Highlighting Manitoba’s vibrant performing arts community u Help us keep our local performance Arts Continued from page 1


And remember, these are businesses. Their love for what they do and their dedication to doing it on a wing and a prayer, always strapped for cash, has little to do with their business acumen and much to do with the limitations of working in a small market. For the most part, we have a finite number of patrons to draw on. Despite this, we have been able to attract some of the most wonderful artists in the world to make this their home and to add value to our living conditions just by being here. They are our teachers


as well as our artistic mentors. They nurture the creative spark that makes our community unique and allows us to punch above our weight on world stages. So, we cannot let them fail because we sent them home to help us avoid COVID-19. We need them and right now, and they need us. We are imploring governments to help see us through the worst of this, but we need all the help we can get from everyone. Here at Pegasus and Lifestyle 55, the Local Gardener magazine and The Hub, we are in-


troducing a special editorial feature in Lifestyles which will help you to get to know these wonderful people better over the next few months. When they are ready to come back to the stage, show your support by coming to performances. And if you are uncomfortable going into a crowded the-


atre, buy a ticket and listen or watch through the digital world. I know all these critical businesses are looking for new ways to serve you as the audience, even if you can’t attend in person.


Planning for the 2020/21 season - a lesson in patience


here is no doubt that COVID-19 has created move upheaval in the world than anything most of us have experienced in our lifetime. I was speaking with a 92-year-old symphony patron several weeks ago, and she said that she had lived through wars and economic downturns, changes in technology, and changes in her family, and nothing she had experienced earlier in her life had prepared her for the trau- ma and fear facing so much of the world in this time. And yet, somehow, we must plan and


T


prepare for what comes next. This be- comes quite complicated when there are so many unknown variables. It reminds me of the algebra equations that were an endless feature of high school math class- es. Solve for x becomes impossible if there are not enough pieces of information to set up a proper algebraic equation. As I prepare the business plan for the WSO for the coming year, I have had to work hard to identify enough firm points of information to adequately prepare for the year ahead. In this case I have to ask myself what I know. (Some days the answer appears to be very little.) 1. I know that it will be virtually impossible to pres- ent the summer season, the special Manitoba 150 events we had planned, and Canada Day concerts this year.


the Lost Ark and several Harry Potter movies as well as Disney’s Little Mermaid. Well, you can read all about our planned season on our website at wso.ca. 4. I know that we cannot present the concerts un-


Trudy Schroeder Random Notes


less the Centennial Concert Hall is open for business. The Centennial Concert Hall cannot open until it is deemed safe to gather groups of 500 people or more. Right now, groups of under 25 people can gather. We are hoping for capacity to present live concerts in September, and we will continue to plan for a full start or a modified approach to the season. 5. I know that Winnipeggers sup- port their orchestra. Despite the chal- lenges of our times, good people of Winnipeg continue to phone the WSO box office to renew or start subscrip- tions, even though there is so much uncertainty. These wonderful people know that their support of the WSO by purchasing a package of tickets is the most profoundly positive and sup-


2. I know that we will try to keep providing excep-


tional musical experiences for our community. Usually we do that with a full symphony orchestra of 67 or more professional musicians, but we can adapt our numbers and our means of delivery to provide music in a whole range of different ways. 3. I know that we had planned a lovely, full season for


20/21 that started with a concert by hometown heroes The Crash Test Dummies on September 24th, moved into a community pops series, and on Saturday, Oc- tober 3rd started the Masterworks series with a won- derful concert featuring Canadian pianist, Jan Lisiecki. There were a number of movies including Raiders of


portive thing that they can do for the WSO right now. 6. I know that orchestras around the world are struggling with the same questions, and there is some comfort in sharing ideas and options for proceeding through these challenging times. Chinese and Euro- pean orchestras have been using some interesting ap- proaches for starting up, and these are things that we can do as well.


7. I know that we can connect with other perform-


ing and visual arts organizations in Winnipeg and Canada to share ideas, look for creative approaches, and sympathy for the roadblocks and problems that face us this year. 8. I know that the performing arts sector is impor-


tant for the soul and the economy of our community, our nation, and our world. The entire sector has been hit very hard from Broadway shows, to major rock concerts, to theatres, festivals, dance companies, gal- leries, museums, and symphony orchestras. For all of us, our model and primary benefit to our community


With COVID-19 rules in play, the WSO may be a much slimmed down group in the fall.


is the gathering of people for a shared experience of inspiration, beauty, and sheer enjoyment. 9. I know that for budgeting and planning purposes


I will have to break down the year into segments with a whole series of decision tree points to assist in trying to maintain what we can maintain, and at the mini- mum try to save the capacity of the orchestra for future years. For the moment, my first goal is to reach the WSO’s year end at May 31, 2020 with as little lethal damage as possible. It is fortunate that we entered this season in good financial and artistic shape. This has given us some capacity to deal with the abrupt loss of 20 to 25% of our annual revenues since March 13, 2020. 10. I know that our community members care about


having good quality arts and cultural events for their enjoyment, and that many organizations will work with the WSO to ensure that the orchestra will be able to return to the stage. For now, check on the WSO website for links to our


Facebook, Instagram, YouTube Channel, Podcasts, cooking classes with the Maestro, at home recital series with WSO musicians and much more. Of course, while you are there, consider making a donation or purchas- ing a subscription for the coming season. Your support and interest makes all the difference in the world. Trudy Schroeder is the Executive Director of the Win- nipeg Symphony Orchestra.


you are asking and not sim- ply hunkered down with the entire Margaret At- wood library till it passes). Well, Flin Flon is weather- ing the storm really well (we have had other storms to contend with, but usu- ally weather-related). There have only been three in- fected persons in the north of the province as of this writing and no new infec- tions for over six weeks now, thanks in large part to stringent travel restrictions from the south and to the genuine concern for their citizen peers shown by those who have to travel for medical appointments and who self-isolate for 14 days on their return. We have been very lucky. Flin Flon is slowly reopening, a pro- cess that is taking the necessary time. The


June 2020


Flin Flon: Carmina Burana at Carnegie Hall cancelled H


ow are things in Flin Flon in these strange COVID-19 times, you might be asking? (We hope


Elly Spencer The arts from up here


staff of the Northern Health Region es- tablished a testing centre in the Flin Flon Community Hall Auditorium very early on and have been able to test routinely, following pro- vincial guidelines. We have been blessed by zero cases in the long-term care facili- ties in town. We experienced the loss of our only general surgeon and of the anaesthe- tist, last month, though have not really felt the hardship of the loss as elective surgeries have been suspended all over Manitoba. During the sum- mer we may expect to feel it more acutely. The North of 53 Co-op has been open throughout and the staff are vigilant,


with limited numbers of shoppers allowed in the store and distancing rules strictly adhered to. The staff hand out gloves to shoppers and clean the shopping carts after every use. We have not even experi- enced much in the way of shortages at the


grocery store though that could be chang- ing now. The Co-op has always offered de- livery services to seniors, but they expand- ed that dramatically during April and May. The local hardware store has also reopened now, meaning people who were confined to the home and were spring cleaning can now buy paint and lumber for those proj- ects they have been meaning to get to. Local restaurants have been providing


kerb-side pick-up for meals and Creigh- ton’s Pizza has been serving cook-at-home pizza kits to customers. Unfortunately, the Victoria Inn Hotel has been impacted very dramatically and has had to revert to a very thin skeleton staff. They are unable to operate as a hotel, a restaurant, a lounge or a bar. There are no club meetings. It is very sad. The “Vic” has been a fantastic supporter of the arts in town so we hope they can come bouncing back. The Flin Flon Arts Council cancelled


the remainder of their season which would have seen the Royal Winnipeg Bal- let School here in March, the Winnipeg Chamber Orchestra in April and a Flin Flon Community Choir performance of


‘Carmina Burana’ in May. The Choir was very disappointed that their trip to New York City to perform ‘Carmina Burana’ at Carnegie Hall was cancelled, also in April. Distinguished Concerts International of New York was of course forced to with- draw. There had been some discussion of another opportunity to perform in NYC, perhaps in 2021. But if large crowds can gather again in the next year, Flin Flon has its own home-grown tradition of a musi- cal theatre production in the spring of odd years so, 2021 is scheduled to be all about the musical (and we are not being coy, it simply has not been announced yet! That usually happens in September). Blueberry Jam Music Gathering has


also been cancelled for August of 2020 on the understanding that it will not be safe to have large gatherings. The Board of Blueberry Jam has authorized the Pro- gram Committee to plan and present mu- sical performances by local artists on so- cial media platforms so we will be in for some treats on our decks as the weather improves.


All in all, we are well. whatsupwinnipeg.ca 5


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