The COVID-19 outbreak has led to the cancellation of many shows and events, putting the livelihoods of people like event hosts and stagehands in jeopardy. With their jobs in limbo, people like these are turning to temp work in other fields- sometimes radically different fields.
Before COVID-19, these lighting and sound specialists never imagined they’d be selling sausages for a living. They had full schedules packed with events and productions- around 20 of them this time last year.
But COVID-19 has since shut down all the shows they would have been working on. Six of their events have been cancelled this month alone. So now they are barbecuing sausages to make ends meet.
Their case isn’t unusual in Taiwan these days. Another man who until recently sang and hosted events for a living is now selling red wine with his partner. He says all of the indoor events that he was supposed to host from February to May have either been postponed or cancelled outright.
These people hope that the outbreak will die down soon so that they can go back to the work they love instead of doing the work they’re forced to turn to now.