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Invisible labour and in-kind contribution in dance and theatre productions: Embodied impacts and hidden somatic costs

journal contribution
posted on 2025-01-29, 04:30 authored by Rea DennisRea Dennis, Erica Charalambous
The performing arts sector is in crisis as it confronts its reliance on unpaid immaterial labour and in-kind contributions by individual artists. Independent performing artists become good at balancing financial benefits with pleasure and esteem measures within their creative lives. However, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have made it more and more challenging to sustain a sector that relies on this generosity. This article seeks to better understand the impact of the long-term reliance on the goodwill of independent artists on the artists themselves. It shares artists’ stories and identifies the various types of labour that fall into the unpaid category for independent artists and artist-led companies producing dance and theatre in Melbourne, Australia. The article considers how the practitioner’s body endures the cost of this labour as a somatic load and how this impacts their well-being, health and creative lives.

History

Journal

Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices

Volume

16

Pagination

139-152

Location

Bristol, Eng.

Open access

  • No

ISSN

1757-1871

eISSN

1757-188X

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Issue

1-2

Publisher

Intellect

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