Are you an artist in the following categories; plays, poet/spoken word, storytelling, percussion, mime/physical dance? Are you from Eastern region? We are looking for you!

THURSDAY 21ST MAY, 4.00 PM , EAT.

Registration Link https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kybZqQMjSjCN4llP2Zba5Q…

Webinar ID 890 9950 9556 Webinar Password 170255

Available on YouTube live via AF Nairobi

The world has changed dramatically over the first three months of 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic impacting almost every aspect of our lives. These changes have been clearly evident in the world’s digital behaviors too, especially as billions of people turn to the internet to help them cope with life as they work under lockdown.

Data Reportal analysis indicates that 4.57 billion people now use the internet, an increase of more than 7% since this time last year. Social media users are growing even faster, up by more than 8% since April 2019 to reach 3.81 billion today. 

Global social media use hasn’t quite reached the 50% penetration mark yet, but the latest trends suggest that is should reach the mark by end of 2020.

As people spend more time in their phones there has been a Big jumps in digital activity, we are looking at a generation of Lockdown stars.

Social media organizations have also come up with policies that aim to promote creativity and earn: Facebook recently announced on its Facebook Business page that you can now earn by simply going live on Facebook and YouTube now allows creatives to earn from content they produce around COVID-19.

As the environment is becoming more favorable, the ball technically now lies in the arms of creatives as pressure now arises to create fresh and new content every day.

A lockdown star, Moses Murage aka Zj Avexy raised Sh 430,000 in a live set in the now popular “254 Diaspora Djs Live on the Mix. Viewers were touched with his plight as he was the first deejay in the group to just use a laptop to entertain. The money was to help him buy proper equipment.

It was just a rainy day for Moses, but social media changed it.

With no gigs and bookings, it’s easy to lose hope but, the numbers don’t lie; the internet is flooded, an average person spends 4 hours a day in the internet, great opportunity to be a Star, if you use your social media aggressively.

It might not solve all your problems, but hey!! You will survive corona and you will have a name out there.

Report by HEVA FUND

Concerned by the impact of the pandemic not only on physical health now, but on the livelihoods of creative industry practitioners in Kenya and in East Africa—especially those in live music and events, film, tours and tourism, general cultural heritage work, gaming, and other immersive experiences, fashion, and apparel, and more.

We took immediate steps to mobilize a creative and cultural sector response effort:

• With a view to understanding the impact (short, medium, and long-term) of the pandemic;
• To anticipate sector emergencies and needs, as well as to promote effective and evidence-based interventions.

We developed a sector needs analysis questionnaire, which we distributed on March 26th, 2020. It received over 510 individual responses from across the country—an exercise necessary for the development of an initial creative sector baseline. The findings were presented for internal review on April 8th, 2020, and then validated on April 29th, 2020, by 21 industry and association leaders representing several practitioner associations, national organizations, and leading creative sector agencies.

DOWNLOAD THE COVID-19 Resilience report : https://bit.ly/3c6hVyZ

COVID-19 could lead to an epidemic of clinical depression, and the health care system isn’t ready for that, either.

As the number of coronavirus infections continues to rise, the likelihood more people will need to self-quarantine or self-isolate is becoming evident.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people self-quarantine if they are concerned they may become ill following possible exposure. Those who are actually sick with COVID-19, the new strain of coronavirus, should self-isolate, so as not to spread the disease to cohabitators. The recommended time period for both conditions is 14 days.

Quarantining yourself at home can play an important role in preventing the spread of infectious diseases. But this doesn’t mean that coping with the disruption in your normal routine is easy. While quarantine may be only temporary, even brief periods of isolation and loneliness can have negative consequences on both physical and mental well-being.

Quarantine is an effective way to prevent the transmission of infection but is potentially a source of stress from fears of infection and long isolation, frustration, boredom, inadequate information and supplies, financial loss, and stigma.

Effects of Past Quarantine Measures

While each circumstance is unique, looking at past events can provide a look into the psychological impact that quarantines may have. 

Between 2002 and 2004, more than 15,000 people in Toronto voluntarily went into quarantine due to exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). SARS, like COVID-19, is a contagious respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus.

For a period of around 10 days, these individuals were asked not to leave their homes, not to have visitors, to wear face masks around other family members, to avoid sharing personal items, and to wash their hands frequently, among other measures. Later research indicated that quarantined individuals experienced a range of both immediate and short-term psychological consequences.

In addition to the feelings of social isolation during quarantine, participants reported longer-lasting psychological distress for around a month afterward. Almost 29% of participants displayed PTSD symptoms, while 31.2% had depressive symptoms.

CAUSES OF MENTAL ISSUES DURING THE QUARANTINE

Interpersonal isolation

Prolonged Isolation  – our primary strategy to reduce the spread of the virus – adds another layer of risk. Our bodies are not designed to handle social deprivation for long. Past studies suggest that people forced to “shelter in place” will experience more depression. Those living alone and lacking social opportunities are at risk. 

Financial difficulties

The biggest stressor for many is financial. Unemployment and Economic losses will be severe. Research on post regression suggests that rising unemployment and financial insecurity lead to increased rates of depression and suicide. 

Possible Mental Health Effect of Coronavirus Quarantines

A 2019 review in The Lancet analyzed the results of past studies to get a better idea of how COVID-19 may impact those who are quarantined. The review found that psychological distress is common both during and after periods of quarantine. People commonly experienced:

There is some evidence that there may be longer-term consequences as well. Substance and alcohol dependency was more common up to three years after quarantine.

Things You Can Do to Cope

Researchers suggest that there are steps that may help mitigate some of the negative mental health effects of quarantine.

Establish Routines

Be proactive and layout an intentional structure for your day.

The disruption in your normal daily routines can be one of the most difficult aspects of quarantine. This can leave you feeling directionless as you try to figure out how to fill all the hours of the day. 

If you’re working from home, it can be helpful to structure your time much like a regular workday. This can be a challenge, however, if you’re at home with other family members, including children, who are now home all day as well. Left without the structure of a normal school day, kids can be left feeling just as out-of-sorts as adults.

If you’re trying to keep small kids entertained while stuck in the house, or even trying to keep working amidst it all, it’s important to find a routine that works for you. Plan out activities that will keep everyone busy so you can get some work done. Try creating a daily schedule, but don’t get too wrapped up in sticking to a strict routine. Make your own routines and break up the day in order to stave off monotony

Create

Anxious thoughts can be more difficult to escape in sustained isolation, such as the widespread lockdown measures due to the coronavirus pandemic, but arts and crafts have been shown to help distract from these feelings.

Creating something for ourselves and others also helps our sense of self-efficacy, or the belief in our own abilities according to Clinical neuropsychologist Katie Carey Levisay, who runs a private practice in Denver, Colorado. Using time purposefully has also been linked to lower depressive symptoms.

“The rewarding experience of creating, sharing, and using our time well all stimulate the reward centers in the brain to release ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitters (dopamine) and our endogenous opioids (endorphins),” she said. 

Be Physically Active

Even relatively short periods of physical inactivity can have an impact on your health, both mentally and physically. One study found that just two weeks of inactivity could lead to reductions in muscle mass and metabolic effects.

Fortunately, there are plenty of at-home workouts that can help keep you moving even when you are stuck inside the house. Your quarantine may be brief, but staying active may help you feel better and maintain your fitness levels. It’s also a great way to help combat the sense of malaise and boredom that can come from being stuck inside day after day.

At-Home Workout Ideas:

·         Exercise videos

·         Bodyweight exercises

·         Online workouts

·         Fitness apps

Communicate 

Staying in contact with other people not only staves off boredom, but it is also critical for minimizing the sense of isolation. Stay in touch with friends and family by phone and text. Reach out to others on social media. If possible, join a support group or discussion board specifically for people who are in quarantine. Talking to others who are going through the same thing can provide a sense of community and empowerment.

 Beware of Too Much Social Media

Use social media wisely. No doubt, social media is your friend when isolated. But resist scrolling through Facebook and Instagram endlessly; that won’t really feed your need for connection, but has been shown in some studies to actually make people feel left out or “less than.” Instead, use social media to meaningfully connect. Plan weekly (or even daily) group video chats with friends, family, neighbors or colleagues. Social connection is one of the most important drivers of well-being.

 Shift Your Mental Space

Finally, use principles of mindfulness to shift your mental stance from frustration about the situation to curiosity. Take on the mindset of an anthropologist or journalist observing a social experiment. Keep a journal (written, sketches, or video) of your experience during quarantine – what you did and how you felt day-by-day. Taking on this stance will give you a little distance, which can reduce distress, as well as keep you open to the positive or simply interesting things that may happen during this very unusual experience

Coronavirus isn’t just a public health crisis, it’s an economic one, the financial impact of the pandemic hasn’t been evenly distributed.

 As quarantine life in many countries around the world takes full effect, a lot is happening in the creative ecosystem, which is forcing creatives to change the way they work.

With everything on a standstill, Internet Culture is On the Move and seems to be growing at a very high rate. This has led to a new breed of creative influencers to emerge online. 

The explosive growth of content on social media both from new creators and from established makers demonstrates the power of the arts as a tool for expression. 

Social media platforms including YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram are reaching out to their creators all over the world to continue to make engaging videos during the lockdown as users turn to social media for entertainment.

On the other side, the Google-owned platform has kicked off a live series to enable creators to engage with their audience and has curated multiple playlists around popular themes like music, acting, cooking, workout, and dancing. It is conducting webinars to handhold creators with ideas around content creation during the lockdown and sharing tips on how to shoot indoors with minimum equipment and indoor lighting.

YouTube said average global daily uploads of videos with “at home” in the title increased over 590% since March 15th compared to their average uploads for the rest of the year.

 Creatives are working hard to make sure they are maintaining their creativity by constantly sharing their work, grow their audience, and most importantly earn from it.

The following are some ways creatives are following to maintain their audience and grow their brand during the Lockdown.

 Online event

Very popular in Kenya.

The audience is craving entertainment while being quarantined at home. This is where Facebook Live or Instagram Live comes in handy. It’s a great way to keep the audience engaged and build goodwill, as well as to sell your products. 

Some creatives Offer a special discount code to the first 100 people who stream your live event or create an “exclusive” behind the scenes look at a new product to customers on your email list.

Diversification 

During the lockdown, creatives have no other way to get income apart from going live and sharing their work., Creative entrepreneurs are seeking innovative ways of generating income during this period. While traditionally they would rely on physical performances, advertisements, and other avenues, these are becoming increasingly difficult to negotiate. Currently, four main streams are being used to create revenue: donations, merchandising, streaming, and endorsements.

Creatives pin their Mpesa, PayPal, or cash app on their live streams this allows them to accept donations. Other creatives are actively Selling Merchandise and products from their online channels.

 Other channels like Vimeo and youtube pay creatives according to the number streams: the more numbers in a stream the more money.

 Some organizations are approaching creatives because of their online numbers for advertising, e.g Dettol soap is actively using creatives in creating awareness on the COVID_19 and sensitizing their audience to use Dettol soap.

COMMUNICATION

Social media allows creatives to communicate proactively with their customers

The situation is evolving rapidly, and no one is quite sure what news each day will bring, social media, however, has played an important role as a communication channel.

This allows one to grow the audience. Getting the attention is helping creativity grow as a brand and following.

 New Content

With people world over having more time at home and a desire to be distracted from the dreary repetition of quarantine, coupled with a need to be entertained and informed, there has been an explosive growth in the quantity of content created and shared. 

There has never been a more perfect nexus of demand for content and, thanks to the internet, a means to distribute that content to such a wide audience.

The flooding of content on the internet during the Lockdown is a motivation to creatives to create fresh content suited to the current situation.

There is a lot of noise and nonsense on the Internet, but there are also some valuable gems too, and when the audience comes across them, it’s like someone lit a fire on a winter night in Iceland. People around the world are looking for great entertainment. Therefore, this poses a great challenge to creatives in Kenya and the rest of the world, who are looking to be that fire.

Creatives around the world have been actively creating content around COVID-19 so as to bring awareness to the pandemic.

PROMOTE EXISTING CONTENT (DIGITAL MARKETING)

Going digital with your services helps to continue to provide access to your audience who are sitting at home, wishing they could support your business.

Creative are Taking Advantage of the Online Courses

Creatives are taking time to learn from other creatives, from the available material on the internet. Classes like Branding, marketing, and how to use social media as an alternative source of income.