We employed 250+ artists in 2020

2020 has been an incredibly difficult year for the cultural sector nationwide. As soon as the first lockdown started back in March last year, the effect on the sector was immediate. With venues closure, performing artists faced immediate cancellations, revenue loss and extreme uncertainty. Throughout the year worrying news revealed the scale of the impact of Covid-19 on, what proved to be, a very fragile cultural sector. Back in June, the Creative Industries Federation declared a “Cultural catastrophe”, expecting the pandemic to provoke a loss of over 400,000 creative jobs nationally. Northern Ireland alone was projected to lose 21% (6,000) of its creative jobs and see a 24% (£300 million) drop in creative industries GVA (gross value added).

Amidst all of this, The Duncairn has kept working not only to entertain the community but to support artists as well. Our first major effort was the Duncairn Cabaret, which fundraised over £25k from our audience and paid for the performance of 124 artists. Our embrace of online broadcasting and videoconferencing technologies meant we could employ over 250 local artists throughout the year.

The Duncairn crew recording in Carlingford

These artists appear in the Duncairn Cabaret, the Take 2 series and the Carlingford/Duncairn Summer series. All episodes amount to more than 30 hours of music performances and are still free to watch on our YouTube channel. 

We are very proud to say we have made a small but significant difference to the local artist community and that it was possible thanks to our loyal audience support and donations, as well as the funding we received.

This is what some of the musicians we worked with think of us:

The Duncairn always put the artists first. I was absolutely delighted to be a part of the Virtual Cabaret. It was a huge boost for me economically, creatively and mentally.

Virtual Cabaret Artist

Artists were really struggling at that time and had nothing else happening. They hadn't lifted their instruments in quite a few months, so it was an emotional experience for us as musicians to hear live music again, and to have somebody right beside you playing music.

Zoë Conway, Carlingford Heritage Centre

Throughout the year, it has been our mission to redistribute the funding we received and share it with individual artists, whose income depend on their ability to perform which was wiped away by the pandemic. Yes, it’s been tough and we’re not out of the woods yet. But rest assured that for as long as The Duncairn receives economic support, we will redirect funds in the pockets of our local artist community.

If you want to help us support local artists, please consider a donation.