Interview | Comedy and Cabaret Artist Jenny Wynter

As a result of the COVID-19 epidemic, most, if not all, of your local artists, actors, entertainers, creatives, directors, producers, playwrights, you name it, have lost their jobs. This not only means that they've lost their financial income but a platform on which the showcase their creations. Consequently, over the course of the next few months, I will be conducting interviews with local artists in the hopes of providing a platform for their artistic voice to be heard. My aim is for this to result in two-three interviews being posted per week. First up is an award-winning comedy and cabaret artist Jenny Winter, who chats about her recently released video Hug an Artist .

Virag: What is your role(s) in the arts sector and how the coronavirus pandemic has affected you?

Jenny: I'm a comedian and cabaret artist, entirely self-employed. I've had all of my gigs cancelled over the next few months meaning my income is effectively zero. My kids are home with me now too, it's a mad time.

Virag: What inspired you to create write Hug an Artist

Jenny: Reading all of the social media posts from my fellow performers, all of whom are in the same boat in terms of all of their gigs being cancelled for months, has just been breaking my heart. It's hard enough making a living out of the arts at the best of times, but at the worst? I've never felt so certain that the world NEEDS the relief that art provides right now, however, I also completely understand why paying for it just is not on people's list of priorities right now. I do get it. There are no easy answers.

Virag: Was it hard to sit down and write such a heartfelt piece? What was the creation process like?

Jenny: Like many of the artists out there, I'm processing this by making things (honestly I've already written more in days than I had in months) but writing this and then performing it was actually painful. But better out than in!

Virag: What message would you like the viewers of this video to take away?

Jenny: I feel like artists are suffering so badly and have fallen off the list of priorities of people - I do get it, it's hard to be motivated to pay for art when you're worried about paying rent and what the heck the future holds. I want people to remember us, to remember what we bring to the world and what the world would be like without us. I think my biggest message to people is to please pay HOW you can. If you can afford to support artists financially then that's amazing. But if you can't, please view, like and share our stuff...maybe our audiences can help get behind our profiles so that when the gigs are able to come back, we'll be in a better position to get better gigs.

You can watch Hug an Artist here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-cJL7Ofrag

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Jenny Winter, like many artists, have been hit hard with multiple cancelled gigs by the Coronavirus. She's responding by creating as much online comedy content as she can to amuse, distract and relieve! For more details please check out: www.patreon.com/jennywynter

www.jennywynter.com
www.facebook.com/jennywynter
www.twitter.com/jennywynter
www.youtube.com/jennywynter

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