When the province announced it was limiting public indoor gatherings, the performing arts took a hit. Symphonies, art galleries, theatres — all had to re-imagine how they were going to reach their audience. Keeping the arts afloat is a challenge, even in good years. But across northeastern Ontario, troupes are showing some resilience and imagination.
The Sudbury Theatre Centre is one of those groups changing with the times.
Artistic director John McHenry says they’re hanging on by the skin of their teeth, cancelling the entire 2020-21 season.
So they’ve turned to radio to keep the audience engaged.
McHenry and his team have just embarked on what he hopes will be a live weekly podcast. And he hopes it will help satisfy the theatre audience.
“It’s that live experience … I know it’s a cliche, but there’s nothing like a group of like-minded people coming into a theatre. And when those house lights go down to dark and the show begins and you’re just all there in that moment … and the show was different last night and it will be different tomorrow night,” he said.
“What you are seeing is just for you because who knows what’s going to happen because it’s live, right? And when you do a podcast or a radio show or even a TV show, you hope somebody is on the other end listening or viewing it on the TV.”
Over at the Art Gallery of Sudbury, exhibits are open, but it’s changed how people interact with the artwork. Big opening celebrations or group tours are gone. Instead, there are small, private tours for groups of six, as well as virtual visits of the art on display.
Curator Demetra Chistakos says it’s been a big adjustment.
“You miss that sense of people coming together in groups … meeting other people that you might not know and sharing an experience that’s larger than yourself,” she said.
Where the art gallery lives, at the Bell mansion, only seven people can fit into Gallery One.
“We have about a thousand square feet in each floor. And so, this experience of distance, I think, is people have adapted to it and they’ve done their best. You can do some coming together virtually. But they’re missing the human touch and that you can’t replace. It’s a period of distance.”
She said they’re doing their best to comply and accommodate and keep people safe.
“But it’s not the same as being able to freely assemble and to really share enthusiasm and questions and that in-person experience of art.”
In Timmins, their Symphony is planning to go live — but broadcast on Facebook.
“In terms of rehearsal, we’re having to adhere very strictly to everything that our local health unit, the province and the country, laid out,” said conductor Joshua Wood.
“We went out and we bought a bunch of protective equipment … we have masks, wipes, everything like that. Because of the strict guidelines that the government put out for wind and brass instruments, we ordered 15 or 20 custom-made plastic shields that fit over the stands. So they act as a barrier between the wind players and the rest of the ensemble in the audience. And we’ve had to obviously shrink the number of people on stage because they have to be double spaced, two meters apart.”
The live audience may not be present, Wood says that’s not stopping them from sharing the gift of music.
“We’re still we’re trucking along right now. We’ve got a few rehearsals and the orchestra has adapted really, really well.”
Morning North6:20How arts groups are coping during the pandemic
What’s it been like for art groups since the pandemic hit? It certainly hasn’t been easy. We checked in we a few arts organizations to find out how they’ve been adapting. 6:20
