Advertisement
Coronavirus: Singapore, Malaysia arts workers left reeling from cancelled shows, lost income
- Creative industries have been left reeling in the wake of Covid-19 – especially those that rely on audience interaction and live performances
- Screenwriter Ken Kwek interviewed more than 20 arts workers including Ivan Heng, Adrian Pang, Huzir Sulaiman and Jo Kukathas
Reading Time:7 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Kegan Venard’s life has been upended in more ways than one.
Advertisement
Over the past eight years, the 31-year-old overcame the vagaries of freelance work to establish himself as a regular lighting technician in Singapore’s flourishing theatre scene. On Valentine’s Day, he proposed to his girlfriend, a single mother with two young daughters, and they were set to wed in October.
Then the Covid-19 situation escalated in March and he found himself in dire straits. Shows which would have kept him hired until December were all cancelled, and he felt forced to postpone his wedding. To keep paying the bills and supporting his soon-to-be stepdaughters, he dusted off his bicycle earlier this month and started work as a GrabFood delivery rider.
“I often start the day trying to ‘psycho’ myself with positive thoughts. Like, ‘At least I get to spend more time in the sun,’ or, ‘I’m doing a good thing getting food to people,” Venard said in a phone interview. “But inevitably, after a few deliveries, my mood dips and emptiness sets in. It’s not just about the money. I loved my old job. This isn’t what I’m meant to be doing.”
Advertisement
It has been 24 days since Singapore closed its cinemas, theatres and other entertainment venues and a month since Malaysia implemented a strict movement control order.
Advertisement