On a crossroads
The world of culture once again went into turmoil this week, when spending time indoors became the leading coefficient of infection.
The cinemas knew how to report a decrease in ticket sales, and there was also a sharp decrease in everything related to performances that are expected to increase in the coming months.
"Ticket sales stopped one day for more distant performances," we were told at the ticket offices this week.
However, pre-booked tickets for various shows, performances and concerts were not canceled this week, given the fact that these were already paid in advance and buyers did not want to miss the performances.
But the feeling is that the next two weeks are about to change the picture.
Continuous abrasion
The Director General of the Forum of Cultural and Artistic Institutions in Israel, Iris Ronli Riklis, presented a picture of a lot of fog this week: And family-based museums.
Additional restrictions at this stage may again lead to paralysis of the world of culture or large parts of it, and especially to thousands of actors, dancers, musicians, creators, designers, stage technicians and more, who will return to sit at home.
This is a huge amount of families who will return to uncertainty and may reach a breaking point.
Already now there is a decline in demand and a reduction in performances due to isolations and cancellations of crowds.
This intermediate state is impossible for the world of culture, and the never-ending shaking erodes its creators. "
Everything but routine
Kobi Frij, director of the Carriage Theater at the Jerusalem Bell Garden, says that the children's plays are the genre that has been hit and will be hurt in the most painful way, and the solution is not in sight: "More than 12,000 morning plays for Israeli children have been canceled In the last year due to green label restrictions.
This means that more than 5,300 actors, creators, set designers, sound and lighting professionals are left without a livelihood at all.
"On top of all that, we must remember that we are working without any outline to compensate or rehabilitate the children's culture industry. Although there has been no closure here in the past year, there is not much difference for us.
Signs of hope
There are those who still sounded optimistic this week and insisted that it might not be worthwhile to wake the bear from its lair in articles of this kind, so that restrictions on the field of culture do not appear.
The successful exhibition of recent years is on display in recent months at the Tel Aviv Museum.
"Kusama" has become a cultural event that has brought together 150,000 Israelis so far, in all weathers and densities throughout the days.
The museum told us this week: "The expectation is for another 150,000 visitors in the coming months. We think that in places where there are serious adherence to the rules of the green mark, people feel safer to come. However, already this week we saw signs that we hope not indicative "My point is that it will pass. There are more cancellations and rejections of organized groups from schools, given the large amount of isolation that is currently taking place."
Do not commit forward
"We need to pay attention to the differences between events of private producers and events of municipalities and large public institutions," explains veteran public relations woman Ora Lapidot, who works with major cultural bodies.
"When working in front of a municipality, the feeling is that you move forward and work as if there is no corona. For example, the municipalities have now started planning the Adlaide parades that are supposed to take place in March. The fear is that the event will be canceled "Those who have to bring in performances from abroad are in trouble because everything is in question. A show is not something you work on a month in advance, but three months in advance. Who will now publish a show that is unlikely to take place in three months?"
The crowd is thirsty, but the well is dry
In June 2020, the Ministry of Culture agreed with representatives of the industry on a grant of NIS 200 million following the difficult corona year that shattered the field.
It was also agreed on various methods of assistance to encourage and support Israeli culture, with the thought that these will allow a return to routine.
Upon returning to routine, Israeli audiences have preyed on cultural halls, including in places considered "adult entertainment" such as the opera or the Philharmonic.
It seems that another blow, in the form of restrictions on the world of culture, could cause a crisis that this time will already be difficult for him to recover from.
The finance minister, it seems, will have to pay attention to the world of culture earlier than he thought.
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