Barcelona Metropolis

The pandemic has taken its toll on the cultural sector, especially in areas that require in-person audiences, like theatre and music. Artists have had no choice but to apply for grants and subsidies to survive, and the public administration has rescued them as much as possible.

And then the day comes when your child stops the game, looks you in the eye and says: ‘You’re letting me win. Don’t go easy on me’. The moment your kid questions you for indulging them is the first sign of the process of emancipation to come. They are old enough now, they know Santa is actually you, so they want to be treated as an equal on the board and win on merit. They do not want to be patronised.

Creators also tend to be wary, rightly or wrongly, of the generosity shown by those in power. The pandemic has taken its toll on the cultural sector. Artists have had no choice but to apply for grants and subsidies to survive, and the public administration has rescued them as much as possible. Artists’ sense of indebtedness to public bodies can end up wavering between gratitude and resentment. When times are tough, it is hard to maintain a rebellious attitude towards power, unless you have nothing to lose, because you are very rich or very poor.