SEPTEMBER | FEATURE
concert or tour is to conduct a
thorough assessment of whether
risks can be suitably mitigated.
The PSA TPG says that expert
advice must be sought from an
occupational health adviser, who
can advise on current effective
strategies and methods of testing.
Consideration must be given to
the local regions staff and concert
attendees will be coming from, and
the levels of Covid-19 present there.
There should also be dedicated
tour staff assigned to monitoring
feasibility of individual shows, and
to assist in the implementation of
required measures.
Minimising contact
When planning a show or tour,
PSA TPG says contact should be
minimised between staff and
attendees as much as possible. This
means using local or pre-rigged
equipment, staggering load-ins
of equipment, holding rehearsals
and creative meetings remotely,
and keeping wardrobe fittings to a
minimum. They also recommend
working bubbles for different
departments within production
teams.
Suppliers to live shows
should provide detailed policies
to any organisers or venues
explaining how they will mitigate
transmission risks. This includes
cleaning protocols and the
provision of potential replacement
staff in the event of staff members
catching Covid-19. Crew members
should be screened for symptoms
of, as well as potential vulnerability
to, Covid-19 before any event takes
place.
Travelling light
The movement of people and
equipment between locations
presents one of the biggest
challenges to touring productions.
PSA TPG recommends that only
essential personnel travel with
the tour, and that travelling
parties split into groups to
reduce interactions. Methods of
travel should be selected which
accommodate social distancing
as much as possible – tour buses
should be avoided if possible.
The creation of a ‘safety rider’
by touring production teams is
one suggestion, detailing expected
levels of preparation at any venues
performed in.
Inside the venue
The guidelines offer a number of
ideas for how risk can be managed
inside the venues themselves.
They recommend that all venues
provide hand washing facilities
and sanitising stations, and that
all local personnel remain socially
distant from touring personnel.
When production teams are
in the build phase of any show,
they should have a Covid-19
coordinator who oversees hygiene
and distancing protocols. These
include using the same crew for
load in and load out, wearing face
coverings at all times and using
more radio communication to
reduce face-to-face meetings.
They also suggest that forklifts
should be used in place of carrying
wherever possible, to minimise the
amount of handling done by staff.
Artists and performers
The final piece of the puzzle is the
artists and performers. PSA TPG
recommends that artists remain
in working bubbles and avoid
performing face-to-face with each
other. They suggest that particular
care should be taken around
vocalists and wind instruments,
as these are the most likely to
transmit the virus. Instruments,
mic stands, equipment, chairs and
stage props should all be sanitised
by performers or technicians
before and after sound checks.
A cautious return
Questions still remain about
the financial viability of socially
distanced concerts, but it is
clearthat it will be some time
before they can be held without
distancing. Until then, following
a set of cautious guidelines for
limited capacity shows could be
one the few available solutions.
In lieu of any official government
guidelines, the PSA TPG’s
recommendations are among the
most comprehensive available.
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