It's on! How you can experience the arts safely this summer
Our provincial government is lifting all COVID-19 restrictions as part of “Alberta’s Open for Summer Plan”, on July 1. And while some may be ready to jump into a no-restrictions summer with both feet, others are still feeling a little tentative and only ready to dip a toe in. We’ve rounded up a few ideas for both the jumpers and the toe-dippers to safely enjoy the arts this summer.
ArtsXpeditions
After a (safely distanced) crowd-pleasing premiere last summer, ArtsXpeditions is returning for a second season of free outdoor performances in all four quadrants of the city. Last summer, ArtsXpeditions brought 35 performances to neighbourhoods, parks, elder care facilities, driveways, and street corners, supporting our local talent that included 45 artists and 6 technicians through paid work and performance opportunities. This year, there will be twice as many performances scattered across the city, connecting Calgarians with all of the amazing talent that our community has to offer – safely outside in the glorious Calgary summer sun.
Event details will be communicated via social media and newsletter, meaning that if you are interested, you need to follow or sign up. Arts Commons Presents will be adhering to AHS guidelines, including social distancing measures and voluntary contact tracing. There will be two technicians and one staff member at every event, with that staff member’s sole responsibility to manage the attendees and keep the event safe. Masks will not be mandatory, but are encouraged.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Arts Commons prioritized the health and safety of audiences, artists, and staff. We have yet to reopen since closing our doors on March 22, 2020, when the pandemic hit uncontrollable levels. That said, our mission is to “bring the arts to life”, and ArtsXpeditions is a safe and accessible way to do that. “We’re keenly aware that the impact of the pandemic has not been felt equally and that Calgarians are all in different places regarding their health and their level of comfort in public spaces”, said Josh Dalledonne, Associate Director, Social Impact. “The one thing we ALL have in common, however, is the need to connect with one another. Our hope is that Calgarians feel safe and comfortable joining us at these free performances so they’re able to enjoy the talent our city has to offer.”
For more information on ArtsXpeditions, visit the Arts Commons website. For updates on the upcoming ArtsXpeditions events, follow Arts Commons on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or sign up for Spotlight, the newsletter.
Summer Serenades
July is a big month in Calgary. Stampede typically kicks off on the first Friday of the month and runs for 10 days, and the Calgary Folk Music Festival (CFMF) typically happens over the fourth weekend of the month over four days. This year, however, is not typical.
The CFMF wants to be clear that what will be happening in late July is not a ‘festival’. Instead, they are producing an outdoor concert series called Summer Serenades, presented by long-time sponsor ATB, at Prince’s Island Park, for seven days, running July 22 – 28, 2021. There will also only be one stage – the main stage – and a ‘screen-only’ area where a big screen will allow audience members to see the performances close up.
Last summer, the CFMF put together a COVID Safety Task Force anticipating the slowing of restrictions and the need to be prepared to produce events safely when that time came. This group was made up of five staff members and a board member and was tasked to stay up to date with the current research data, infection and hospital rates and preparing protocols with AHS guidance. “I am fully confident that we have the correct protocols in place to keep the staff, artists, volunteers, and the public safe while bringing live music back to our community,” said John Hiebert, Production Manager at the CFMF.
At the 2019 CFMF, their 40th anniversary, attendance was over 50,000 over 4 days (approximately 12,500 per day). This year, the limit will be a maximum 1890 per day. Gone are the “tarpies” gathering overnight in front of the gate to walk, skip, or hop their way to the green field in front of main stage (running has never been allowed). Instead, the CFMF team has created fourteen ‘zones’ that will include multiple tarp areas. “Each tarp plot will measure eight feet by six feet and house a maximum of four adults and two kids. Each zone varies in size with the appropriate number of tarp plots for safe social distancing,” shared Hiebert.
Instead of beer gardens, the CFMF hopes to obtain a site-wide liquor license so that attendees can grab a beverage and head back to their tarp. The beverage service area will be managed for social distancing and beverages will only be provided in single serving cans.
Volunteers? Anyone who is familiar with the CFMF volunteer ‘army’ knows that this is one of the things that makes this event so successful and fun. While this remains true, most of the volunteers will be taking the year off, and streamlined crews will be put in place to manage the smaller footprint. The plan currently in place is to screen and rapid test volunteers, artists, crews, contractors, and staff daily during the week-long concert series. Contact tracing will also be in effect using the ticketed and assigned ‘zones’ as their guide.
This year may not be typical for the CFMF, but it promises to be fun, safe, and a welcome return to live music and the arts. And if you’ve ever attended the Calgary Folk Music Festival, you know that they know what they’re doing.
“I can’t wait to see the massive smiles on the faces of the audience, artists, volunteers, and staff when the bands hit the stage, after all that we have been through. Endorphins will be racing through me, for sure,” said Hiebert.
Like ArtsXpeditions, Summer Serenades “supports local and Canadian artists and the entire cultural ecosystem: technicians, production and site companies, agents, managers, publicists and other arts workers”.
Tickets are on sale now. Learn more at calgaryfolkfest.com/summer-serenades.
Virtual Cabarets
Still not sure you want to be live and in person but want to experience the wonder of the arts? Arts Commons Presents continues with its TD Amplify Cabarets with the ability to enjoy the show from the safety and comfort of your home.
On July 11, 2021, Braving Beauty Cabaret illuminates the parallels and connections between two specific communities that call Mohkínstsis (or Calgary) home - artists from the African and Afro-Caribbean diaspora and the Indigenous Nations of Treaty 7. Through the art of cabaret, this showcase of local voices curated by Toyin Lamas and Marshall Vielle invites you to experience unapologetically authentic and personal expressions of art and identity. This virtual presentation is FREE, but registration is required for viewing.
On the heels of Braving Beauty Cabaret comes Sissy Fit: The Future is Queer Cabaret. If you haven’t attended a Sissy Fit Cabaret in the past, take this opportunity! Sissy Fit is an all-inclusive celebration of radical performances - all in the name of harnessing the diversity, depth, and wild power of being queer, and specifically being queer in Alberta. Again, this virtual presentation is FREE, but registration is required for viewing.
Both Cabarets are best suited for people 14 years and older.
