Every day another headline points out an enduring issue, now being exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. Women bear an unequal burden of childcare and domestic responsibilities. As a result, women often drop out of the workforce, which in turn subjects them to more discrimination, and perpetuates a culture of male dominance.
The arts are no exception. Women are overrepresented in arts jobs, yet too often underrepresented in leadership positions. And as the pandemic continues, women continue to suffer the majority of job losses resulting from shutdowns and other austerity measures taken by arts organizations.
As the impacts of the pandemic begin to be studied, experts say that the economic and professional fortunes of women may be set back an entire generation. DDP is determined to bring attention to this issue which thus far has gone largely unrecognized in the arts field, especially in dance. DDP’s campaign will follow two parallel stories: the effects of the pandemic on women and the effects of the pandemic on the arts, in an effort to find the intersection, generate conversation and in-depth reporting, and create actionable steps toward a more equitable arts industry so that women can maintain and move into leadership positions in the months to come. Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing information daily about the economic impact of the pandemic on women in the arts. You can search the hashtag #YesThisIsAnArtsStory on Twitter or visit the dropdown #YesThisIsAnArtsStory on our blog to follow along and share.
