Yes, it's true. We have shows (even a tour) booked for 2022.
The Ontario Arts Council have released the results of a study they sponsored. They were seeking information on what audiences are thinking as we enter our second year of COVID. In short, here are the results:
"WolfBrown & OAC Survey - Update
WolfBrown has been working in partnership with the Ontario Arts Council to launch a tracking study of audiences/visitors for Ontario-based arts organizations. The COVID-19 Audience Outlook Monitor is a longitudinal tracking study with multiple waves of data collection; over 85 participating organizations in Ontario have sent out four waves of surveys to samples of their patrons via email and have observed the results through WolfBrown’s online dashboard tool.
Some highlights from the final results:
89% of responders said they expect to attend arts and cultural activities the same as or more than before the pandemic
73% of responders said that online programs will still have a place in their cultural life even after facilities reopen and it's possible to attend live events again
Wearing masks, physical distancing, and quality of ventilation are the 3 most important health-related topics to responders when returning to arts and cultural activities in person."
I don't know what we're supposed to discern from these statistics. The questions are based on "what if" so in some respects, it's not a real survey. I've been basing the future of my shows on the idea that none of us will know what we will feel when we're presented with the opportunity to attend a show with hundreds of other people, in a confined space. If the survey tells us one thing, these thoughts will be on our minds. "Just how good is the ventilation in that old building?"
As a performer standing on stage in front of hundreds of patrons, I'll be asking myself "is this really a safe place to be and is this the right time to do this"?
The future still looks like an unknown abyss.
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