Arts during covid-19

There has always seemed to be a rivalry between hard subjects and soft subjects: Science and the Arts.

Also, the ever present debate centred on a zombie apocalypse: would the scientists survive, or the artistic people?

In a concrete World, the Arts represent music, film, literature, traditional Arts (painting, sculpture, etc.). They are and always have been underappreciated and don't always get the recognition they deserve. This is because they are not always staring you in the face like a computer, public transport, buildings, electricity, internet.

However, people have been watching online a lot more during the covid-19 pandemic, they've been listening to music more, they've been reading a lot more, and by reading, I am specifically talking about fiction. I imagine there are a lot of relieved and happy people who are thankful J.R.R Tolkien and JK Rowling exist; Adele, Madonna, Ed Sheeran, The Weeknd, Sia, Armin van Buuren, Jonas Blue, Martin Garrix. And regardless of how you feel or what your opinion is on streaming services like Netflix, there is absolutely no doubt some of you are glad for it and its competitors: the digital storage not to mention diverse and vast availability of film, series, stand-up comedy has helped you through your recent daily life.

One might argue the quality of the Arts available, but it is still Art and lots of it. If you don't like Katy Perry or Taylor Swift, you can listen to P!nk or Demi Lovato. If you don't like listening to Kendrick Lamar or Eminem, there is Tiësto or Calvin Harris, The Rolling Stones, Iggy Pop or The White Stripes. The same can be said of films, TV series and comedy on streaming services, there is so much variety and different levels of engagement that you can keep yourself 'occupied'.

If you are not passive, then you can be active: for the real organic people, you can create your own music, write your own book, paint your own painting, sculpt your own sculpture; take your own photos, colour in your colouring book, choreograph your own routine in dance.

I hope the people who never really appreciated the Arts now have a better understanding of how important they are and a better regard for them. It may not keep your food cool, it may not allow you to talk to your family, it may not keep you warm or cool from the weather, but try to imagine never listening to music in your life, never watching a film, never reading fiction.

For those who have always had the Arts in their life, they may say you can't miss what you don't have. True. But you do have it. So I am using that as a starting point.

And also a continuing point. Many, many millions of people do not have enough money to access music and films. To take it even further, many millions of people do not have electricity and hot water or even a house. They may not even be able to eat everyday and have limited drinking water. These people are amongst the hardest hit by the pandemic; and mostly likely in even worse circumstances now. So not only are those who have enough money and are able to access the Arts lucky, but we should not underappreciate the Arts.

There are many pros to the pandemic, such as lower levels of environmental pollution; the increased abstract appreciation of being with your loved ones in person; spending more time with loved ones for those living together; starting, continuing or finishing personal projects, but the Arts probably impacts you more on a daily basis, because when you are confined to the same four walls for a longer amount of time than you're used to, one thing you can do is listen to music, watch a film, read a book, colour in your colouring book.

Science caused covid-19 and science is being used to fight covid-19. While we should listen to the experts telling us what to do and hope they will be the ones who enable us to live our lives like they were pre the pandemic, we are interacting with the Arts to get us through.

- A.M.