Lucy Durack has urged the arts industry to rally together, after the recently passed JobKeeper income subsidy scheme failed to include freelancers, casual performers and crew.
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Taking to Instagram on Thursday, the 37-year-old actor encouraged others to join the fight to support professionals, who she says are in danger of falling through the cracks of the scheme.
“To all professionals in the film, television, entertainment and arts world, join the challenge to post a photo of you in your job. Just a picture, no description,” Lucy wrote.
As the Shrek star explained, the goal of the challenge is to remind people of the valuable contribution made by those working in the entertainment and arts industries.
Speaking during an interview on ABC News last week, Lucy reiterated how the arts community provides a much-needed source of entertainment and enjoyment for Australians.
“Everybody who’s at home in self-isolation at the moment has, at some time, read books, looked online at music and at concerts, all of that is the arts community,” Lucy said.
Like many others in the industry who work intermittently, Lucy was recently thrown out of work and not eligible for the scheme, with limited prospects of finding replacement work.
“For a lot of us, our plan B jobs are to work in hospitality, to be ushers in theatres – all of that is kaput now as well,” she added.
At the time, Lucy also took to Instagram to write: “Due to this overwhelming Covid-19 crisis the world is facing, the arts industry as a whole is facing its own crisis.
“So, so many of us on stage, off stage, on camera, off camera and in so many other arts domains have lost our jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic and face the possibility of losing further contracts for the remainder of the year.”
While the recently passed scheme will provide some relief to permanent employees, long-term casuals and sole traders, others in the arts and entertainment community will miss out.
On Thursday, MEAA chief executive Paul Murphy said in a statement there is more work is to be done to support those most vulnerable who have been impacted by the pandemic.
“We will need to take action again to continue to push for freelancers and short-term casuals and employers in the arts and entertainment sectors to access the income subsidy,” Paul wrote.
“And we will need to redouble campaigning for industry rescue packages and for State Governments to play a greater role in keeping the performing arts.
“We cannot and will not let yesterday’s vote in Parliament be the final call on this matter. Too many livelihoods and the fate of our industries are at stake,” the statement read.
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