between resourcefulness and discouragement, the intermittents of the show, deprived of work, hope for a recovery this summer

After the second confinement, the cultural places could not reopen their doors on December 15 because of the poor health situation. They will not reopen at the beginning of January either. The information must be confirmed during the press conference of Prime Minister Jean Castex on Thursday January 7, 2021. This date was mentioned as a review clause.

Some intermittents in the show have hardly worked for several months. They live on their meager unemployment benefits. Alexandra Gendraux is a lighting manager. She normally works in entertainment and events: “Concretely, since March I have done five days of work”, she explains. She has had “Five fees at the beginning of December. I’m on a roller coaster with cancellations, postponements” Cascade. “Times when we have hope, and then finally, it’s another postponement, a cancellation”, Alexandra laments.

The situation of Aurore Voilqué, jazz violinist, is no better. She who often accompanied Thomas Dutronc no longer has a contract. Without concerts and festivals, we therefore had to manage: “I did a lot of communication to get people to hire us at their homes. I decided to discount the prices because obviously they are usually much higher prices”. Last summer, thanks to her tenacity, she “managed to get around thirty small performances, in duo, in trio”, before the second confinement comes to further darken the horizon.

Thanks to the white year decided by the government, unemployment benefits for intermittent workers are extended until August 31. But without any period worked, it is not enough to live. Aurore Voilqué and Alexandra Gendraux have to draw on their savings to make ends meet. Both fear a further drop in income on September 1, when the amount of their unemployment benefits will be recalculated. This decrease will be around 25% for Alexandra Gendraux. The only way out is to be able to rework.

“We are crossing our fingers to have something this summer. But concretely, my first real work proposals start for September 2021. There are really days of discouragement.”

Aurore Voilqué is hardly more optimistic, because she “don’t see how we could resume normal activity before the summer when it is already January. I’m very pessimistic, perhaps. But we have to be realistic: how do you expect us to work? although we will be renewed for another blank year “, with regard to unemployment benefits. Most intermittents want to believe in this extension.

But already, some have turned to other activities. Alexandra Gendraux has decided to take sophrologist training to prepare for the future.