March 15th, 2022
We’ve just passed the two-year mark of Covid ‘pivots’ and crisis planning in Canada. Today I found a blog post from this time last year that I never shared.
A year later, with so much ‘water under the bridge’, I am again reflecting on Covid, the journey so far… and where we’re going next. In the meantime, here’s the blog post from last year. Please take care and stay safe.
————————
March 2021
Almost- Spring is almost here.
And- It’s just over a year since Friday, March 13, 2020, the day I went into rehearsal for a ‘talk’ with the cast I was directing.
The news on the CBC that morning was about cancelations and shut downs; I knew I needed to lead with empathy, compassion and creativity. That morning four fabulous, smart, funny, savvy, talented female actors and our excellent female stage manager gathered with a huge wave of uncertainty in the rehearsal-room air. For the first time, I talked about ‘pivoting’ and creativity being our path through this challenge. By the end of the day, the run of the play was cancelled and a new era had begun.
Fast forward, and we’re just into COVID19, year two: lock downs, variants, online theatre, vaccinations, social distancing, death tolls, infection rates… the words, phrases, uncertainty and actions impacting our lives over the last year have been truly extraordinary… And on the other side of that coin? Creativity, determination, generousity, grace, love, humour, empathy, community, persistence and so much more.
In 2020 the Ryga Arts Festival ‘pivoted’ and presented programming outdoors, indoors with live-streaming, and online. We were incredibly fortunate that the festival took place during the small window of time in British Columbia when it was possible to have fifty people meet in person. Along with so many other people and cultural organizations, we also embarked in learning to create online events. It was a privilege to be able to create spaces and culture experiences for audiences in both physical and online spaces.
I believe there is no going back, only forward. I believe in exploring, reinventing and asking, who shares the stories, how are stories shared, what stories want to be shared and why?
In 2021 we will continue these explorations; the who, what, how and why of story-sharing. The sprit of creative renewal is a driving force. Spring is nearly here. Keep going, keep going, keep going.