EXARC worries a lot about the health of its members, the freelancers, the people working in museums, at universities and active in associations. We hope as many as possible will come healthy through this Covid-19 Health Crisis. #staysafe
The economic side of this crisis also has a face. The Dutch Museum Association estimated on April 9, that 25% of their museums will go bankrupt this year because of the Covid-19 Crisis, especially the smaller, municipal ones: https://www.museumvereniging.nl/....
EXARC expects a similar outcome for their 119 museums, especially if this takes longer, especially because many of our museums are smaller and more dependent on own income than the usual museum. That is the impact.
EXARC is in close contact with the Network of European Museum Organisations, NEMO. They are running a survey which has already been filled out by 650 museums and also have recommendations: https://www.ne-mo.org/news/....
Even at Sagnlandet Lejre (DK) it hits very hard: "We have no alternative income. Our focus is to meet with visitors. If we do not get revenue, it is like all other companies, then we go bankrupt", explains Director Lars Holten for TV2: https://www.tv2lorry.dk/lejre/sagnlandet-lejre....
Many of the 250 freelancers, members of EXARC, experience a drop in income for this year of up to 100%. Already by Easter, they can conclude that the current year is mostly lost. How to survive? There is support here and there, but the cultural sector in general has been struck often over the past decades, even though our work is important.
Picture: The Danish Queen, Margrethe II, visiting Sagnlandet Lejre in April 2019, informing herself about the construction of their large Viking Hall, to be opened later in 2020. HM the Queen is Protector of Sagnlandet Lejre. Photo: Sagnlandet Lejre.
