Australia’s arts industry has been savaged by COVID-19. Just as it was getting back on its feet, the current lockdowns in NSW and Victoria are once again wreaking havoc, as hundreds of performances are cancelled, leaving arts companies and producers reeling financially.

Vastly higher rates of vaccination are essential to help prevent lockdowns. The  Australian vaccination “strollout” is partly due to vaccination hesitancy – although there are still not enough vaccines available for all those who want to have the jab, with the Federal Government slow to secure sufficient orders. As a result, Australia currently sits near the bottom of the list of OECD countries in terms of the amount of the population to be fully vaccinated.

Performance of a Lifetime. Photo courtesy of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

For those feeling anxious or hesitant about getting vaccinated, Government adverts have so far failed to get the message through in a clear, reassuring way. Cue the Victorian arts community, which has swung into action with a terrific video called Performance of a Lifetime to try to help counter vaccine hesitancy. The campaign is based on health advice that mass vaccination...