

The Covid-19 pandemic will unfortunately continue to unfold waves of difficulties to individuals, communities and industries. However, with a large pinch of optimism, one hopes that these unprecedented times will force us to build a more sustainable 'new normal' for our souls and to the industries that nourish them. Perhaps the lockdown will not only cultivate new habits in making the arts a more regular part of our lives, while also teaching the arts industry of new modes of engagement.