Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Organizational Movement of Theater Workers: A Case of Istanbul

Year 2024, , 1 - 17, 11.07.2024

Aylin Altınay Cingöz , Özcan Garan , Betül Pişkin

https://doi.org/10.26650/jspc.2023.86.1328185

Abstract

The COVID-19 outbreak that emerged in China in late 2019 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, causing havoc on national and global scales. Its impact on culture and the arts has been profound, resulting in devastating consequences for the sector. Recognizing this, a cooperation protocol titled “The Effects of the Global Pandemic on Istanbul Cultural Life” was established in 2021 through a partnership between Istanbul University and the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism. The primary objectives of this protocol were to assess the pandemic’s effects on Istanbul’s cultural and artistic scene, propose relevant solutions, and disseminate findings to the public through a comprehensive report. The protocol included eight distinct fields: cinema, theater, music, publishing, librarianship, museology, exhibition, and festivals. This study focuses on the impact of the pandemic on theater professionals. Throughout the pandemic, theater workers banded together, fostering a spirit of organization and solidarity. This collaborative environment provided artists with opportunities to collaborate, offer mutual support, and establish solidarity funds. In theater, the term “ensemble” denotes a group of actors who unite to produce a play. Each member of the ensemble brings their unique talents and skills to the performance, fostering a collaborative atmosphere in which they support one another, ultimately resulting in a seamless production. The concept of ensemble is foundational in theater as it not only promotes cooperation and support among actors but also encourages group innovation. We contend that the instances of cooperation and unionization witnessed in the theater industry during the COVID-19 pandemic exemplify the essence of the ensemble in the theater. In the study designed using the qualitative research method, an in-depth interview technique was used as a data collection tool. A total of 18 individuals, nine women, and nine men, working in the theater industry were interviewed. The data obtained from these interviews were transcribed and analyzed using the MAXQDA Qualitative Data Analysis Program.

Keywords

COVID-19 Pandemic, Ensemble, Theatre Workers, Effects of Covid-19 on Theatre Sector

References

• Bal, H. (2017). Sosyolojide Yöntem ve Araştırma Teknikleri (Uygulamalı-Örnekli). İstanbul: Sentez Yayınları. google scholar
• Baloğlu, B. (2020). Sosyal Bilimlerde Araştırma Yöntemi. İstanbul: Der Yayınları. google scholar
• Baltacı, A. (2018). Nitel Araştırmalarda Örnekleme Yöntemleri ve Örnek Hacmi Sorunsalı Üzerine Kavramsal Bir İnceleme. Bitlis Eren Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 7(1), 231-274. google scholar
• Charmaz, K. (2014). Constructing Grounded Theory. London: SAGE Publications. google scholar
• Charmaz, K. (2017). The Power of Constructivist Grounded Theory for Critical Inquiry. Qualitative Inquiry Vol. 23(1), 34-45. google scholar
• Coşkun, R., Altunışık, R., Bayraktaroğlu, S., & Yıldırım, E. (2015). Sosyal Bilimlerde Araştırma Yöntemleri. Adapazarı: Sakarya Kitabevi. google scholar
• Cultural Relations Platform, (2021). The Assessment of the Impact of COVID-19 on the Cultural and Creative Sectors in the EU’s Partner Countries, Policy Responses and their Implications for International Cultural Relations, Study for the European Commission. https://www.cultureinexternalrelations.eu/downloader/download-file?file=2021/02/CRP_COVID_ICR_Study-final-Public.pdf google scholar
• Çelik, H., & Ekşi, H. (2018). Nitel Desenler: Gömülü Teori. İstanbul: Edam Yayınları. google scholar
• Edelman, J., Gibbon, A. F., & Harris, L. (2021). The Future from Here: Theatre Freelancers and Planning for the Future during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Freelancers in the Dark. google scholar
• European Commission, Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, (2022). Study ‘The situation of theatres in the EU Member States’: final report. Publications Office of the European Union, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2766/89198 google scholar
• Gill, S. L. (2020). Qualitative Sampling Methods. Journal of Human Lactation 36(4), 579-581. google scholar
• Glesne, C. (2014). Becoming Qualitative Researchers: An Introduction. Pearson. google scholar
• Güler, A., Halıcıoğlu, M. B., & Taşğın, S. (2012). Sosyal Bilimlerde Nitel Araştırma Yöntemleri. Ankara: Seçkin Yayıncılık. google scholar
• Ilgar, M. Z., & Ilgar, S. C. (2013). Nitel Bir Araştırma Deseni Olarak Gömülü Teori (Temellendirilmiş Kuram). İZÜ Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 2(3), 197-247. google scholar
• Jackson II, R. L., Drummond, D. K., & Camara, S. (2007). What Is Qualitative Research? Qualitative Research Reports in Communication, 8:1, 21-28. google scholar
• Karakioulafi, C. (2022). The Covid-19 pandemic as a catalyst of art workers mobilisation and unionisation: the case of Greek actors. Revista Espanola de Sociolog^a, 31(4), a129. google scholar
• Menger, P. M. (1999). Artistic labour markets and careers. Annual review of sociology, 25(1), 541-574. google scholar
• Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. google scholar
• OECD. (2020). Culture shock: COVID-19 and the cultural and creative sectors. OECD Policy Responses to Coronavirus (COVID-19), OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/08da9e0e-en. google scholar
• Özarslan, Z. (2021). Yaratıcı ve Kültürel Endüstriler ve Covid19 Pandemi Döneminde Türkiye’de Kültür ve Sanat Sektörlerinin Durumu. Alternatif Politika, 13(2), 371-408, https://doi.org/10.53376/ap.2021.13 google scholar
• Ramalho, R., Adams, P., Huggard, P., & Hoare, K. (2015). Literature Review and Constructivist Grounded Theory Methodology. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung Volume 16, No. 3. google scholar
• Rosenkrantz, H. (2021). Pandemic-Related Rise in Unionization Means Managers Need to Watch Workplace Dynamics. SHRM. google scholar
• Serafini, P. & Novosel N. (2021). Culture as care: Argentina’s cultural policy response to Covid-19, Cultural Trends, 30(1), 52-62. google scholar
• Seyidoğlu, H. (2003). Bilimsel araştırma ve Yazma El Kitabı. İstanbul: Güzem Can Yayınları. google scholar
• Shaheen, M., Pradhan, S., & Ranajee. (2019). Sampling in Qualitative Research. In M. Shaheen, Sampling in Qualitative Research (pp. 25-51). Telangana: IGI Global. google scholar
• Staunton, B. (2020). Herding cats or fighting like lions? Artists and trade union organising. European Trade Union Institute, HesaMag, https://www.etui.org/publications/herding-cats-or-fighting-lions-artists-and-trade-union-organising google scholar
• Sutopo, O. R., Wibawanto, G. R., Utomo, A., Beta, A. R., & Kurnia, N. (2022). The Mode of Reflexive Practice among Young Indonesian Creative Workers in the Time of COVID-19. Sociological Research Online, Vol. 27(4), 878-895. google scholar
• Tiyatro Dergisi, (2019), Türünün İlk Örneği: Tüm yönleriyle “Tiyatro Kooperatifi”, https://tiyatrodergisi.com.tr/turunun-ilk-ornegi-tum-yonleriyle-tiyatro-kooperatifi/. google scholar
• Tiyatro Kooperatifi (2021),https://tiyatrokooperatifi.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Tiyatro-Kooperatifi-1.Do%CC%88nem-Faaliyet-Raporu.pdf google scholar
• TÜİK (2021), https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Cinema-and-Performing-Arts-Statistics-2021-45743. google scholar
• TÜİK (2022), https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Cinema-and-Performing-Arts-Statistics-2022-49695. google scholar
• VanMaanen, J. (1979). Reclaiming qualitativemethodsfororganisationalresearch: Apreface. Administrative Science Quarterly, 24(4), 520-526. google scholar
• Veri Kaynağı (2023), Retrived from https://www.verikaynagi.com/ana-baslik/dunya-kuresi/kultur-sanat/. google scholar
• Yıldırım, A. & Şimşek, H. (2004). Sosyal Bilimlerde Nitel Araştırma Yöntemleri. Ankara: Seçkin Yayıncılık. google scholar
• Yiğit, E. (2021). Pandemi Sürecinde Sanat Alanındaki Dayanışma. Birikim, 381, 68-75. google scholar