Resilience of the Romanian Independent Cultural Sector under COVID-19 Pandemic Using the Grounded Theory

Abstract

In the event of any crisis, such as, in this case, the COVID-19 pandemic, new challenges arise, ranging from social and environmental phenomena to economic issues. One of the most affected economic sectors was the cultural one, especially independent artists, whose financial stability is usually inconsistent. The aim of this article was to test the immediate reactions of the cultural sector, both public and private, to the pandemic shock and, implicitly, to the restrictions imposed during the state of emergency in Romania (27 February–14 May 2020). By using grounded theory, 36 public documents of cultural stakeholders were coded and analyzed. All documents were identified in the Romanian online environment during the state of emergency. Based on the identified interrelationships, it was found that the independent contractors, self-employed workers in the creative-cultural sector, whether or not associated with NGOs or employees of public institutions, need financial and community support. However, the resilience of the cultural sector is conditioned by the creation of new multi-level policies for crisis management.