Physical/Environment Design In a (Socially) Distant Time – Covid19
Well here we are. For many of us in the US it has been around or just over two months since this new path hit and turned not only our industry but our world upside down. “New Normal” seems to be as synonymous as “Social Distancing” though there doesn’t seem to be any clear idea of what exactly a “new normal” will be yet. Not that there really was ever such a thing as normal to begin with.
What has become abundantly clear is that our industry “entertainment” nothing will be “normal” for a long time to come. We depend on in person experiences and live story telling so the challenges start at the very foundation of what we all do. This is not matter which area of “live event” that you hail from: Theatre, Opera, Music/Concert, Corporate, Museum, Experiential, Sports, and the list goes on and on. This is no small matter, many of us are looking at a bleak horizon for the next 6-12 months minimum. Not to mention the overall financial implication on companies not bringing in revenue to cover basics that are not part of events and productions. It is quite overwhelming, not that that needs to be said, we all know it.
Looking at what we can do versus what we cannot should be our “new normal”. There are so many things that we as creative innovators and individuals who generally do not know the meaning of the word impossible can do, and first and foremost is not to give up. Don’t abandoned what we all have worked hard for most of our collective careers. Unlike a lot of professions most of us do what we do because we are passionate about it and cannot see doing anything else. I often equate “design” and “art” or simply being creative as essential as breathing also as instinctual.
My latest thoughts have been in two categories:
1- “Best Practices” health and safety mechanism/protocol for live and experiential spaces:
Much of discussions that I have been having have centered around ways to control and clean spaces as well as method for controlling and utilizing social distancing in our places of performance and events. These all pose unique challenges as there are so many moving parts to any live event but will be integral to a way forward for us all. Aside from that we all have to consider the business end of smaller audience sizes and limitations on crew during build/installation and limitation on cast size and potential proximity on stage. With so many variables it quickly becomes overwhelming. All each of us can do it work with the companies and vendors that we do and create new methods and paths that will work for each situation.
As a designer I have been spending much time looking into styles and materials that may help out as much as possible. Looking at inherently anti-microbials and easy to clean finishes and materials that will stand up to repeated and frequent cleaning regimen. Also looking at design of physical spaces and how that might contribute to better flow both on stage as well as in the house and lobby for the audience. So much of how we bring people together is about the experience and telling a story… so the story has changed and how can we best help tell it safely and from a bit further away.
I have been trying to look at what might help in our spaces, events and productions that is already in existence. In many ways I refer to this as going down the rabbit hole as it starts often with one thought and leads to another and another and another. For the most part this is fascinating and productive process, as this time it was. This path started with elements that theatre and companies may already have that may be able to contribute to cleaning the environments which in this case started with Black lights and foggers/hazers and led to much more realistic and productive methods. Looking at air purifying systems that involved UVC light and other vapor-based cleaning mechanisms. Please investigate methodologies that will work for your companies and find sound science-based methods for keeping your creatives, crew, performers and audiences as safe as possible.
2- Age of Creativity and Enlightenment:
I have been trying to focus energy and thoughts on how to create and contribute to a new era of creative development and understanding of its importance within and without of our own industries. I believe that we are in a unique position to not focus on what we have lost and are still losing but on what we have the opportunity to build and develop. Historically in times of great stress and challenge those who have creativity as part of their response mechanism develop and create in the most innovative and memorable ways. I don’t believe this time will be any different, I have to believe that this will usher in a new era of enlightenment. I want to help and contribute to that. We have so many tools forms of communication and interaction I truly find the idea of something like this fascinating.
What I have already seen in terms of creative development in the last two and a half months has been astounding. It was almost like the pandemic hit and a switch was tripped. New connections and methods of creative expression sprouted up over night (ok, much of that was in triage mode at the beginning as we were all forced to shut down physical locations and isolate at home, but still everyone in a creative industry rose to the challenge brilliantly). So much material and method were laid bare via internet media that there was simply no way to keep up with it all. Not to mention that it came and is still coming from every echelon of the various industries and companies. I cannot look at all of this without an overwhelming sense of encouragement and subdued excitement for what the future holds for us all.
Though I do say this also with a cautious ear to those who we have lost both in individuals and companies and what we will likely loose in the months and year(s) ahead. It will not be simple but amazing things will come from this as they already have.
We have all been adjusting to so much of online media for live event and performance over the last two and half months that I fear in some way perhaps people are fast adjusting to that and will forget what live performances are or the value of it. In fact I have seen and been part of several conversations where people are wondering why more theatre and production companies can’t just move their productions on line….my response is generally that that is not what live events and performances are about and you already have that as an art/entertainment form in abundance in film and TV. On the other hand, there have been just as many discussions regarding the desire and need to physically connect with other people just in general as well as through art, event and performance. And that is something that will always be fundamental to what live events, productions and experiences are all about, human connection. We as humans are inherently social creatures and we crave interactions and experiences be they stories, food, music, dance, sports or even work we want to live and breathe each day as part of that. Which is why live experiences will come back, we need them all of us, those of us who make them and those of us who experience them.