Inside the Social
Distancing Festival
MAY | FEATURE
Access speaks to the Founder of virtual art fair The
Social Distancing Festival about the importance of
community, and making culture accessible online
“I
t’s so easy to feel alone
right now. We are in an
exceptional time that is
being felt around the world,” says
Nick Green, Founder of The Social
Distancing Festival. “But it is
important to remember the value
of art and culture, because it gives
us an opportunity to think about
these times in a different way, to see
other perspectives and engage in
conversations.”
The Social Distancing
Festival (https://www.
socialdistancingfestival.com/) is an
online hub styled as a virtual arts
fair. It collects an impressive variety
of culture from across the world,
available for free, as well as a heavily
stacked calendar of streamed arts
events. It features everything from
musical performances to spoken
word poetry, ballet and virtual art
exhibitions.
Green set up the project after a
musical he had written was cancelled
due to the need for social distancing.
He wanted a forum where he and
other artists could continue to
engage online. “It started as an idea
that I thought would be shared
amongst a smaller group of local
artists, but has since turned into
something that's spread to many
artistic disciplines around the world,”
he says.
The unexpected popularity of The
Social Distancing Festival has also
made Green rethink the accessibility
of culture in a digital age. He adds:
“I've been thinking a lot about the
stages, galleries and presentation
spaces that exist, and how these
are often the forums in which an
artist becomes seen as professional
or successful. What I'm seeing
is that online forums provide an
opportunity for artists to showcase
their work in larger circles, become
accessible to a diverse audience, and
engage in collaboration with folks
who they would not have otherwise
met.”
When asked whether he thinks
The Social Distancing Festival has
a future post-lockdown, Green is
candid in his response: “To be frank, I
don't know where I'm going to get my
groceries next week, much less the
future of this website. I am going day-
to-day with this project, and my plan
is to keep going until it doesn't make
sense anymore. I believe that artists
are getting a lot of fulfilment out of
interacting with the site.”
Regardless of whether it continues
in the wake of Covid-19, The Social
Distancing Festival is a reminder of
the essential role art plays during a
crisis, and another example of the
resilience of the creative industries.
“I hope that [online collaboration]
continues alongside live performance
in some capacity,” says Green.
» Nick Green,
Founder of The
Social Distancing
Festival
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