Presentations

Deep Dive: Towards “Normalization” of COVID-19 as an Acceptable Risk

Alan Brown, James Doeser, 2021

Guest speaker James Doeser, a distinguished UK arts researcher and evaluator of the Contagious Cities initiative, offers his views on COVID-19 as one of many risks that arts goers take each time they go out. The follow-up Q&A is facilitated by Victoria Bailey and Alan Brown.

With venues reopening and 90% to 95% of arts audiences vaccinated, we have entered a new stage of the pandemic. A significant share of the audience, despite being vaccinated, is still concerned about contracting the COVID-19 virus. The recent turnabout in infection rates among unvaccinated Americans, driven by the Delta variant, is fueling this caution. It appears that the virus will be with us for a long time.

Against this backdrop, audiences must gain comfort with policies and practices that acknowledge the reality of a protracted—perhaps even indefinite—risk of COVID-19 transmission at cultural events. This session is offered specifically to inform sector discussions about proof-of-vaccine requirements, masks and other protocols, surcharges for venue safety, and finding language to signal that COVID-19 is both an ongoing and acceptable risk.

Recent Presentations

A View from the Entrepreneurial Edge of Immersive Programming

Alan Brown, May 2023

This one-hour webinar was a joint activity of the Audience Outlook Monitor community and Immersed in the Future, WolfBrown’s community of practice designed to support nonprofit arts organizations >>

Exploring the Past, Present, and Future of Immersive Experiences

Alan Brown, Marco Bruscoli, April 2023

Alan Brown and Marco Bruscoli gave a special presentation on the Past, Present, and Future of Immersive Experiences – as the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center continues its exciting >>

Thoughts on Cultural Democracy, Relevance, and Resilience: The Next Normal 2.0 Symposium

In this 15-minute video presentation, Alan Brown shares his analysis of the arts sector’s challenges emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic and contemplates what a more democratic culture might >>