OVER the last few months, the Morning Star and Culture Matters have jointly published a series of articles on culture and the coronavirus from writers revealing the problems the pandemic has caused in their particular area of cultural activity and what kind of solutions are needed.

The responses were greater than expected and although they were varied, certain common themes emerged.

Academic Jack Newsinger pointed out how the pandemic has enhanced existing inequalities for working-class and BAME communities as producers and consumers and criticised the retreat by funders into maintaining the status quo by protecting the big cultural institutions.

He suggested bringing the labour movement closer to cultural practitioners to help tackle the problems, using digital technology to encourage grassroots cultural production and consumption.

Clara Paillard, of the PCS union’s culture group, argued for an end to privatisation, an increase in funding and more cultural democracy, along with an extension of ownership and control of cultural production by local communities and municipal and state authorities.

Artists’ Union England’s Theresa Easton urged the labour movement, through the TUC and local trades councils, to insist on a say in strategic planning and distribution of cultural resources, by engaging with the culture compacts emerging in many of Britain’s cities.

Deirdre O’Neill made a powerful case for bypassing existing cultural structures and developing a “dissident film culture,” with its own local screening spaces and independent forms of distribution and exhibition, supported by the labour movement, so that the working class is represented fully and fairly.

Rod Stoneman made similar suggestions for developing a more progressive media, based on his experience of working for Channel 4.

We have all relied more on digital technology during the pandemic and, he suggested, a co-ordinated approach and some minimal investment from trade unions could help deliver an alternative set of digitally delivered media outlets through broadcasts, theatre, films and podcasts.

There were similar treatments of other areas of culture — Helena Sheehan wrote about science and the pandemic, James Crossley about religion and Martin Cloake, Charlie Clutterbuck, Keith Flett and Phil Mellows covered different aspects of sport, food and drink.

They all pointed, in different ways, to similar conclusions. There is a need for more cultural democracy — common ownership and control — of cultural production and consumption.

And most writers suggested more involvement by the labour movement in the struggle for a more diverse, accessible and representative cultural landscape.

So what’s next? Our plan is to continue with a jointly published series of articles on cultural issues relating to the problems thrown up by the Covid-19 pandemic.

But they will also tackle other current issues, stimulate debate and make proposals for fairer and more equal ways of doing things.

All the articles are online on the Morning Star website morningstaronline.co.uk, with longer versions available on the Culture Matters site, culturematters.org.uk.