APAP encourages arts companies to prepare for COVID-19

President and CEO of APAP Mario Garcia Durham issued a statement this week urging performing arts companies and artists to have a robust strategy in place to weather the storm of COVID-19 as panic spreads.

“Across the world, public gatherings including performances, museums and festivals have been cancelled and shuttered to help limit the spread of the Coronavirus,” he said. “As a field focused on bring people together, we are monitoring the spread and impact of the virus.

“For that reason, you should have a plan in the event that, in the interest of public health, your organization needs to delay or cancel events or temporarily close.”

He encouraged professionals to use resources available to manage the crisis effectively: “Our partners at ArtsReady have assembled a valuable set of resources to help you and your team prepare for and respond to the potential impact of the Coronavirus. We highly encourage you and your team to review these guidelines on how to prepare your facility, support your staff, communicate with your audience and stakeholders, review your budget and insurance, and more. We also encourage you to check the ArtsReady website regularly for updates.

A webinar Prepare Your Organization for the Coronavirus Disease Outbreak was hosted by the Event Safety Alliance on 4 March. You can watch the replay online.

Added Garcia Durham: “APAP will continue to monitor the situation and will share more information as it becomes available. We encourage you to forward this message to your colleagues.”

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