Alicja Węgorzewska, a mezzo-soprano, explained that the second wave of the pandemic may deepen the crisis that culture has been struggling with for many months. The artists still have not dealt with the financial problems after the spring lockdown, and the introduced restrictions prevent them from working regularly. The Warsaw Chamber Opera, whose director is Alicja Węgorzewska, tries not to interrupt its regular activities, despite the canceled events, the audience may still rehearse performances and record concerts.

New pandemic restrictions have been in force in Poland since October. Pubs and restaurants were closed again. Many of them organized concerts, shows, and created temporary jobs for artists. Cinemas and theaters were also closed. Previously, these institutions were limited to 25 percent of the audience.

"We went through a moment of total lockdown and the freezing of culture. The next stages of restrictions will unfortunately reach theaters again. Remember that a large group of our audience has already gone away, fearing for their health and those of their loved ones," the director of the Warsaw Chamber Opera said.

She explained that she and the artists of the Warsaw Chamber Opera were doing everything they could to survive the crisis. The downtime has been going on for over half a year. This is a very long time for a cultural institution.

"A lot of away performances did not materialize. The plans for the fall are virtually gone. I know how dramatic the situation is for many artists. They call me and ask what will happen with Polish culture. Will it turn out that everything can be done online? Will the audience satisfy Netflix and spending time in front of the TV ?” the artist wondered.

(Newseria)