Covid-19 Resources & Community
The rapid and unprecedented escalation of the Covid-19 crisis has caused enormous challenges for our industries.
The APDG would like to express our heartfelt sympathy to those whose working lives have been upturned. While we, of course, support all restrictions that will protect the health and well being of both our and the larger community, we also recognise that this is a difficult and destabilising time for many of our members. We are all together in this challenging time and we encourage people to reach out and share support where possible.
This page is here to keep you connected with support networks and resources. If you are experiencing a personal crisis, please call Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14 or see the resources below.
All links are provided to support our community. If you have suggestions for more, or feedback, please fill out the form at the bottom of this page.
APDG Membership Fee Relief
In response to the economic impacts of Covid-19 on our community, the APDG understands that members may not be in a financial position to renew their memberships at this time. If your membership is due for renewal and you are experiencing financial hardship, please contact Rebecca at admin@apdg.org.au to request a deferral on your fee payments, while still retaining your current membership status. For members who are still working or in a financial position to maintain your membership, we very much appreciate your support at this time.
APDG Online Meetups
The APDG believes in social connection. Each week we are hosting online drop-in meetups. If you’d like to connect with designers from across the country, please feel free to join us for an informal chat about what’s happening, what we can do to support each other and anything else you’d like to discuss. You’re also welcome to sit and listen.
Live Performance Meetups
To join in, email meetings@annatregloan.com.au for a Zoom link.
Fridays – 1pm QLD, NSW, VIC, TAS / 12.30pm NT, SA / 11am WA
(Note: times may change)
Screen Meetups
To join in, email scottjamesbird@gmail.com for a Zoom link.
Thursdays – 4pm QLD, NSW, VIC, TAS / 3.30pm NT, SA / 2pm WA
(Note: times may change)
Helpful Surveys
For those whose work has been affected by the crisis we encourage you to tell your story below. The more responses these surveys have the more data we have to back up our industry in arguing for Government support.
Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) – Covid-19 Survey
Screen Producers of Australia (SPA) – Survey on the Effect of Coronavirus on Screen Production
I Lost My Gig Australia – Survey
Lost Work for Artists and Creatives of Colour – Survey from Diversity Arts Australia
HEartS: Health, Economic and Social impact of the ARTs – International survey from Imperial College London
Support & Community
If you need someone to talk with:
- Lifeline Australia – 13 11 14
- Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636
- Support Act – Delivering crisis relief services to artists, crew and workers specifically in the music industry.
- Arts Wellbeing Collective promotes positive mental health and wellbeing in the performing arts industry, with a range of resources available.
Find support in these online communities:
- Fresh Blood, APDG Young Designers Network – an established Facebook group dedicated to emerging designers and creatives. Feel free to connect and engage with your community here.
- Arts Tasker – a new Facebook group set up for work, skill and community sharing during COVID-19.
- Australian Arts amidst COVID-19 – a place for Australian Arts workers to ask questions and share ideas about how to work with Covid-19.
Supporting each other:
- Supporting Melbourne’s art institutions – an article with links to support companies affected by Covid-19 and funding cuts.
- #CreateAustraliasFuture – online campaign calling for Government support. Another article from Limelight here.
Health information:
- Australian Government Health Alert – regularly updated.
- Coronacast – ABC’s podcast covering COVID-19 with Dr Norman Swan.
- How Covid-19 is different to the Flu – explainer video from Vox.
Design Business
Industry organisations:
- Arts Law – legal advice and resources, particularly helpful for contracts.
- Creative Plus Business (CPB) – Wealth of resources for managing your creative business.
- Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) – Response to Covid-19 with support materials.
- MEAA Statement to Members – A copy of the MEAA statement (23/03/2020) – although designers cannot be members, a lot of the principles are pertinent and give a good guide for acceptable processes.
- Live Performance Australia – Stay up to date on latest developments in the live performance industry.
- Freelance Jungle – support and resources for freelance workers.
- Theatre Network Australia – response and actions for the sector.
- National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) – Support for organisations affected by Covid-19.
- Support Act – Covid-19 freelance artist resources. Mainly focused on music.
Helpful links:
- Covid-19 Freelance Artist Resources – a wealth of resources from the Freelance Artist Resource Producing Collective. A collection of four freelance producers and culture makers.
- Performing Lines – A growing collection of Covid-19-specific opportunities, grants, guidelines and arts jobs.
- Auspicious Arts – links to assist artists whose shows and events are affected.
APDG Resources:
- APDG Live Performance Standard Agreement for Designers – The APDG contract which should be seen as a reasonable industry standard. The cancellation clause is that the contractor should receive 50% of their fee or the next installment if the amount already paid is over 50%. It also stipulates that on cancellation all rights revert to the designer.
- APDG Resources – a range of resources for design professionals and students.
Government Information & Responses
- Australian Government website – the official government site with all the latest information.
- Australia Council – response to Covid-19. Announcements and resources.
- Australian Department of Social Services – Covid-19 information and support. Including information on Coronavirus Supplement, expanding eligibility and qualification for payments, economic support payments, crisis payments, isolation related temporary exemptions from mutual obligations, and more.
- Fact Sheet – Income support for individuals. Information on the new job-seeker rules and amounts.
- Australian Taxation Office – The ATO’s hub for Covid-19 support.
- JobKeeper Payment – payments to employers to support employees – register for updates.
Safety Online
Basic rule: Don’t click the link
When it comes to the ATO, Centrelink and other government departments, they don’t send you links to click on. They don’t ask for your personal information. They don’t need your drivers license or passport numbers. Coles and Woolworths are NOT giving away $200 vouchers. Foxtel, Netflix, Stan or any other streaming services are not giving you a subscription for free. DO NOT CLICK ON LINKS that seem too good to be true because they’re probably not.
- COVID-19 Scams – with increased online activity there is an increased number of online scams. This ACCC site provides updates on what to look out for.
Victoria:
- Creative Victoria – response to Covid-19.
- Coronavirus business support – If you are a sole-trader or small-medium business in the creative sector – register for the Business Support Fund.
- Support package for workers impacted by Covid-19 – If you are a creative who may have lost a job – consider registering for Working for Victoria.
- Quick response arts grants – from the City of Melbourne .
New South Wales:
- Create NSW – response to Covid-19
- Screen NSW – response to Covid-19
- City of Sydney’s creative support package – Article in the Sydney Morning Herald.
- City of Sydney – Covid-19 Support for business hub
Personal Finance
- Actors Benevolent Fund – Providing Covid-19 Assistance. The ABF is extending its support beyond just actors and you can apply for emergency assistance.
- How to apply for the Jobseeker payment – Article from ABC News
- Renting and Covid-19 information – From the Tenants’ Union of NSW, with links for other states.
- Support for Sole Traders affected by Covid-19 – resources from NAVA.
- I Will Survive – an article and accompanying webinar from Creative Plus Business with a strategy that might help you get through the worst of the crisis.
- Passive Creative Income – a webinar and resources from Creative Plus Business on royalties, subscriptions, and any money earned when you’re not physically present to earn it.
Jobs Boards
- Vimeo Jobs Board – find screen-based work you can do from home from across the world.
- hireartists.org – initiative to find work for artists by diversifying existing skills and expanding networks.
Working from Home
- Tips from NAVA – Today’s Office: how to work from somewhere else.
- Tips and tools from ArtsHub – Working from home tools for arts organisations.
- Video conference call tips – Article from The Guardian with dos and don’ts.
Keeping Creative
Thoughtful reading:
- Why You Should Ignore All That Coronavirus-Inspired Productivity Pressure – article from The Chronicle of Higher Education
- Art in Times of Emergency – Resources for Australian Creative Practitioners (Insurance, Tax, Super, Loans, Charity Support, Grants)
- Thinking about Livestreaming as an Artist? – learn from someone else’s experience. From Creative Capital.
- I Spent a Year in Space, and I have Tips on Isolation to Share – article from retired astronaut Scott Kelly who spent a year on the International Space Station.
Upskilling (no pressure):
- Adobe Creative Cloud: Two months free.
- Milke: Free online classes for independent artists and producers.
- Vectorworks – offering free courses and support measures.
- Disney Imagineering in a Box: Disney-focused but has short modules (all free) that articulate the important role of design, its many forms and practical activities to engage young designers.
- Coursera – The 3D Printing Revolution: Free course.
- EDX – Basic 3D Animation using Blender: Free course.
- Coursera – Seeing Through Photographs: Free course from MoMA.
- Creative Tech Workshops – from Elektrolab Brisbane.
- TAFE NSW – Fee free short courses currently available. Administration, business, digital, and leadership courses.
Design/Creative Thinking and Reading:
- Scenography Today – a hub for people interested in scenic design: industry news, interviews, photos, products and technologies.
- ADSR Zine – a platform for and by multidisciplinary artists.
- Scene – an academic peer-reviewed journal dedicated to a critical examination of space and scenic production.
- Prototype – screen culture beyond cinemas and galleries, curated and made from the heart.
- Crossing the Line – web magazine and resource site covering screen and moving image culture.
- Art Departmental – news, community and resources for the whole Art Department.
Creative Projects:
- United Nations Global Call Out To Creatives – help stop the spread of COVID-19
- Australians Making Masks – Facebook group for those interested in supporting medical practioners.
- Free Activity Packs – Set of 42 activity pages. Silly, introspective, and maybe a little existential, but appropriate for all ages. From Adam J. Kurtz.
- Wear your clothes backwards and learn cartooning – artists share lockdown tips and creative challenges.
‘Live’ performance:
- Live Streaming Schedule – music, art, literature and event from Australia and beyond.
- Fusebox Festival: A live performance festival moved online.
- Social Distancing Festival – Ongoing program of online performance, music and art to stream.
- The Iso Late Late Show – weekly live online cabaret from The Little Red Company.
- From our House to yours – A Digital Season from the Sydney Opera House.
- Australian Ballet Digital Season – this free cinema-quality digital season brings AB’s full-length performances to your home.
- National Theatre at Home – performance from London’s National Theatre .
- Australian Theatre Live – Facebook page streaming Australian theatre performances.
- Hottest front-room seats – comprehensive list of theatre and dance to watch online from The Guardian.
- Shakespeare’s Globe – past performances currently available for free.
- The Wooster Group – watch the final rehearsal of The Mother, which never got to open.
- Doin’ It For The Kids! – a digital family theatre festival with performances from all over the world.
Made for screen:
- ACMI Virtual Cinémathèque – a weekly online movie night at home.
- 14 best escapist movies to watch right now on Netflix – from Time Out.
- Manifesto – SBS OnDemand: an homage to the moving tradition and literary beauty of artistic manifestos, ultimately questioning the role of the artist.
Visual Arts & Design:
- Comprehensive list of online experiences – curated by the Perth Festival. Museums, music, art galleries, experiences.
- NIRIN: Biennale of Sydney – videos, tours, music, and learning resources.
- Journal from Carriageworks – virtual tours of artworks along with performances, interviews, essays, films, photography.
- Time Out’s Guide to seeing art online – guide to Sydney’s galleries with online exhibitions.
- National Gallery of Victoria – virtual tour exhibitions and drawing tutorials.
- Together in Art – Art Gallery of NSW exhibitions, articles and videos.
- Dezeen’s Virtual Design Festival – the world’s first online design festival, taking place from Wednesday 15 April onwards. You can get involved!
Dance!
- Dancing Alone Together – a digital dance world of online classes, dance-making prompts and dance performances.
- Grumble Boogie – daily disco dance class with the iconic Betty Grumble.
- Dollar Bin Darlings – Thursday night live streamed ‘Dooms Day’ disco.
Music:
- Phoenix Central Park – beautiful music in beautiful settings.
- Self isolating choirs and orchestras: music in the new world.
- Sydney Festival Playlist – Celebrate some of our favourite music from Sydney Festival artists and support Australian music. Artists are paid when you listen to them and every play adds up.
- Surry Hills Live (Streaming!) – live streamed performances supported by the City of Sydney.
Just nice things:
- Taronga TV – just sit back and watch some animals do animal things.
- Sea Life Virtual Aquarium – live streams of penguins and dugongs, craft activities, and home schooling resources.