covid19 — Blog — Emily Trace

Interview with Judith John of the Royal Ontario Museum

“Yes, these are really grim days. But when I come into the ROM I am both awed and heartened to realize that civilizations have survived a lot.” In the year of living covidly, the Royal Ontario Museum might be the only Toronto venue cavernous enough to make social distancing relatively simple. Judith John, Vice President of Marketing & Engagement for the ROM Governors, joined me to discuss the powerful role of museums in a year like 2020, how staying relevant is the duty of a museum, and the importance of contextualizing unsavoury parts of history. From meditations on colonialism to meditation classes in the Atrium, Judith shares the significant spectrum of resources that the ROM has to offer an ailing public.

Interview, ProfessionalEmily TraceDecember 4, 2020ROM, royal ontario museum, judith john, interview, covid19, covid, pandemic

Fall for Dance North's 2020 Signature Program

In a season when performance venues are purchasing house plants to take the seats of their patrons, the impressive effort that Fall for Dance North put into digitally staging their 2020 Signature Program will be a welcome respite for dance lovers isolating at home. Their six world premieres—some broadcast live from the Fleck Dance Theatre and others prerecorded—are available on demand from now until the 18th, meaning you can stream and restream performances that would otherwise already be the stuff of memory. Embracing the ephemeral has always been a necessary element in dance appreciation, but audiences have a fresh opportunity to go back and experience these works throughout the festival. And the greatest benefit of their remote program? You can exclaim, gasp, sigh, and respond any way you like without disturbing other patrons in a darkened theatre.