Outside the NHS and social care sectors, the arts have been ground zero for COVID-19, part of the economy in which groups, mingling and interaction are vital. From orchestras and theatres to festivals and nightclubs, this sector involves performers and the crowds watching them. In a world where crowds are banned, how can the arts be revived? Will the era of packed performances ever return? If not, what are the implications for the funding of the arts?

The panel includes Giorgio Fazio (Newcastle University), Liz Harkman (Bristol Festivals Network), Ruth Towse (Bournemouth University), Penny Warner (Team Love) and Andrew Kelly (Bristol Cultural Development Partnership).

In our ninth Festival of Economics, co-programmed by Diane Coyle and Richard Davies, economists and experts from around the world debate with each other – and their audiences – some of the key economic questions of our time.

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Festival of Economics: Ground Zero - How to Revive the Arts World When Crowds Are Banned