Freelance Performers Suffering From Loss Of Income
A survey says about 40 percent of freelance performers cannot expect any income this month, as they are hit by cancellations of cultural events due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The survey was jointly conducted online last week by 10 organizations involved in theater, dance and music. More than 2,900 people responded to the survey.
Asked about the amount of income they expect for April, about 40 percent, or 1,205 people, said none. Some 30 percent, or 978 people, said their income will fall by 50 percent or more.
As for future job offers, more than 70 percent, or 2,065 people, said they have yet to receive any offer.
Asked whether they are confident they will be able to complete the application procedure and qualify for an emergency financial assistance program offered by the government, nearly 80 percent said no.
Asked about what they want the government to do, about 90 percent wrote specific comments.
Some said they cannot pay their rents and utility bills, and they could die if the current situation continues.
Some others called for making the application process for the financial assistance easier, citing the difficulty in comparing their income on an year-on-year basis.
Other people pointed out that many in the entertainment business work without written contracts, and when their work is cancelled, they may have nothing to prove.
The Japan Council of Performers Rights and Performing Arts Organizations represents the 10 groups that jointly conducted the survey.
The council says the survey underscores the predicament freelance performers are in, as they face a plunge in their incomes and uncertainty about their future.
The council says flexibility and speed are the key in offering them public financial assistance.
