The Lakes District Arts Council has come up with a new and innovative way of continuing to share music with others, while COVID-19 takes its toll on social gatherings.
Normally at this time of year, the Arts Council would be gearing up for their busiest season of music brought to Burns Lake. But this year, social distancing means that all in-person concerts are restricted until further notice.
“What we’re doing as an arts council is going back into history and finding performers that were popular with our audience and where we had a really good time hosting them in Burns Lake. And we’re going back to our programs,” said John Barth, volunteer with the Lakes District Arts Council.
“So, we keep on digital file all the programs back to within a year or two of when we started up and we are also keeping audience comments,” he added.
According to Barth, the archived programs and audience comments from that time are posted on Facebook by LDACs Facebook volunteer.
Based on those old concerts that received a pile of good feedback, John and Sandra, and the Facebook volunteer, search for online links—like through youtube, and from the artist’s home webpage even—and post it together with the old program and audience comments. It works like a mini concert, but online, and acts as a refresher of some of the great performances that have rolled through Burns Lake, said Barth.
He fondly recalls one of the greatest performances they’ve had in the 14 years he’s been with LDAC, a Connie Caldor performance. A quick sweep of LDAC’s Facebook page shows Connie Caldor’s concert was posted March 22, and was the first one in their online series.
Two followers “liked” it, and one “loved” it (as per the Facebook options).
“In most cases, we have an email connection with the artist or with their agent, and we’re sending some of the comments back to the artist so they know that in Burns Lake where they performed… so the performers know that people in Burns Lake are thinking about them and still enjoying their music,” said Barth.
Most of the artists, or their agents at least, have responded positively he said.
They’re doing one show weekly and have posted about five online so far, he added.
And in lieu of the closure of the in-person concerts, which would also have a small art show attached to it in the lobby of the performance hall, LDAC will start what they’re calling the Off-the-wall Online Art Show in the next few weeks.
The show showcases art in people’s homes right now, along with stories about the pieces. This will be posted online as well as circulated via email to the newsletter recipients they have on their list.
Barth doesn’t know when the live concerts will resume, but he’s happy he and LDAC can still keep the arts community connected.
“We know that people are appreciating it, and that it’s contributing to their positive outlook and entertainment right now,” he said.