It’s no secret that with everything shut down, people are yearning for artistic escapes. Being cooped up in the house all day (although it’s the best option right now) is not ideal, but is essential. To help combat the isolation of social distancing, Theatre Horizon has come up with a creative solution to help Philadelphians still make this time as entertaining as possible.
The professional theatre company located in Norristown recently announced that amidst the global pandemic they will be launching new virtual programming featuring both educational and artistic videos available to patrons and community members via their YouTube channels.
“We see an immediate need in our community—for artists to find income after shows and classes are canceled and for families and audiences to feel connected to each other, despite social distancing,” said Artistic Director Nell Bang-Jensen in the release. “These videos are a way for Theatre Horizon to continue our mission of increasing our shared humanity through the arts. Though we cannot gather safely in person, we can continue to celebrate the power of the arts to heal, build empathy, and encourage creativity, at a time when we all need it most.”
The content will be available on Theatre Horizon’s Youtube Channel starting the week of March 23. The videos are free and anyone is welcome to view them. Access to the videos can be found through Youtube and also through Horizon’s Facebook page. The release states that the educational videos will use a naming convention that starts with “AGES 3-11” or “AGES 7-10” and so on, so the lessons are easily searchable for parents seeking programming appropriate for their child.
Professionals, artists and teachers will be working over the next few days to produce this meaningful content for audiences. Theatre Horizon will also be paying them $45 for 25-45 minute long videos, to help ensure that these dedicated individuals continue to have a stream of income during the closure of many theatre companies around the country due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Interested in submitting videos? Artists who would like to pitch video ideas can do so by contacting the following Theatre Horizon staff: Rebecca May Flowers, Associate Artistic Director at rebecca@theatrehorizon.org for artistic videos, and Dawn Loveland Navarro, Director of Education Outreach at dawn@theatrehorizon.org for educational videos.
