The issue of 'artistic unemployment' has returned to the forefront in Egypt, and the discussion about some artists turning to other professions has resurfaced, as seen with the announcement by artist Rami Nader of his desire to work outside the artistic field, stating that he is looking for a stable opportunity for an office job, and asked his followers on Facebook to help him find a job opportunity.

Artist Rami Nader topped the 'trend' on Google in Egypt on Friday after writing on his Facebook account that he is looking for an office or home-based job for any number of hours, and showcased his skills and expertise, especially in computer and technology, as well as his level of English.

Rami Nader has participated in more than 20 dramatic works and films, in addition to dozens of theatrical works. Among the works he participated in are the films 'Alf Mabrouk', 'Tek Tek Boom', 'Taweetha Two', 'Harg wa Marg', and the series 'Ragel wa Set Setat', 'Hikayat al-Banat', 'Haramt ya Baba', 'Al-Lo'ba', 'Al-Saffara', 'Karetha Tabi'eya', and 'Tamer wa Shawqeya'.

The specter of unemployment continues to haunt artists, as evident in many cases and complaints previously voiced by other artists due to the scarcity or lack of opportunities presented to them. Among them are Maha Ahmed, Fadi Khafaga, and Reda Hamed. Artist Tawfiq Abdel Hamid announced his retirement in refusal to play repetitive roles, and controversy arose over rumors that he was forced to turn his car into a taxi, which he denied in televised statements, saying that incident dates back to the 1990s.

Artist Sherif Khairallah had announced his intention to work as a 'taxi driver' for fear of accumulating debts, as he had stayed away from art for several years after being ignored, with no artistic work offered to him.

Egyptian art critic Tariq al-Shennawi believes that this phenomenon is not new, as many artists in all fields, whether actors, singers, directors, photographers, or editors, have suffered from this before. He added to Asharq Al-Awsat: 'But the phenomenon has become more present now due to the spread of social media, and these complaints are followed and dominate attention.'

He continued that the problem stems from the fact that 'some artists stay away from the scene for reasons related to themselves or to the artistic climate that does not accommodate, contain, or welcome them at a certain moment, while demand increases for existing names that have already achieved popularity and are repeated out of laziness by some production companies or directors, or as a kind of bet on what is popular with the audience at that time.'

Al-Shennawi gives examples of artists like Mustafa Ghareeb and Michel Milad, saying they are in demand these days, while other names of comedians who achieved notable successes fade away simply because the current artistic climate favors specific names. Al-Shennawi rules out any deliberate exclusion of artists by production companies, given the multiplicity of production entities, and although one entity controls the largest share, diversity still exists.

In this context, previous statements by the head of the Egyptian Actors Syndicate, Ashraf Zaki, confirmed that he has taken many measures to solve the problem of employing actors, although the syndicate is not obligated to employ its members. The United Media Services Company had earlier announced the signing of a cooperation protocol with the Egyptian Company for Media Production City and the Actors Syndicate to produce a set of historical and religious works, and to implement a mechanism to benefit from artists who have not had opportunities to participate in works in recent years, and involve them in television and radio dramatic works.

Ashraf Zaki, head of the Actors Syndicate (Instagram)

Egyptian art critic Mohamed Abdel Rahman believes that 'this crisis never ends, it has existed since the beginnings of the artistic movement in Egypt.' He added to Asharq Al-Awsat: 'When the spotlight fades from some artists, they face financial crises and thus turn to other professions, while some artists do not have other skills to work outside of art, and that is where the tragedy begins.' He continued: 'This is a message to young artists to have financial security because roles may diminish. The issue touches the heart, but it is a reality in all creative professions, and the solution is not to look for job opportunities, because supply exceeds demand, and the granting of roles is primarily subject to the director's and producer's vision, to the extent that one actor may be requested for 10 roles, while these roles could be distributed among 10 actors, but that is ultimately the decision of the producer and director. Therefore, actors must be prepared for this and the fluctuations of the artistic field.'

The Egyptian Actors Syndicate includes about 4,000 members and undertakes important service roles, including healthcare for artists and establishing a residence for senior artists. It is also making vigorous moves to secure the right of public performance for actors, claiming it will ensure a continuous and semi-steady income for actors and directors to face any periods of recession they may encounter.