Classes/Rehearsals
This plan is being developed on an ongoing basis based on the guidelines outlined by the Federal and Provincial Governments, the policies of our host venues, and the experience of our teachers who have been safely running performing arts programs for the past year. Last update: August 2021.
- Teachers will sanitize high-touch items like door handles and other surfaces before and after every class.
- Teachers and students will be asked to wear masks during classes and rehearsals in accordance with provincial guidelines.
- Students will be asked to maintain physical distance in class and rehearsal settings as much as possible and limit or abstain from making physical contact with others.
- Teachers may use marks on the floor to help students keep their distance in class.
- Teachers will conduct contact tracing by taking attendance for each class or rehearsal. Adults will generally not be permitted into the classroom unless they are volunteers but if there are any adults present other than the teacher on a given day their names will be recorded as well.
- Parents will be asked to keep children home who are exhibiting any symptoms. Students who begin to exhibit symptoms during class will need to be picked up immediately, and extra sanitizing will take place.
- If a student is sick or potentially exposed the teacher may provide an option for them to watch the class and participate that day via Zoom. This option will generally only be for students enrolled in productions to ensure they don’t fall behind.
- Students and teachers will be asked to hand sanitize or wash their hands upon entering and exiting the classroom. Hand sanitizer will be provided, or you may provide your own, or opt for handwashing.
- In the event we have back to back classes all students will be asked to leave the room before the next class enters. The teacher will need a few minutes with an empty classroom to sanitize surfaces between classes.
- For classes and rehearsals held at PCCC (Port Coquitlam Community Centre) Theatrix students and teachers will also abide by any rules set in place by the community centre. This includes using specific entrances, exits, or washrooms, the use of masks or hand sanitizer, and any other rules that may be put in place throughout the year.
- For programs that have a show and tell or performance element, audience members will be asked to abide by all government regulations in place at the time of performance.
- All participants, teachers, and audience members over the age of 12 will be required to show proof of vaccination in accordance with government policy.
- There will be limited sharing of props, costumes, or microphones in shows, as well as limited physical or close contact between actors.
- Performances will be recorded so no one who is potentially sick or high-risk will feel the need to attend in person.
Lunchbox and Spotlight Theatre Programs
During this extremely unprecedented time we are aware that safety is your primary concern, and that many schools may choose to focus on keeping kids safe in their regular classroom settings, and may not want to concern themselves with additional programs just yet. That, of course, is something we completely understand. But for any schools wishing to find a way to continue to offer this program in the time of Covid19, whether that be in the fall of 2020, or not until our winter or spring session of 2021, this document will outline and explain our proposal as to how we could offer something safely for your school.
This plan is currently still being developed and is being based on the guidelines outlined by the Federal and Provincial Governments, the individual school board rules, and the experience of our teachers who have been safely running performing arts programs over the summer. We do expect to update this plan as new information becomes available and we welcome any feedback you may have.
1) Space
Due to the requirements of physical distancing our Covid19 plan includes the use of gyms only. We will not run classes that involve multiple people singing in a small classroom or music room as it has been deemed one of the higher risk activities. But if a school can provide gym space to use for our practices, we can operate a class safely.
2) Class Size
Even in a large space we will have to greatly reduce the number of children allowed in a class. The exact number can be negotiated with the school based on the size of the space but we would generally set that number to approximately 15 students.
In order to prevent the spread of the virus each program would only be available to one cohort at a time. Schools can choose which cohort to open the program up to but it is our suggestion that we start with the older students, who have proven in summer camps to be the most capable of following physical distancing rules and guidelines.
3) Physical Distancing
a) Working with whatever guidelines your school is specifically implementing we expect to implement one-way traffic flow to and from the gym for class. One gym door would only be for entering, anyone exiting to go to the bathroom would have to use a separate exit to prevent a build up of traffic near doors.
b) Spaces will be outlined on the floor for each student with a minimum of six feet of distance between each person. Separate markers may be placed for eating and performing and students would be expected to stay within their designated spaces during the class.
4) Cleaning
Students will be asked to wash hands both before and after class and teachers can provide hand sanitizer as well. Teachers will wipe down any physical distancing markers both before and after class in case they get touched by students.
5) Masks
Students will not be required to wear masks unless the school deems it necessary. Teachers will always have a mask on them but will not use them in class if they are able to teach from a proper distance. However, if teachers need to close the gap between themselves and a student (to hear them properly for example) masks will be used.
6) Performing
Performances would not be open to the full school or families. Instead we could potentially allow the rest of this group’s cohort to watch if deemed appropriate by the school, or we could simply record the performance and distribute the video to student’s families.
With so much time needed to ensure adequate safety guidelines are being followed we do not expect teachers to get through the same amount of material in a class. Instead, scripts will be shortened and performances reduced to a medley of a few songs from the show and potentially a few key lines to string them together. This still allows us to achieve our goal for this program which is having a fun while learning about the performing arts.
Additionally:
- Theatrix costumes will not be used.
- Microphones will not be used as they cannot be shared.
- Blocking and choreography will ensure physical distancing at all times.
