Historic Economic Stimuli and isolation - great art works

I'll start with the Federal Theatre Project in 1935-39 in the USA.

A job creation program for artists, actors, directors etc.

Orson Welles famously did an African-American version of Macbeth - with voodoo instead of witchcraft.

It was a great hit! He was only about 21 when he did that.

Other great works have been created through adversity too.

 

This one's a stretch but Frankenstein was a result of a challenge from Lord Byron when Mary Shelley and her husband were stuck indoors by the volcanic winter in 1816.

That year was also known as "The year without a summer".

 

I’m not sure if it counts as isolation but composer Gustav Holst tried to enlist in the army during the First World War. He was rejected, considered unfit for military service. Feeling dejected he began work on The Planets, of which Jupiter the most well known and is incredibly moving.
The Planets suite was first conducted in 1918, something beautiful from a time of great misery and despair.
A shortened flash mob version:

 

Aaah - that link is quite addictive if you keep wandering through it. I might have new hobby.