We, the performing arts community of Humboldt County, the Redwood Region and California, hereby release this statement of solidarity.
As artists and arts organizations we recognize the devastating effects of COVID-19 on our communities.
At this time in our very uncertain world, the live performing arts are needed more than ever;  to vision, to create, to inspire joy and connections. As Laura Zabel states in How Creativity and Culture Can Contribute to Community Planning,
“What makes culture bearers, artists, elders, and historians integral to community development is not only their understanding of how and why a community works the way that it does but also their ability to identify, witness, and translate this history— dark matter—into art, creative process, and visioning.”
Live performances allow us the time and space to experience together our shared humanity, to be moved and inspired as we build our future.
Continued prevention of our operations puts at risk the solvency of many of our local arts institutions, and could cause some of our invaluable companies to close their doors, if action isn’t taken soon. These companies inspire children, produce plays, dances and music and create new works that reflect our changing world. Some are already in grave danger.
Covid caused all local theatre and dance companies to discontinue performance schedules that were the bread and butter of their yearly budget. While many other industries are now being allowed to serve the public again, our industry has been strangely omitted from that allowance.
This is unhealthy for our community as a whole, not only economically, but socially. We all understand the importance of the arts to the wellbeing of our county’s children, families, and seniors. Now, more than ever, we all need to engage in arts activities, as isolation and social distancing affect our mental and physical health.
Some other cities, such as San Francisco, have already created guidelines for outdoor performances, and theatre organizations have put those plans into practice. We believe that members of the public can enjoy live performances in outdoor venues such as parks, plazas, baseball fields, streets, and other outdoor locations, in a safe way that prevents the spread of Coronavirus and allows our community to have necessary access to family entertainment, cultural expression, and social discourse.
Once outdoor performance practices are safely established, and COVID-19 infection rates allow, we can eventually make plans for safe use of indoor performance spaces in much the same way that access is currently allowed in churches and museums: with social distancing guidelines in place, adequate ventilation, and sufficient traffic flow patterns.
It is time for our public officials to communicate with the performing arts community to create a reopening plan just like they did with every other industry. We are creative and can move with the times. This is our specialty.
We are very much looking forward to returning to the community service work that we do locally.

Sincerely,
The Performing Arts Community of Humboldt County, the Redwood Region, and Beyond