Digital Culture & AudioVisual Challenges

The coronavirus pandemic, in addition to unprecedented repercussions to the global health sector, has wreaked havoc on the economy. With the widespread lockdown of industries, businesses, places of worship, theaters and galleries, sports venues, bars, restaurants and parks, the global economy has fallen into a deep recession. However, in the midst of the social and economic disruptions caused by COVID-19, the human need for communication stood out. Unlike previous pandemics, people actively sought to connect with each other through digital technologies, which were widely used not only to convey information and maintain contact between family members and between consumers and businesses but also to provide creative ways-out, consolation and inspiration to the millions of people who stayed in their homes as part of the governmental pandemic-control measures. More than a year later, the situation is still unstable and constantly changing, but even from the first weeks of the pandemic, it was obvious that those working in the Cultural and Creative Sector (CCS) provided what many consider to be basic services. Governments, citizens, artists, cultural institutions, CCS workers and citizens have responded to the unprecedented conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic in a variety of ways and with the valuable help of digital media, which further emphasizes that creativity was particularly significant in these turbulent times. The value of culture was evident in the economic sphere, but it was also reflected in actions aimed at strengthening the social and democratic fabric of society. This paper explores the implications of measures to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in culture and in particular in the Cultural and Creative Sector (CMD), digital media alternatives, and the future of post-pandemic culture.This paper examines the implications of the measures taken to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic on culture and in particular on the Cultural and Creative Sector (CCS), the digital media alternatives and the future of post-pandemic culture.