Vaccine passports will be required for indoor performances as of September 13
At least one arts presenter welcomes the news as a way to reassure audience members
The Firehall Arts Centre reports it’s seen some cancellations from audience members when it’s had to move outdoor events inside this summer—and organizers attribute that to uncertaintly about who will be vaccinated around them.
YOU’LL HAVE TO show your proof of vaccination as well as your ticket to attend arts performances starting September 13.
The just-announced provincial-health order will require individuals to provide proof of vaccination to access a broad range of events and businesses throughout BC.
The plan specifically applies to indoor theatre, dance, and symphony events, as well as live indoor concerts.
As of September 13, one dose of vaccine will be required for entry to these settings. By October 24, entry to these settings will require people to be fully vaccinated at least seven days after receiving both doses.
Firehall Arts Centre artistic producer Donna Spencer welcomed the news, given what she’s observed at events like her venue’s ongoing Music in the Courtyard series this summer.
“Having run shows all summer, when we’ve had to move the performances into the theatre—because of smoke, heat, or rain—we have been finding people will cancel because they don’t know the other people’s health situation,” she said. “If we can reassure patrons, it will help a lot.”
Jessica Schneider, executive director of the Massey Theatre, echoed Spencer’s comments.
“Vaccinated people are not demonstrating they feel safe as long as they might share space with unvaccinated virus carriers,” Scheider tells Stir. “So we won’t be able to resource and bring back many of the activities that make life worth living like fully realized performances, community-arts participation, and children’s arts until we know we are safe as a community overall. I hope everyone realizes that we are all in it together and must do our part to recover our cultural lives, which are so important to individual and social well-being.”
In the press announcement today, Premier John Horgan indicated the plan would serve a secondary purpose of upping vaccination rates in the fight against the COVID -19 pandemic: “Vaccines are our ticket to putting this pandemic behind us. So I call on all eligible unvaccinated British Columbians to roll up their sleeves to stop the spread, and help protect themselves, their loved ones and the people in their community. British Columbia has one of the strongest vaccination rates in Canada with 75 percent of eligible people now fully vaccinated, but there is still more work to do.”
The September 13 date falls a week later than the hoped-for September 7 full-reopening date for arts venues—another recent sign that a 100-percent-capacity allowance for theatres will be delayed.
At the moment BC is in Stage 3, in which “organized seated gatherings” like theatre and music performances can have a capacity of 50 people or 50 percent capacity, whichever is greater. (Outdoor organized gatherings can have a capacity of 5,000 people or 50 percent capacity, whichever is greater.)
“We were all approaching that with caution anyway,” Spencer said of the September 7 goal. “Now we can at least plan at 50-percent capacity. That will reassure a lot of people who are staying at home because they’re feeling uncomfortable.”
The province said it will supply a secure weblink before September 13, whereby people will be able to access their proof of vaccination, as well as save a copy it to their smartphone to show as proof for entry to events.
(Please watch this page for updates as the day progresses.)
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