The past year forced everyone to make sacrifices. For performers and artists, COVID-19 meant stepping away from the stage and finding other ways to engage audiences. And though many of those efforts have been successful, it’s no substitute for the collective euphoria of a crowd experiencing a show.
“There’s a magic of sitting next to somebody and having a shared common experience of music together, even if you don’t know the person sitting next to you,” says Byron Stripling, artistic director at Jazz Arts Group. “You give a standing ovation and you’re standing up together. All the 1,000 people in this hall, or 500 people, or 50 – now you have a commonality and you leave (with) a smile on your face. When you go home, you’re in a different place. There’s this spiritual part that happens.”
Here’s how a few organizations adjusted to life during a pandemic and found new avenues to share their art:
BalletMet
COVID hit BalletMet in the midst of rehearsals for spring performances. Out of an abundance of caution, performers were sent home and work moved to Zoom sessions.
Forced to cancel the season and close its doors for large in-person classes, the BalletMet team began to adjust how they danced. Classes were moved to Zoom and, during the summer, a hybrid program for students at the academy was created. As the days get closer to semi-normalcy, BalletMet Executive Director Sue Porter is invested in her dancers’ future.
As of late January, BalletMet had welcomed back its professional dancers as it continues to figure out a return to the stage.
“As soon as it’s safe, we’ll bring them in the studio because we’re committed to doing art. Our plan is, hopefully later in April, to start having small in-person performances,” Porter says. “So everybody’s excited about that. We are really, really committed to creating new art. It might be dance, but it certainly is of our time.”
In the absence of a normal season, BalletMet leveraged virtual opportunities, including a virtual scavenger hunt, Zoom classes with educational outreach and a stream of The Nutcracker. Though the year was not what BalletMet had planned, it strengthened its ties to the community.
“That’s not to say that anything is going to replace the live experience of being in a studio and learning or being in a theater and seeing that live performance,” Porter says. “We know everybody’s hungry to get back to that. So I don’t think (any) of this is a replacement for that. But if we look at it as an enhancement, I think there are all kinds of opportunities.”
Porter says, she is grateful to be a part of the Columbus community and amazed at the support the arts organizations have seen in these troubling times.
One of the main aspirations for BalletMet is to have a small live performance in its theater or outdoors. While there are still a number of unknowns, Porter remains positive for 2021.
“We are committed and want to see The Nutcracker back in the Ohio Theatre, to continue next season with both some amazing more contemporary dance and some full-length (shows), and to have audiences feel comfortable getting back into a significant theater,” she says. “It might not seem like a lot, but right now, it’s what we’re looking forward to.”
Greater Columbus Arts Council
The Greater Columbus Arts Council has learned a lot adjusting to life amid social distancing and scaled-down events. That was never as clear as it was this past summer, when the organization canceled the Columbus Arts Festival.
Perhaps most important to GCAC was the level of support and engagement throughout Columbus for the city’s arts organizations.
“We learned that we are resilient and stronger when we work together,” says Jami Goldstein, vice president of marketing, events and communication at GCAC. “Artists in our community and our arts organizations are innovative and giving. So much was done for free this year to benefit the community and, particularly, children and education efforts, and artists and organizations have pivoted to operate in a virtual environment in a way that will continue to be beneficial into the future.”
Jazz Arts Group
As JAG prepared for a performance in early March 2020, Stripling received notice from Gov. Mike DeWine that the organization would have to restrict audience sizes. At first, the performance could go on with 1,000 people or fewer. After a dress rehearsal and a quick dinner with the band, another message came from the state: the new limit was 50 people.
After some thought, JAG decided to hold the performance virtually on Facebook Live to ensure the safety of performers and audience members. Stripling went straight to Costco, he says, to stock up after the performance. Like most people, he figured they’d be back on track in a month or less. Flash forward to this March, and Stripling is still making trips to Costco.
Bryon Stripling playing at the last JAG performance before the first COVID-19 shutdowns.
“What we know is that healing happens through music,” Stripling says. “What we know is that the highest form of hope is, really, art and music. Even though, financially, everybody in our organization has taken a hit, especially the musicians … that does not dampen our desire to get back to what we do.”
Performances were postponed, and though JAG hoped to salvage some of the season in person for the whole band, leadership ultimately decided to stick with virtually broadcast performances. Engagement was, and still is, key to Stripling.
“We know the mere act of giving somebody a song makes them feel better, but it also makes us feel better,” Stripling says. “You know how you feel better when you exercise? It’s kind of intuitive. Like, ‘Man, if I get up and move, I’m going to get tired.’ But it actually gives you energy. That’s what music is for people. … For us, the giving of this gift is like an act of kindness, and an act of kindness, no matter how small, is a great thing.”
JAG has given smaller group performances throughout the past year. During the social unrest last summer, JAG introduced its “Songs for Hope and Healing” series. The streamed broadcast was a collaboration between JAG and the Columbus Urban League utilizing music as a message of change, and it featured conversations on social justice and unity.
JAG also produced its annual Christmas special for a virtual audience. But at the end of the day, Stripling is eager to return to an audience, no matter its size.
“I know it is going to be different, and I know that the delivery system that we typically have is going to change,” Stripling says. “But it’s going to be live, and live is important.”
Bryon Stripling playing at the last JAG performance before the first COVID-19 shutdowns.
COSI
Within days of closing last spring, COSI launched an online learning module called COSI Connects. While the museum stayed closed, engagement with its audience through educational videos and activities helped strengthen outreach. The learning module has expanded into a mobile app, and on-site distribution of science kits or “Learning Lunchboxes” is available through COSI on Wheels.
Recently, COSI launched a new magazine-style weekly primetime television series called QED with Dr. B, in partnership with WOSU. The show features one-on-one talks with scientists, engineers and innovators across the globe and strengthens its commitment to education.
“Through this pandemic, more people began to see and understand in real time the critical importance of science and science literacy. This is and has been a fundamental component of COSI’s mission, and we are proud to serve as a critical resource for people to gain knowledge and support their curiosity around science,” says COSI President and CEO Frederic Bertley. “As COSI offered almost unlimited virtual content and programming, we were able to reach a wider audience, even globally in many cases, and expand on that appreciation around the importance of a science literate society.”
CAPA
Much like other entities across the Columbus entertainment industry, CAPA entered uncharted waters as the pandemic set in and forced a large number of events for 2020 from both local and national artists to cancelation. In matter of days, performances began to get rescheduled, tickets refunded and staff went to work at home.
Amid the uncertainty, CAPA was able to produce a number of entertaining virtual arts experiences and hold a few in-person events at theaters with reduced-capacity including an abbreviated summer movie series and national events like the Hip Hop Nutcracker.
One of the larger virtual performances was the “ApART Together Concert Series,” which featured local music artists from a wide variety of genres.
Tim Johnson
Chad Whittington tj
Chad Whittington
“We’ve received a lot of positive feedback on how uplifting and inspiring that content has been to our audiences,” Chad Whittington, president and CEO of CAPA, says. “I expect we will see more limited-capacity events as the vaccine rolls out over the next few months, but these performances have been a great opportunity to create trust and comfort among our audiences before we get back to full operating capacity.”
The 2021 season will start slow as the recovery continues in the arts community and vaccines roll out. Whittington says that CAPA theatres will remain pretty quiet for the first part of the year.
“The 2021-22 season will be packed with events that will offer something for everyone and provide plenty of opportunities to get caught up on the year we lost,” Whittington says. “I am optimistic we will begin to see a return to normal in the fall.”
Short North Alliance
With restrictions on gatherings and capacities, the Short North has looked a tad different than what we are accustomed to seeing throughout the year. The streets were a little less crowded, especially as the weather turned this winter, but the Short North continues on and has learned a lot over the year.
“If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is the true importance of community and collaboration. Both have been what have kept our creative business community going throughout the pandemic and both will continue to be what defines us moving forward,” Betsy Pandora, executive director of the Short North Alliance, says. “Beyond that, we have also seen the incredible spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship present and strong in the Short North Arts District.”
While we all missed having a full-fledged Gallery Hop, the virtual space provided a connect between the arts and the Columbus community. Though it has been challenging, the businesses have done their best to continue offering its services and entertainment to the best of its abilities while keeping patrons safe.
“From our work together early on to take events like Gallery Hop to the virtual space to how our business community has adapted to offer online, curbside, and other creative forms of commerce will certainly serve to strengthen our community now and for years to come,” Pandora says.
Shadowbox
When asked how the COVID-19 pandemic affected Shadowbox, CEO Stacie Boord was candid in her response.
For a group that is used to performing more than 400 times a year, the drastic cut back to a little over 70 was something they never fully anticipated.
Amidst the uncertainty that 2020 possessed, Boord acknowledges the challenges, but also finds positives.
“There have been so many blessings in this thing. Like, as crazy as this year has been, it’s also been incredibly productive,” Boord says. “Exhausting, but productive.”
Though most of the 70 performances came in the first part of the year, the Shadowbox crew was able to briefly return for a short stint of performances in November for its Beatles show. Like most, virtual experiences were explored and engagement from its patrons was most surprising to Boord as 336 new donors were generated.
“Our patrons have been amazing, the donors have been amazing and we really try to engage with them,” Boord says. “And through all the lows and highs and twists and turns and all of that… they were with us. I am so incredibly grateful and humbled by their support.”
While there is no clear cut return date to the stage, Boord knows the first performance will be a continuation of the Beatles show, which is a fan favorite and personal favorite of Shadowbox.
There are also plans for a new sketch show, “Let’s Skit it On.” Rehearsals have continued on a smaller scale
“We’re gonna be really thoughtful because it is very difficult to create original work during this time when people can’t be close together,” Boord says. “We’re very conscious of protecting our own artists. We have everyone evacuate the theater every few hours so that the air can completely turn over… All of that.”
Rocco Falleti is an associate editor. Feedback welcome at rfalleti@cityscenemediagroup.com.