Festivals Without Borders

WITH ROBERT BAIRD

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

Happy New Year! The joy with which we greet the new year was never more in evidence as we saw the end of 2020 and looked forward to 2021 as a new beginning, even though we are in the midst of a global pandemic which has fractured our lives and changed it in ways that are innumerable and yet to be completely understood.

Recent events have heightened our awareness of just how different our world has become and we look with even more hope to our society recovering and soon. Thankfully, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Vaccines have begun to roll out around the globe and it is anticipated that we may be able to resume a semblance of normal activities as early as the fall of 2021. This is the latest assessment of the situation from Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaking at the annual Association of Performing Arts Professionals, held virtually in early January. Dr. Fauci anticipates that America will be able to reach herd immunity by that time and this will allow the performing arts to slowly begin its recovery.

The operative word here is “slowly.” While this forecast is good news for the festival and event sector of the arts, it will require caution and the implementation of safeguards to ensure that events can re-open safely.

The first consideration will be deciding how to confirm that everyone participating in an event, from backstage staff to front of house personnel to audience members has been vaccinated. Many industries even now are requiring proof of a negative COVID-19 test to ensure that an individual is COVID-free and presumably not spreading the virus. There may be an evidentiary document which could be utilized to ensure that an individual has been vaccinated and presentation of that evidence necessary before entry to the event is allowed. There is no such document currently extant but may have to be developed as we move forward.

An alternative, suggested by Dr. Fauci, would be to coordinate with local health authorities and set up a vaccination center in coordination with any event, so that individuals could be vaccinated at the event! In any case, coordination with local health authorities in either case is a good idea.

Requiring proof of vaccination or providing an opportunity for vaccination is only the first step in ensuring the safety of events. A second and important step would be to require that masks be worn by everyone attending, especially if events are taking place indoors. Even with a vaccination, an individual, while ostensibly free from COVID symptoms, may be shedding the virus and able to infect others. Thus, the necessity for masks to be worn. Even in an outdoor setting, masks should be worn where crowds of people gather.

A third consideration would be improving ventilation in enclosed spaces. The use of HEPA filtration systems is recommended but even fans and open windows can improve air circulation (if climate conditions allow), and where ventilation cannot be improved adequately, restricting occupancy is always recommended.

So, in order to reach herd immunity, we need to have as many people vaccinated as possible. The performing arts world can be a role model in this effort by ensuring that organizations recommend and facilitate the vaccination of all staff and lead by example. Advertising that your event is run by completely vaccinated people will help to allay fears for those who want to attend and may encourage audience members to be vaccinated before they come to the event. The pandemic has raised many concerns about transmission of the disease and the efficacy of vaccines and everyone must do their part to assist in returning us to a world where it is possible to attend a festival or event safely.

The light at the end of the tunnel is there, but the tunnel may be a bit longer than we first anticipated. Fortunately, we can reach that light with an attention to safety protocols and a dose of common sense. This will make 2021 indeed a Happy New Year.

Robert Baird is President of BAM! Baird Artists Management Consulting in Toronto, Canada and an acknowledged expert in international touring including visas, withholding and taxation. He offers free advice to artists, agents, managers and venues and has an international clientele. He served for many years on the Executive Board of Festivals and Events Ontario (FEO) and is a former Vice-President of that organization. He can be reached at: P: 1-800-867-3281 E: robert@bairdartists.com or for more information go to: www.bairdartists.com

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