24/08/20 - Joe Manners - Interview with ...

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Was there a particular point when it all hit you?

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I think the seriousness of COVID-19 hit me when I was on the train back from Birmingham after seeing friends. I felt my paranoia and concern flaring up as people were wearing masks and the train was virtually empty. I felt extremely guilty for not having realised the seriousness of the situation and was wanting to get back to London ASAP and to begin isolating. This was just days before an official lockdown was put in place.

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What were your circumstances (accommodation, employment, studying etc) when the government decided to close non-essential businesses - and the lockdown that followed?

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I live in rented accommodation in South East London with three other people. One of these people moved out in June just after lockdown had officially been lifted and another housemate moved in shortly after. I have been living in this flat for three years, but all of my housemates had only moved in to the house in November. This meant that lockdown felt even more strained as we had to get to know each other in an extremely difficult time, which undoubtedly meant that there were different and unfamiliar tensions between everyone.

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I have two jobs, one in a gallery/studio close by to where I live (one day a week) and the other I am an administrator for a membership organisation for arts festivals (three days a week). I continued to work for the gallery at home all throughout lockdown, which helped to maintain a small amount of routine. For my other job I was put onto furlough, but returned every 4 weeks or so to help support my manager because we are a small team of two and so the workload on her increased greatly. Thankfully, both of these organisations were awarded Arts Council Covid Grants, which has meant the organisations have been able to survive throughout this time.

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How does Covid-19 itself make you feel?

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The actual illness makes me feel anxious as so little is known about it. After returning to the gallery, I spoke to an artist who has a studio and who had actually had Covid-19. They explained that despite having the illness months ago, they are still now experiencing symptoms of fatigue, disorientation, and hair loss. Her daughter had also had the illness and now has neurological damage. Whilst, another friend who is a physiotherapist had the illness, only finding out about this via an antibody test.

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I also feel almost apathetic because of the government response. It enrages me and makes me feel so fed up with the general ways of things. I am so worried about the general public being left alone to handle this situation, but this is almost impossible without external help. I have also been worrying about those people who have been alone or in precarious situations during this time, without human contact and support.

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Have you felt any grievances during isolation?

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I have had disagreements with my housemates, as during the beginning of lockdown one of them did not come home for the whole night and I felt it was my duty to condemn their behaviour and discourage them from doing it again. This was partially resolved, but I still feel guilty for being so hard on them. Similarly, I had disagreements in the house generally, as I was feeling less able to cope with the demands of being left with cleaning and tidying.

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Have you thrived / or had any achievements during isolation?

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To a certain degree, I feel that lockdown has been a beneficial time for me, as I’ve been able to do more of the things that I enjoy, without the excuse of feeling too tired or not having enough time. Work is a means to an end for me and has often caused me a great deal of misery, because I find

there is so much pressure for your job to be your whole identity. Therefore, isolation has actually allowed me the space to do more things in the community, such as volunteering with the local mutual aid group and also enabled me to focus on my running & cycling, gardening, writing and developing a small blog.

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What are your current circumstances (accommodation, employment, studying etc)?

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I am now back working in the gallery and have begun working for my other position one day a week, as the furlough scheme has become more flexible.

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Are there any dreams that have stood out to you during isolation?

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Unfortunately I always seem to forget my dreams, but I have remembered one mainly because I found it funny. I have been growing courgettes on my windowsill as I don’t have access to a garden, but had a vivid dream where I just decided to pick up the grow bags and throw them all in the bin. I woke up feeling very tense and thankfully when I checked on them they were still there!

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Do you think society needs to take anything forward following this era?

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I think society needs to take forward many things from this era, particularly in terms of managing unpredictable issues. Matters of hygiene are now important more than ever, and it has become clear the ways in which we were not being vigilant enough before. I also think that the whole aspect of work has to change, as the people who have been on the frontline during this time, are often considered to have the menial jobs. Yet, it has become apparent that these people deserve the same rates of pay and work benefits as everyone else. Similarly, the whole structure of work needs to change as through this time it has become apparent that more people are able to work from home, thereby alleviating the cost of childcare or long commutes.