Datebook: I know I’m not a doctor, but we need to talk about the coronavirus.
“Oh, that,” I hear you saying. “We read Datebook to escape that.”
Understood. So I’ll keep things arts-and-entertainment-focused. But first allow me to pass on some advice from actual medical professionals and the Centers for Disease Control: Wash your damn hands!
4 comments:
As cities, colleges, and other organizations are moving to cancel or limit gatherings across the country, it's no surprise that many artists and art organizations are anxiously trying to figure out what they're going to do. This morning, Washington governer Jay Inslee moved to cancel all gatherings larger than 250 people. While many smaller theatres might be able to slip under such thresholds, medium sized and large theatres and performing arts groups could be crippled by such restrictions. There's no easy solution to this. Limiting audience sizes only goes so far, and could bring revenue per performance down to below marginal costs. Arts organizations with already slim cashflows and individual artists could quickly find themselves struggling to make ends meet. There's no easy solution to this, but we should keep in mind the impacts on performing arts, and we need to support them in any way that we can.
I hope theaters stay open and people are allowed to go support their local theatres if they are able, however, I do totally understand the fear that people have for going out and most of it stems from protecting loved ones and people who are at more risk than they are. But as more and more states make laws against large crowds in any setting, I believe it will become a lot harder to support the local arts. Every email I get from a local theatre, either here in Seattle or in Pittsburgh saying that they have to cancel all performances indefinitely or until the end of March (which will most likely extend) makes me so sad. I really wish there was a way for these companies to stay open at this time, but with all of the fear and these new rules about how many people can be in a room at once, it is just so unlikely. I have heard about some theatres trying to stream their shows and do them for no live audience, but I am not sure if that has happened or is happening.
Is it really true that there are a lot of people out there who do not wash their hands? That makes me want to gag and it’s no wonder that the disease is spreading more quickly. But this article does a good job of highlighting how the virus is making people more aware of their actions. The best part though is hearing how artists are still continuing to persevere under these restricting circumstances. I myself have found myself not being able to sit still and dying to create, and I know I am far from the only one. This article really does speak to the power art has on people to push their craft no matter what obstacles they face. I too am frightened for how it will impact their livelihood, but I take comfort in the fact that their spirits will be harder to break than their bank accounts.
We all feel it, and we are all saying it, but we need to scream it from rooftops: SUPPORT LOCAL ARTISTS AND FREELANCERS IN THIS DIFFICULT TIME. This kind of hit to the arts community could be very difficult for a lot of independent artists and freelancers to bounce back from. A lot of artists have online sites and are selling products that you can buy in order to help them out. Do not ask for refunds for shows that have been cancelled. Listen to independent musicians during isolation and continue to create yourself. We all have much more time to ourselves while we practice social distancing and since so many events have been cancelled. We need to use this time to continue to create. It has been really inspiring to see how artists are coping. There are support forums on facebook, ideas for digital book clubs, encouraging contests/challenges to share any and all art that is created during this weird and frustrating time.
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