Emerging from the wings, and returning to the art studio
A Message from Executive Director Suzanne Haines.
September 15, 2020
This Fall, we are carefully moving forward in partnership with our community and venue partners to return live music to the stage, and educational classes to the arts studio. With safety as our number 1 guidepost, we have spent the past few months planning for our return. From working with industry partners, conducting multiple site tours, surveying our community, researching best practices, following all developments in public health safety and gathering mandates, this has been a rigorous process for our entire team. All of this comes together today as we announce the first of our Fall 2020 in-person programming. This includes new venue spaces, a revised set of educational classes, a free family outdoor performing arts event, and a live in-person concert with a live stream option. All of these include a robust set of safety protocols to welcome you when you feel ready to join us.
We are taking the show on the road!
To add to this new normal, we’re now officially offsite from our regular home at 22 Church Street. The Town of Aurora will shortly embark on the investment in cultural infrastructure in the downtown core in the Library Square construction project. But unlike the pandemic, we had plenty of advance-planning for this move! Our team continues to work remotely at the moment as our Administrative Offices, future Programming Room and Gallery Exhibition space are located in the Aurora Town Hall which remains closed. We will operate from Town Hall for the duration of the construction project. For the Fall, we are thrilled to present a special free family event at the Aurora Town Park, and our in-person educational and concert programming at the Aurora Armoury.
Our venue partners have spent the past few months building safety protocols based on all public health directives. We have incorporated their best practices into our own extensive industry research to create a set of safety guidelines to help you feel confident and secure when you return to us. We’ll communicate with you regularly – before a class or event and in person, and ask for your feedback on your experience. Together, we can support the return to in-person arts experiences.
If we need to shift again this Fall season, we will. We understand that the health crisis may change, and we are prepared to respond rapidly to new safety measures and shut-downs, as required. For those of you who previously bought from us this past Winter and Spring, you know first-hand that we are responsive and quick to process refunds, and refund-to-gift-cards. We will refund tickets prior to performance should you not feel up to attending, and pro-rate refunds for classes as well. These are exceptional circumstances this season, and our Box Office will respond in kind.
We can’t thank you enough for your words of encouragement, and commitment to expression through the arts through these past few difficult months. It has meant the world to us. In the meantime, please take a moment to update yourself on our COVID-19 protocols for Education and Performing Arts. Then enjoy pursuing our upcoming programs. We can’t wait to see you.
Sincerely,
Suzanne Haines
Executive Director, and the Aurora Cultural Centre Team