Staying Inspired at Home

stAying inspirED At homE Bringing Art AnD cULtUrE to thE DoorstEp

KArin mELBErg schwiEr

“I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it.” – William Shakespeare, As You Like It

Performance and visual art organizations traditionally rely on selling their wares to live audiences. Far from being much ado about nothing, arts groups have to be nimble as they work with ‘stay safe, stay home’ health decrees. Many are mounting unique approaches to reach house-bound patrons. For those squeamish about ‘peopley’ situations, staying inspired is an important part of an enriched life, pandemic or not. Saskatoon HOME spoke with a few local arts organizations about what they’re doing to make sure the arts remain an uplifting albeit distant experience. SSO’s 89th season early, “we felt that we couldn’t just sit on our hands and do nothing,” says Megan Grier, Director of Marketing and Communications. The SSO collected pre-filmed performances and released

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The Addams Family by Saskatoon Summer Players. Photo Credit: Nicole Stevenson Photography

them as part of a virtual Beethoven Festival in May. “People were grateful for this simple concert experience. It was moving to get so many messages about how they missed their symphony and live music.”

Filming and live-streaming is a recent Symphony innovation. “We’ve always wanted to bring our concerts to a larger audience, but never had the resources.” After receiving Robert A. (Bob) Steane Legacy funds, 306-651-7120 140 - 3047 Clarence Ave S sallan@ashleyhomestore.ca

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The SSO has moved into St. John’s Anglican Cathedral for rehearsals, and performances for socially distanced audience members, and recorded for patrons at home. Concert enhancements are suggested on the SSO blog.

SSO purchased cameras and hired a videographer to record performances at St. John’s Cathedral.

“We can give our audience the chance to watch our concerts wherever they want with our Digital Concert Stream. Instead of a concert being a one-off, people can watch and revisit their favourites,“ says Megan. Over 500 and counting households have signed up. In December, SSO offers Postcards from the North Pole and Candlelight Christmas. “People are already telling us they’ll be watching with family on Christmas Day.”

Virtual programming has been so successful, Megan wonders what will happen when large audiences can gather again.

“It sounds like cameras aren’t going away even when the restrictions do.”

Photo Credit: Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra/Julie Isaac Photography

Saskatoon Summer Players

This volunteer-based troupe presented The Addams Family: A New Musical Comedy at the Rawlco Radio Hall at the Remai Arts Centre just before Halloween.

Artistic Producer Anita Smith says SSP partnered with film company Bamboo Shoots to produce a “hybrid between live musical theatre and film.” The “altogether ooky” finger-snapping musical was live-streamed for a variety of ticket prices, some with unique add-on incentives. One option included spooky-themed appetizers brought to the patron’s home by D’reen’s Catering on the day of the show.

“Caterers are performers, too,” says D’reen, noting her own Best Actress award in high school drama, three

Photo Credit: Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra/Julie Isaac Photography The SSO Oktoberfest concert was live-streamed in a space that allows the capture of better live sound and space for each musician.

years running. “I love working with this troupe. When I heard Addams Family, I was thrilled!” She prepared “a coffin of snacks” like Bat Wings Black Bun Sliders, Bacon-wrapped Mummy Jalapeños, Witch’s Fingers and Graveyard Cupcakes.

“It’s definitely a challenging time to be creating live and in-person art,” says Anita. “But we are by nature creative people so it is interesting to see the new access methods being created.”

The Gallery/art Placement

There’s a significant difference between a public art gallery and a commercial one, says Levi Nicholat, Manager, The Gallery/Art Placement. The art in the first is for viewing and the venue publicly funded; art in the latter is for sale. Gallery owners like his are in the business of selling art to support operations and pay artists for their work.

“I absolutely believe that the arts are essential to our lives, as makers and participants but also as viewers, spectators or supporters,” says Levi. “In a perfect world, art would have no barriers to viewing it or owning it.”

The difficulties facing commercial galleries when access is restricted are significant. But because the selling and buying of art at a distance is a familiar issue for his gallery, transactions carry on virtually.

“We promote the idea that art is something to experience directly, in person. Viewing a

Saskatoon Summer Players live-streamed The Addams Family, featuring Juan Mendoza and Kristel Harder as Gomez and Morticia Addams. Painter Lorna Russell will be staying home from her opening reception and show in November. The Gallery hopes to help her participate via a video connection.

Photo Credit: Karin Melberg Schwier

painting on a screen never compares to interacting with it in real life,” Levi explains. “But many of our gallery’s clients—a majority in fact— are not in Saskatoon, or even Saskatchewan.” The gallery sends high-resolution images, or perhaps a series of installation views, through email. If a purchase is made, the work is delivered to their home or office.

The gallery is also about showcasing artists. In November, for example, the gallery will mount a scheduled show featuring Saskatoon painter Lorna Russell, who will be staying home.

“A reception is an opportunity to celebrate artists and congratulate them on their achievement. Unfortunately, Lorna won’t have that full experience this time, but obviously health and safety are more important,” Levi explains. “Whether her buyers are local, visiting the gallery in a safe way, or looking and transacting from afar through digital means, we’re able to accommodate them.”

remai modern art Gallery

Staff at Remai Modern are working to provide additional digital resources for patrons who aren’t able to visit in person. Stephanie McKay, Communications Manager, says the gallery has been working on a few ways to engage people at home.

“Given our reduced capacity and the fact that not everyone is comfortable with coming to see a performance or exhibit,” Stephanie says, “we want there to be other opportunities. “We’ve started live-streaming performances. Our social media feeds are another great way to engage with Remai Modern, including ‘Meet the Artist Mondays’ posts and ‘Spotlight on the Collection,’ where we talk a bit about a piece from the more than 8,000 works that Remai Modern holds.”

The gallery offers weekend art-making tutorials online that are “easy to complete at home and require very few materials.” Video interviews with artists have been uploaded to YouTube, as have a series of Spotify playlists, launched prior to the pandemic.

“Those are a great way to learn more about the artists we showcase and what inspires them,” Stephanie

The Remai Modern is offering art-making tutorials online for aspiring at-home artists.

Will Brooks greets 30 VIP guests at the September grand opening of Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan’s new festival site. The event was live-streamed by SightLine Designs.

adds. “It’s just a start. We’re developing other ways to extend our work into the digital sphere to reach as many people at home as possible.”

Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan

Will Brooks, Artistic Producer with Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan, says summer festivals have a slight edge as a pandemic drags on given their curtains don’t rise until next year. That makes ticket revenue seem a long way off, but what it gives them is time for artist training, organizational development, and the thrill of creating new work.

“We’ve just come off a $7 million capital marketing push and we’ve been around for a long time, so it would be quite a while before Saskatoon forgets who we are,” says Will. “But reaching our audiences digitally is a way to stay connected, and keep artists busy while putting a little money in their pockets.” In recent months, patrons at home have enjoyed a live-streamed reading of The Tempest on YouTube. A Zoom series called ‘Sup with Me’ has Will chatting with SOTS actors, directors and playwrights wherever they might be around the globe. Still other YouTube offerings give fans their Shakespeare fix.

“We can really take this opportunity get better as an organization, create new relationships and work, and offer things to the world for the sake of theatre, not just for the sake of not going bankrupt.”

Will plans a series of livestreamed actors’ workshops and conversations so patrons can look behind the theatrical veil. He is also considering a couple of livestreamed options for plays next summer. There will be people who still won’t feel comfortable or able to gather in person. Perhaps not portents and evils imminent,

Photo Credit: timkip Imaging

but that live-streamed version comes with a warning.

“I’m a big believer that if it’s digital, it isn’t theatre,” Will insists. “Vibrant live theatre requires an audience rubbing shoulders, a give and take with the actors. Digital is different, and it’s a lot cheaper. I do have fears as we move ahead from this pandemic that unless we’re careful, we may forget what live theatre is meant to be.”

Or not to be.

Karin Melberg Schwier