New Beginnings – The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Early Career Theatre Workers

A report exploring how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected young people embarking on a career in the performing arts

Tonic has collaborated with Central School of Speech and Drama on a piece of research which seeks to understand the needs and concerns of young people looking to build careers in the arts.

The research was undertaken after recognising that today’s cohort of young adults (defined as under 28-years-old for the purposes of the research) have faced a highly unusual and complex set of circumstances in recent years. These have included the continued impact of Covid, the cost-of-living crisis, and wider societal shifts which have exacerbated already existing inequalities and created additional barriers to entry for those seeking to pursue a career in the arts.

The research and resulting recommendations have now been released in a new report for employers and policy makers so that they can be confident they are providing their youngest employees with the working environments and experiences they need to be able to thrive.