Arts Companies Partner with Emory School of Nursing to Reopen Safely
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Participating Arts Companies 7 Stages Actor’s Express The Alliance Theatre ART Station Atlanta Lyric Theatre Aurora Theatre Center for Puppetry Arts Dad’s Garage Dance Canvas Found Stages Georgia Ensemble Theatre Horizon Theatre Company Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company Out Front Theatre Company Stage Door Players Synchronicity Terminus Dance Theatrical Outfit
Actor’s Express Freddie Ashley (left photo)
coalition of Atlanta’s assessment tool, the project arts organizations architects will analyze the have partnered data to create standard opwith the nursing school erating procedures for each at Emory University to area of operation, including create guidelines for safely front of house, performance reopening theatres and spaces, and backstage. performance venues. These operating procedures Actor’s Express has can be applied across all the led a group of 18 arts performing arts companies organizations in creatin the region. ing a partnership with the Then the Doctor of Nell Hodgson Woodruff Nursing Practice students at School of Nursing at Emory Emory will go one step furSchool of Nursing Facility University to evaluate and ther, issuing specific guidPublic Health Clinical Leaders Daniel Geller DNP, MSN, FNP study performing arts ance to each participating Roxana Chicas Ph.D., RN operations. This evaluation performing arts company Rebecca Shasanmi Ellis, MPH, will lead to the creation of detailing how it can adapt BSN, RN a set of guidelines and sugworkflows to mitigate the Monica Donohue MN, RN gestions on how to safely effects of COVID-19. Kim Crawford, MPH, FNP Sarah Febres-Cordero RN, BSN and responsibly reopen as “Because every operaPriscilla Hall Ph.D., CNM the COVID-19 pandemic tion is different and each continues. venue has a unique set of The study will analyze data on how challenges, no one sweeping policy will work patrons, performers, and staff interact, and for everyone,” said Morgan Clark-Youngblood, propose ways to safely return to work and a DNP candidate at the Emory School of performances as soon as it’s safe to do Nursing. “Through this partnership, as well as so. These plans will also take into account guidance from the CDC and Georgia Departcurrent statistics on new infections in the ment of Public Health, we hope to find a set community, and define benchmarks for of guidelines all performance venues can put reopening. in place to reduce risk to audiences, artists, After all 18 of the participating performand crew, as well as specific action plans for ing arts companies have completed an each company participating in the study.”
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