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Wednesday, September 01, 2021
Cincinnati performing arts groups set unified COVID-19 protocols
www.cincinnati.com: In a remarkable show of solidarity, more than a dozen Greater Cincinnati performing arts groups announced a unified set of protocols they will adhere to when they return to “normal” business in the upcoming months.
4 comments:
Kaylie C.
said...
Mandates, whether they be federal or state mandates, are unpopular among most politicians. Their job security relies on appeasing their voting base, and mask and vaccine mandates are under much scrutiny. This has created a public health system so impotent that at this point some private companies are doing more to prevent disease than health departments can. This is driven by the portion of America that is simultaneously obsessed with protecting the liberties of private corporations and with stunting the influence of the government. It is ironic that it has come to this, but I am glad that so many companies have taken advantage and have committed to covid mitigation protocols such as this. I expected it from theaters as they have more at stake after being closed for over a year, but I have been seeing vaccine mandates from bars in my hometown and mask mandates at amusement parks, which has made me at least a little hopeful.
I am so glad that so many organizations in Cincinnati are coming together to adopt similar, if not the same policy, when it comes to masks and vaccine and tests for its patrons. Something that has been so difficult during this pandemic is the people who are making up their own rules, or think the rules don’t apply to them, or think the (usually relaxed) rules of one city/organization/state/etc. will apply to all of them. These arts organizations creating a unified front in what their rules are will definitely help their patrons understand the rules and hopefully will encourage them to follow them. I also think that many of the audiences of these location are the same so having the same rules is just helpful and less confusing for the people who want to be there and want to follow them. I agree with Kaylie though that mandates from government would be helpful in creating these guidelines because this article mentions that there are still places in Cincinnati that don’t have the mask rule.
This unification is really awesome to see. It may seem like more upfront work to put these rules together, but it'll likely alleviate some future headaches. Even as an audience member, this has benefits because a Cincinnati patron can not walk into any of these performances and know what to expect. Transparency is a huge part of making people feel safe during the ongoing pandemic. As theatre people, it would make sense for more us to collaborate and unify in the way that the Cincinnati arts scene is doing. While AEA has their own set of guidelines, regional alliances could be stronger because each city/area has its own unique qualities and audiences they attract. For example, the theatre I worked at this summer had mostly elderly subscribers, the box office seated them distanced and at about half capacity. Also, a Pittsburgh area theatre may choose to do outdoor performances seasonally, whereas a Florida alliance could advocate for outdoor performances all year round.
This seems to be part of an interesting trend in the same vein as the Chicago Theatre Standards: Organizations grouping together to standardize and agree upon certain conditions outside of the context of unions or regulatory bodies. It seems like a double-edged sword to me, although it is clearly an overall positive step. On one hand, these standards and requirements are certainly directly beneficial to workers, audiences, etc. On the other hand, unions and regulatory bodies exist for a purpose, and that purpose is to protect their constituents, be they consumers, workers, or somebody else, and there's a part of me that is weary of this kind of self-regulation. It seems similar to the 'billionaires are okay if they give to charity' type argument. Ultimately, institutions are still going to act in their own interest. For now, theatrical institutions and producers are clearly viewing steps to treat their people better and to implement safety procedures as beneficial to their interests. In a few years, when the zeitgeist isn't so focused on BLM, on MeToo, on COVID, will that goodwill hold up? I'm hopeful and encouraged, but unconvinced.
4 comments:
Mandates, whether they be federal or state mandates, are unpopular among most politicians. Their job security relies on appeasing their voting base, and mask and vaccine mandates are under much scrutiny. This has created a public health system so impotent that at this point some private companies are doing more to prevent disease than health departments can. This is driven by the portion of America that is simultaneously obsessed with protecting the liberties of private corporations and with stunting the influence of the government. It is ironic that it has come to this, but I am glad that so many companies have taken advantage and have committed to covid mitigation protocols such as this. I expected it from theaters as they have more at stake after being closed for over a year, but I have been seeing vaccine mandates from bars in my hometown and mask mandates at amusement parks, which has made me at least a little hopeful.
I am so glad that so many organizations in Cincinnati are coming together to adopt similar, if not the same policy, when it comes to masks and vaccine and tests for its patrons. Something that has been so difficult during this pandemic is the people who are making up their own rules, or think the rules don’t apply to them, or think the (usually relaxed) rules of one city/organization/state/etc. will apply to all of them. These arts organizations creating a unified front in what their rules are will definitely help their patrons understand the rules and hopefully will encourage them to follow them. I also think that many of the audiences of these location are the same so having the same rules is just helpful and less confusing for the people who want to be there and want to follow them. I agree with Kaylie though that mandates from government would be helpful in creating these guidelines because this article mentions that there are still places in Cincinnati that don’t have the mask rule.
This unification is really awesome to see. It may seem like more upfront work to put these rules together, but it'll likely alleviate some future headaches. Even as an audience member, this has benefits because a Cincinnati patron can not walk into any of these performances and know what to expect. Transparency is a huge part of making people feel safe during the ongoing pandemic. As theatre people, it would make sense for more us to collaborate and unify in the way that the Cincinnati arts scene is doing. While AEA has their own set of guidelines, regional alliances could be stronger because each city/area has its own unique qualities and audiences they attract. For example, the theatre I worked at this summer had mostly elderly subscribers, the box office seated them distanced and at about half capacity. Also, a Pittsburgh area theatre may choose to do outdoor performances seasonally, whereas a Florida alliance could advocate for outdoor performances all year round.
This seems to be part of an interesting trend in the same vein as the Chicago Theatre Standards: Organizations grouping together to standardize and agree upon certain conditions outside of the context of unions or regulatory bodies. It seems like a double-edged sword to me, although it is clearly an overall positive step. On one hand, these standards and requirements are certainly directly beneficial to workers, audiences, etc. On the other hand, unions and regulatory bodies exist for a purpose, and that purpose is to protect their constituents, be they consumers, workers, or somebody else, and there's a part of me that is weary of this kind of self-regulation. It seems similar to the 'billionaires are okay if they give to charity' type argument. Ultimately, institutions are still going to act in their own interest. For now, theatrical institutions and producers are clearly viewing steps to treat their people better and to implement safety procedures as beneficial to their interests. In a few years, when the zeitgeist isn't so focused on BLM, on MeToo, on COVID, will that goodwill hold up? I'm hopeful and encouraged, but unconvinced.
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