The pandemic of COVID-19 has highly affected performing arts, acting, theatre, cinema and TV advertising included. Rich research indicates the huge impact of the restriction measures which were taken across EU countries on the Performance Industry. While navigating in these unchartered waters, the New European Agenda for Culture adopted by the European Commission in 2018, has set specific relevant objectives for cultural production, evolution and transformation. Specifically: 4.1 Social dimension - harnessing the power of culture and cultural diversity for social cohesion and well-being - Foster the cultural capability 13 of all Europeans by making available a wide range of cultural activities and providing opportunities to participate actively - Encourage the mobility of professionals in the cultural and creative sectors and remove obstacles to their mobility 4.2 Economic dimension - supporting culture-based creativity in education and innovation, and for jobs and growth - Promote the skills needed by cultural and creative sectors, including digital, entrepreneurial, traditional and specialised skills 4.3 External dimension - Strengthening international cultural relations - Support culture as an engine for sustainable social and economic development Young actors and technicians who are about to enter the respective job market or have just entered it are facing huge difficulties in adapting to these new circumstances for which they were most probably note trained in their drama schools and faculties. In countries with low national budgets for the digital promotion of theatre, lots of plays were streamed through the web in very low quality, thus, degrading the image of the artistic product and the artists themselves. On the other hand, young actors, who are now trying to build their professional profile will have to upgrade their digital skills to be able to present themselves digitally, to possibly pass much more digital auditions and to build their personal digital marketing. «DigitACT:Developing Digital Skills for Young Actors and Young Performing Arts Technicians in the era of pandemic» project addresses the above-mentioned challenges seeking to help young actors and young technicians form the show business sector to be better included in the under-transformation job market of performative arts. This will be achieved through: - Α state-of-the-art research on the current needs and gaps in the partner countries and the creation of 2 workshop curricula (1 for actors and 1 for technicians) focusing on digital skills - The implementation of workshops with young actors and technicians in the partner countries - The creation of a high-tech mobile application for registering and creating a professional profile. - The establishment of a pool of Young Ambassadors who will spread the message of the project in drama schools, universities, artistic associations etc. - The promotion of a Charter for Digital Skills in Performing Arts in the partner countries.
• To equip young professionals in the field of performing arts, namely actors and technicians, with specialised digital skills in order to permit them to adjust their work methodologies and outcomes to the pandemic conditions and to upgrade their professional digital presence as a means of more efficient cyber networking • To encourage the mobility (meaning the capacity of being virtually present wherever it is needed) of young professionals in the cultural sector and remove obstacles to their mobility, especially the ones imposed by the pandemic • To boost job retention, job creation, career development and life-long learning for young professionals in the performing arts • To spread the message of the urgent need for adapting to the new conditions among the culture and art sector and encourage stakeholders to take relevant initiatives in the partner countries. • To support culture as an engine for sustainable social and economic development • To foster the cultural capability of all Europeans by making available a wide range of cultural activities and providing opportunities to participate actively direct target groups (young performing arts professionals)
According to OECD (2020) cultural and creative sectors are among the most affected by COVID-19, with jobs at risk ranging from 0.8-5.5% and the effects being long-lasting. Performing arts innovate via digitalization and culture-education cross-overs, driving innovation and opportunities but risking inequality. The New European Agenda for Culture (2018), has set specific objectives for cultural production, evolution and transformation: harnessing the power of culture and cultural diversity for social cohesion and well-being, foster the cultural capability of all Europeans by making available a wide range of cultural activities and providing opportunities to participate actively, encourage the mobility of professionals in the cultural and creative sectors, support culture-based creativity in education, innovation, jobs and growth, promote digital skills needed by cultural and creative sectors. Young actors & technicians lack digital skills, impacting their adaptation to new circumstances. DigitACT project helps them overcome challenges, explore the digital performing arts and enhance their digital skills. It promotes inclusion through training, benefiting career development and the cultural sector's resilience.