The End

Over the last six weeks of lockdown my emotions, like everybody else’s, have been fluctuating wildly between elation to something that I can only describe as a form of grief. This is because the world and the life that I love and cherish so much has changed and it will never be the same.

I know it’s not ‘the end’ and some of this change is beautiful and magical. I am loving the clear unpolluted atmosphere, the peace, and the empty historic streets near my home. At this time of year, we usually have to share our city with a large tourist population so I am cherishing having it all to ourselves.

The downside, quite apart from the main one which is the threat of dying from a killer virus, is how much business we have all lost across the entertainment industry. It has affected venues, festivals, studios, technicians and artists alike. We have lost a fantastic partnership for our Awards and had to cancel over 40 events, and still counting. 2020 was shaping up to be our best year in years.

This is the same for a lot of us running our own businesses or working as freelance creatives in the gig economy. My only comfort is that the COVID-19 crisis has affected millions of us in the same way. At time of writing, the official statistic is that 25% of businesses are already closed as a direct result of the pandemic.

But I am a fighter and have been here before. The business has been in serious trouble previously when we’ve lost sponsors and money. It has cost me my home (at one point) and a whole bucketful of self-confidence. At least this time it’s beyond my control and there is some solace in the fact that I’m not alone in trying to save my business – this affects us all.

I’ve learned to ask for help and it has come, in lovely generous and incredible ways. This time offers have come from right across the community to help with funding applications, publicity, administration and donations.

One of my greatest comedy friends, Shazia Mirza, was a guest on our wonderful new Funny Women Survival Guide podcast hosted by Alexis Strum last week and her insights on survival were truly inspiring. I have known Shazia since she performed at the very first Funny Women event in 2002, the year before we launched the Awards, and I respect her knowledge and wisdom.

Shazia talked about the current times leading to the ‘death of celebrity’ and how this pandemic affects everybody regardless of fame or status. Our conversation highlights the fact that we’re all vulnerable and prone to the anxiety of the unknown and we all have the same opportunities to ride this out and survive.

During a recent online 'huddle' with WEConnect I heard this form of anxiety described as anticipation grief (thank you, Cath Daley, for your wisdom) which equates to the fear of uncertainty. We are mourning what we’ve lost, or even what we perceive has changed and gone for ever. We must accept this and stop beating ourselves up emotionally for things we have no control over.

Unresolved emotions are hugely disruptive – they affect our ability to concentrate, plan and sleep. It’s no wonder six weeks into lockdown so many of us are feeling sad, confused and lacking in focus. Then on top of this there’s the ‘instructional overload’ where we’re being bombarded with new ways of working and communicating. It’s good to stop, take a walk if you can and breathe…

This is still a beautiful world with riches for us to discover. I am not quitting on Funny Women and I am incredibly proud of my amazing team who are still working hard to keep the business vibrant and active. Our website traffic is up nearly 40% and this has become our new virtual ‘home’ and our live online events are well attended and interactive.

If you like what we do at Funny Women and want to contribute, please consider donating what you can here or become a Funny Friend. If you can’t afford to give us any money, please share our social media posts, volunteer or write an article for our website.

I want to keep the Funny Women community alive as I am not ready for this to end yet.

Lynne Parker is the founder and chief executive of Funny Women. She is also a performance coach, facilitator and speaker and writes for leading newspapers, magazines and trade journals. Visit www.lynneparker.co.uk to find out more.