Arts Alive have curated a programme of online performances for communities in Shropshire. ArtsAlive@Home will feature a mixture of pre-recorded shows and live streamed events, most of which are being held exclusively for Arts Alive. The rural touring scheme has had to cancel its normal programme of events, which includes Flicks in the Sticks, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Organisers have said they are committed to keep bringing arts events to local communities in rural areas. They are asking audiences to tune in on a specific date and time so that viewers can collectively enjoy a post show chat with one of the performers via group video conferencing.
Cerin Mills, Live Events Programmer at Arts Alive, said, “We think our audience will really enjoy sharing the experience of an online show. They can watch the fabulous events from the comfort of their sofa, organise their own interval drinks, share their response with the other audience members, and speak to the performers after the show. Whilst there is no replacing the atmosphere of a live show, we believe this will be a really unique and enriching community experience, for people of all ages.”
The line up includes ‘The Fairy’s Kiss’ from the Scottish ballet, with a post show chat with principal dancer, Beth Kingsley-Garner. The award winning Puppet State Theatre will be sharing a recording of their show ‘The Man who Planted Trees’ which was recorded at The Edinburgh Fringe 2019. Songwriter and performer Louise Jordan will share extracts from ‘Florence’, a one-woman show about Florence Nightingale, with a live Q&A with Louise after the show.
Dave Gaydon, Head of Programming for The Cheltenham Jazz Festival has curated a one-hour online special featuring four of the performers who were due to feature at the festival, which was cancelled following the Covid-19 outbreak. Artists will each perform a live 15-minute set from their home. He adds, “We are thrilled to be involved in the ArtsAlive@Home programme. It is a desperate time for the events and festival world, not only for the cancelled events but also for the diminished availability of live cultural experiences for the public. It is a pleasure to provide a mini online festival for the Arts Alive community – they can expect some quality jazz delivered straight to their living room!”
Details of all the events are listed on the website (www.artsalive.co.uk) and details will be released on the ‘Arts Alive & Flicks in the Sticks’ Facebook page as well.
