The arts are experiencing their own type of climate change, and it’s a shift as jarring and treacherous as frost in April. While many of us saw that the COVID-19 pandemic would bring great change to the performing arts, few understood how far or how long the restrictions would extend. But we shall prevail.
Now that performing jobs have temporarily fallen back and artists of all kinds are re-evaluating their goals, priorities and day-to-day reality, the List is being retooled on an ongoing basis, and we’ll be offering a different variety of services to help our members copy and pivot. This means online events, new training options, and a focus on survival and sustainability, whatever the future brings. Make sure you’ve Liked our Facebook page and signed up for email updates, so we can keep you in the loop. Like buttons better than links? Well, here you go…
What this means for existing members
If you’re a member now, please consider continuing whatever membership level you can afford. An associate membership is only $24/year, and will maintain your membership status and access to these new programs and benefits. But renewing your Pro membership, whether annual or monthly will help us enormously, and will go directly to paying the considerable costs related to keeping the List alive.
If you’d like to continue your membership but need help, please Contact us. We can arrange an extension, split payments or other options, so that as many of our Listers as possible can maintain their active status.
Communication
Because your fearless leader (that’s me!) will be juggling multiple jobs to get through this crisis herself, you won’t be hearing from us as frequently. Expect fewer newsletters and blog posts, so we can shift focus to building something better than the status quo. We’ll still post to the Boards when the opportunity arises, and we’re still hearing from various people in the community who want to post with us, and work with you. While uncertainty is an ever-present companion, we soldier on.
As always, if you have any questions, please do contact us by the usual methods. We want to hear from you, and we’ll help wherever possible.
New members
Please do continue to refer new members to us, whether for the Associate membership or for Pro status, as appropriate. Even as our focus shifts, we’re one of just a handful of organizations offering career and marketing support for classical performing artists in Southern California, and we’ll still offer real advantages for those who join:
- Free coaching through group sessions and a number of individual slots, every month — we’ll start these as soon as possible.
- Member resources and courses, specifically designed for artists pivoting in the face of COVID-19.
- Double referral credits through 2020.
- Free monthly downloads and special offers for members only.
This is just the start, and we have more ideas that we’ll share with you as soon as we can. Look for video and/or blog announcements, supported by email and social posts, at least once a week (but probably more often to start.)
Why we’re sticking with you
Why not just shut down the List until job listings become a regular thing again? Because we believe in the Listerhood, and in your creativity. Riding out this pandemic certainly won’t be easy, but this period of relative downtime promises to be an extraordinary opportunity to reassess and build your future with startling clarity and real forethought. That’s a luxury we don’t usually have, and those who grab the pandemic by the ears and build something new will be the ones on top when things get started again. We can help you with that. Please spread the word, so we can continue to be there for you: now, into 2021, and beyond.
Stay well and safe, and keep in touch!
