Conventions

Artists told me it was the end of hope. Before COVID-19, working as an artist was already challenging. But suddenly it was, “there is no hope”. I will never forget it.’ Juliana Akoryo, the Commissioner for Culture and Family Affairs in Uganda, is calling from her office in Kampala via Zoom, the video conference application. She is thinking back to the beginning of 2020, when the threat of COVID-19 began to be felt across the world. ‘I immediately knew the arts were going to be in trouble. Cultural events in Uganda take place in large spaces and bring huge crowds of people.’