Join Alyssa and Grace in their final Let’s Talk episode as they discuss various strategies and technology that may assist in efforts to safely reopen the arts amidst a global pandemic, such as contact tracing apps and crisis communications.
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Alyssa: Hello AMT Lab listeners, and welcome to the ninth Let's Talk episode brought to you by the Arts Management and Technology Lab. My name is Allysa and I am the Podcast Producer.
Grace: And I'm Grace the Technology and Innovative Content Manager.
Alyssa: Each month we bring you trending stories and discussions with topics such as CRM, artificial intelligence, marketing, social media, inclusion, fundraising, and much more. Our goal is to exchange ideas, bring awareness and stay on top of the trends. In this week's episode, we will discuss technology for contact tracing and strategies for reopening arts organizations. Please note that we're recording this episode as of May 21, 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic. We're practicing social distancing by recording over Zoom, therefore, you may hear differences in the audio quality, particularly as we switch from speaker to Speaker We hope you enjoyed this episode brought to you by AMT Lab.
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Alyssa: Okay, so we have a couple of announcements before we get started with our conversation today. This is actually going to be the final episode that you and I record together, Grace. So, it's [light laughter] my goodness, it's bittersweet.
Grace: It's been a wonderful run.
Alyssa: It really has been. Back when we first got started with this, this was something new that we were trying out and, you know, like, we've experimented with a couple of scripts, we've experimented with quite a few topics, and it took a while to get that groove but you know, um, you know, like, it's been a real pleasure, like, getting to know you Grace and, like, having these couple of episodes with you. I've had a lot of fun, I've learned quite a bit from it.
Grace: Thank you!
Alyssa: Yeah, not a problem. So, if you wouldn't mind Grace, um, I know that you a-, you're a first year going into your second year of your MAM degree, but do you know what is next for you? Like in terms of internships next year, will you stay with AMT Lab or will you move on with another organization while studying?
Grace: Uh, well, in terms of what's next for me personally, over the summer I am actually joining Parsons Dance, um, as an intern. I’ll be working with their staff over the summer for a variety of things. In terms of AMT Lab, we'll have to wait and see, I haven't quite made my decision yet in terms of what I'm going to be doing next year, but I'm definitely looking forward to supporting whoever is on the, the new team for next year. And to be perfectly honest, I don't think I will ever fully step away. The research that has been done through AMT Lab has definitely gotten me hooked and I think that I want to continue doing that in some way, shape, or form, even if it's more as a contributor rather than a staff member next year. So we'll see.
Alyssa: Yeah, of course, that makes sense. And, you know, probably the one important thing for, that we want our listeners to know about is that even though this is technically the last recording that we will accomplish, we do have a backlog of several episodes that we’ll still continue to publish. So, you will continue to hear both Grace and I as we publish some of these episodes, probably until about the end of 2020, uh, from the backlog of episodes that we have currently collected.
So in terms of the next staff that will be taking over the podcast series, we don't quite know this information yet but please, to our listeners, like, please expect them to start leading future episodes sort of like this, particularly when it comes to the new Let's Talk series as it picks up again, probably during the summer or during next school year in the fall.
Grace: Yeah, you our listeners have shown us that Let's Talk is definitely one of your … most popular interests for the podcast and the content that we put out. So, we want to thank you so much for that, but please stay tuned, this is not going anywhere, th-, you know, we want to keep serving you as our audience and as arts managers who are looking to keep the arts field moving forward. So just stay tuned!
Alyssa: All right, excellent. So, with that being said, let's get amped with AMT Lab.
Grace: In an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19, one strategy under consideration that we will discuss today is contact tracing. Please note that this is currently a developing story, therefore everything we will talk about is recent as of the morning of this recording on Thursday, May 21, 2020. Contact tracing is defined as the tracking of patients who tested positive for an infection to determine their previous pathways and interaction with others. Contact tracing can be done by interviewing the patient directly to figure out where they visited on what day and who they were in recent contact with. However, tracing can also include the analyzation of digital data, including Bluetooth usage, GPS and location data, credit card transactions, and more to determine if the infected patient is, or has been near, people. The goal of contact tracing is to alert anyone who might have been in contact with the infected person and previously, this had been used to track the spread of diseases such as Ebola tuberculosis, HIV, and smallpox.
Several countries are, uh, already utilizing this technology with digital contact tracing in users cell phones such as South Korea's Corona 100 Meter app, Singapore's Trace Together app, and Australia's COVID Safe app, all with varying degrees of success. Most recently, the UK has also begun a trial app on the Isle of Wight at the start of May; however, Rory sellin Jones of the BBC is reporting mixed results so far. As of May 18, out of a population of 140,000, 60,000 users have downloaded the app and these downloads may be repeat downloads or may have come from the mainland, they're not quite sure. The US has been working on strategies for adopting contact tracing; however, there are questions and concerns regarding privacy, especially if any private information may be given away, sold, or used for surveillance. Obviously, this technology is something that could prove crucial as we move forward in navigating the current situation, particularly when we're trying to reopen and things like that with COVID-19 still a thing. Um, so Alyssa, do you know of any apps that may be in development right now for future release in the US?
Alyssa: So the one system that is trending the most right now is with the collaboration between Apple and Google. They have recently launched an exposure notification system instead of an app to help track the spread of COVID-19. According to CBS News; however, both companies are currently clashing with government officials over the questions of privacy that may come up, such as if user data might be sold, or if there's any way to that some of the information might be stolen, or may be used for surveillance. Of course, when governments are considering this as well, whenever something really comes up with the question of privacy, then new policies have to be developed around that, so that could take a substantial amount of time.
Grace: So thinking with that, we've already identified that there's roughly two strategies for contact tracing to take place: the interview method and the digital method. What do you feel are some of the strengths and downsides to each of these methods? I mean, will the US potentially choose one or the other? Will we look-, be seeing a combination of both? You know, is it going to be more government versus state? I mean, what do you think?
Alyssa: So, when it comes to the interview method, um, what states are working on right now are their own individual plans for exactly how many human contact tracers they want to hire and how many of them would need to be within the state and hired and trained to be effective for tracing everybody that they need to trace. This hiring and training actually takes place very quickly and when human contact tracers are contacting people, they do so that's in a way that doesn't invade much privacy. They can't give away a name, but they tr[y] to give the person who's being contacted as much information as possible plus recommendations for how they can follow up with a doctor or how they can trace some of their symptoms and you know, even if, in a crisis situation, if they might need housing or any other fundamentals as well.
Grace: And you're talking about the interview method with the human contact tracers?
Alyssa: That's correct, yes. Yeah. And the thing about this method is that even though the training does take place pretty quickly, it does take more time to reach out to everybody. Especially because not everybody like has information to particular cell phone numbers, um, they might need to reach them the address, you can't always get the full details. So, this is a less thorough method of contact tracing as opposed to the digital method. And probably the biggest thing right now that's trending around the news as well, is that there are contact tracing scams going around where somebody might receive a phone call and the scammer might scare them a little bit in terms of the coronavirus and then ask for private details. That being said, some of these people that are being contacted as well, even if it is by legitimate contact tracer, they may not be willing to pick up the phone since it is a stranger that is calling them.
Grace: Has there been any way to identify how, like, whether a call is a scam or if it's coming from an actual human contact tracer has that been addressed yet or is that something to see down the line?
Alyssa: So according to Michael Tannenbaum of the Philly Voice, who is recently covering an article as of this morning to talk about some of the contract chasing scams that are going around, in this particular case, it is a text message scam that's going around. One key facet of the contact tracers job is to ensure that privacy, so I believe the contact tracer, the legitimate contact tracer, should not ask for any personal information of yours. So, and when it comes to some of the apps, it should be voluntary for residents to opt in as well, so that's important to note.
Grace: Yeah, thank you for, for adding that information. I know that personal privacy when it comes to information is definitely something that we want to ensure. Um, and as with any digital tool or any sort of technology, scams unfortunately seem to be rampant. So, thank you. Um, with that note, you know, if we're thinking about, you know, information and where it's coming from, and if it's actually accurate, and you know if it's safe. Um, do you think that arts managers can count on this contact tracing information to help them make plans to reopen their institutions and their buildings?
Alyssa: So the simplest answer for this question right now is not yet, at the moment. This is because the states are still working on these details for contact tracing. Some of the plans have been fully implemented and the hiring process has started. Others, other states, such as Pennsylvania, are still working on these finer details. There's also, from a purely cultural standpoint, um, there's also America's willingness to simultaneously adopt a COVID tracing app if privacy is going to be called into question. There was a University of Oxford study that stated when it comes to digital contract tracing apps that in order for it to be effective, at least 60% of the population needs to download it and use it. And there were cases such as the UK’s NHS app, where they’re t-, they're doing the trial run on the Isle of Wight. And even though there's been about 60,000 downloads, there is that question of was it actually individual people or was it downloaded twice? There's also the question of where exactly the location is, because sometimes, like, depending on the system, like it may be done via GPS or be done just using proximal applications, such as the US version that Google and Apple are collaborating on right now.
Something else to consider when it comes to digital contact tracing is that not everybody owns a smartphone. So, basically, when it comes to that community-wide adoption, it's going to be pretty hard for any communities who do not have access to this technology due to socio-economic hardships. We go into the question of how do we serve them best when it comes to contact tracing, if they do not have the technology to help out with that.
So, I'm going to use this opportunity to transition into the next topic on helping arts organizations reopen and some of the strategies that they can use, other than contact tracing, to help out with reopening. But before we do, just a quick reminder to our listeners that this information is changing very quickly, so we recommend keeping up to date on the news for the latest topics. The CDC actually has some pretty good information regarding contact tracing, but of course, be make sure that you were pretty wary of where the information comes from and if you do not 100% trust the information then take it with a grain of salt.
Alyssa: So, many arts managers are eager to have life returned to normal so that they can move forward with their artistic programming. Understandably, audiences are also itching to get back outside and enjoy a night out at the theater or at the opera or at another artistic event. However, some of the biggest questions that are circulating right now are if arts organizations are indeed doing everything that they can to protect their audiences and their staff from the pandemic. Plus, if audiences are ready to return, or if they prefer to wait for some sort of time or some sort of notion that going back to view the arts is indeed safe. According to a survey from Colleen Dillon Schneider, the Chief Marketing Engagement Officer for Impacts, the number one factor that will help people feel safe and comfortable attending a museum, aquarium, theater, zoo, or concert again, is the availability of a coronavirus vaccine. This is followed by the official list of government restrictions, watching others attend to arts events, the ability to be outdoors again, the availability of hand sanitizer, and the exact moment when organizations decide that it is safe enough to reopen. The responses do not vary greatly based on household income or age, although higher percentages of respondents with lower ages or higher incomes may feel a little bit safer to visit once the organization officially reopens.
Many arts organizations are considering reopening in some capacity and are crafting strategies to reopen safely. For example, the American Alliance of Museums has a resource guide, samples on museums reopening, and other resources available as free downloads. In addition Dance/USA and the Association of Performing Arts Professionals, or APAP, has resources available to the public including guides, reports, current examples, and articles on reopening, cleaning, and social distancing. One notable example is the most current draft of the “Guide to Reopening Theatrical Venues” from the Performing Arts Center Consortium. So, here's a question for you Grace: in addition to some of these guidelines, what are some of the ideas that you have heard for reopening and bringing back some shows, performances, and exhibitions to public?
Grace: So funny enough, I actually attended a webinar on this exact topic very recently. It was a webinar hosted in tandem from Dance/USA and the University of Kentucky with Professor Leah Hamilton speaking. I-, it was a really interesting webinar and while it was focused on dance, I think that there were some broad ideas that Professor Hamilton talked about that really speak to all of the arts industry and not just dance. Um, one of the things that I felt was really crucial – and this is something that we've talked about and kind of harped on a bit in some of our past episodes – was talk to your audience and really get a sense of who, like, how do they feel about the situation? Do they even feel like they want to come back in? Obviously, you know, we're seeing that, yes, our patrons do want content, and they do want to be able to support, you know, the arts and continue being able to see the things that they love. But with that, you know, it's sort of like a double-edged sword in that sense that we-, they want content but they aren't necessarily maybe ready to come back into the space. So, that was one thing that was really harped on in the sense that you know, get a sense of how they feel and that will really tell you how fast or slow,you may need to move, in that sense.
Alyssa: Yeah, absolutely, because we've had, Colleen Dillon Schneider, like, mentioned some of the data but a lot of this is very general data. And every single one of our audiences is unique in that way. They have their own particular needs and their own particular wants and we have to not only keep up that communication with them, but make sure that we're serving them the best that we can.
Grace: Absolutely. And that was also a theme that was brought up, you know, that each organization is unique. So, you know, something that another organization might do that works really well for them may not work for your organization. So, keeping that in mind, that this is a very unique and very unprecedented situation and that we have to, you know, really hone in to what are our strengths and weaknesses as an organization, you know, where do we hit in our market and how can we provide that in a way that makes it genuine and, you know, interesting to our audiences.
And the sense of reopening, with that, in this webinar they also mentioned, you know how all of your communication needs to sort of focus on this change in a way that you would do crisis communication. You know, thinking about extending that out mentally, just anytime you're approaching communication, think of it as a crisis communication because that's what we're in. I mean, that may differ, again, from organization to organization but I thought that was really neat.
And lastly, I won't harp too long on this one, because I think there's so much conversation happening now, which I think is great. But with the uniqueness of every institution and every geographical location – not just with, you know, the people, but the data that we're seeing, you know, how are people responding to the situation and the various orders and things like that – um, you know, consider partnering with other local institutions who are trying to develop these sorts of plans and just trying to figure out, can we reopen? How can we reopen? Is that sooner, rather than later? And so, thinking of things like that, you know, are there hospitals in your area that are working on things like that? Are there other arts institutions that are working on things like that, you know, finding ways to, you know, hone in on your uniqueness, but utilizing the skills and the information that other people in your geographical area are being able to have access to. And those are very long-winded way of saying it [amused chuckle], but I think these, those sort of three things were really important and I think speak to all industries, not just dance.
But that was something that I'm seeing. I think a lot of the reports that are coming out now are really great. One thing that I will mention, because I think this is something that a lot of people are starting to notice: when we talk about reopening, a lot of the focus has been forward-facing and audience-centric. And while that is absolutely fantastic, for a lot of the performing arts that doesn't really help us in the sense that, you know, in order to create the art, we need to protect our artists as well. And that's stuff that's slowly starting to come out, it's taken a little bit more time. Um, and again, I'm going to use them because I think they're great and of course, my personal interests fall in this, but the Dance/USA’s Task Force on Dancer Health has recently, uh, released some information about, you know, recommendations for keeping artists safe. So, if you are an organization who utilizes performers as part of your mission, that may be someplace to look as well, um, just for recommendations of how to keep them safe, you know, whether that's social distancing, or masks or whatever, because we know that, you know, artists are often asked to do things where that's not always possible. So, definitely looking at the resources and things like that.
Alyssa: Absolutely. I think it was on the Dance/USA website as well, where they had a link to a published article from the Strad on how several orchestras in Berlin are reopening and what exactly they're recommending to other organizations, specifically performance organizations that wish to reopen. In the musician's case, like that could mean face shields, that could mean using face masks at specific times, unless, as an artist, like you need to see all of your face in order to convey a message such as if you're a conductor, for instance. It could be, uh, some distance between the chairs, it could be a variety of things but a lot of this research that's coming out is taking all those factors into consideration. And you know, this is one of the research topics that's growing even as we're talking about this, as like on this date of recording. There's going to be more information that comes out that – and it will just, like the information load just explode and there will be tons of resources that, hopefully, arts organizations can pull from and use.
Grace: Yeah, absolutely.
Alyssa: So, you mentioned quite a few great examples and, you know, I'm thinking about a lot of these different cases where we do have these arts performances that are continuing. But, you know, like, on one hand, we have arts organizations that are losing a substantial amount of income from these cancellations or restrictions while on the other hand, if arts organizations are to reopen, then there's going to be some costs associated with acquiring the appropriate amount of PPE or hiring and retraining staff and potentially hosting fewer audiences in the space. So, my main question then, with all of these taken into consideration, how do arts organizations move forward under these circumstances and with these financial hardships?
Grace: Well, obviously, that's an extremely tough question to answer, there is no silver bullet, I think in this instance, that's just going to make everything work. Um, as I mentioned before, every arts organization obviously is unique in what they offer and what they present, even if they're part of a larger, you know, industry, we know this. I think one of the biggest focuses definitely, obviously, needs to be, as any nonprofit knows, mission, mission, mission. You know, anything that you do has to really hone in on the purpose of your organization. And I think this is something that we all know, um, but in, you know, in times like this, sometimes it's a little hard, you know, you start worrying about finances and things like that, obviously, because that's definitely important. I think [deep sigh] budgeting and fundraising are going to be key, for sure, for many organizations. What that means for the industry as a whole, it's a little early to tell, I think. Obviously, we've seen, you know, there are projections for how much the arts industry is going to lose by the end of the season. It’s a large number. [light laughter] Obviously, of course, budgeting and fundraising are going to be very key for many arts organizations, regardless of what size or in, like, genre that they present. Americans for the Arts actually recently released some information about this and what that kind of looks like for the arts industry, so I think a lot of institutions are potentially going to take their lead from that, as well as what they know about their own institution and their donors and their audiences.
I think, like I mentioned before in some of what we were talking about is that each situation is extremely unique and speaks to a lot of, you know, the relationship that an institution has with its community and its audiences and what that looks like. Um, I think this is where the partnerships and collaborations that I kind of touched on that also Professor Leah Hamilton mentioned, that this may be where that comes into, [where] that becomes a crucial thing that people take advantage of, you know. How, how can you kind of work together in this sense to present art and create art and get it to the audiences? Whether that's an collaboration between an arts organization and a tech organization, or a performing arts and a visual arts organization, you know, finding ways to creatively collaborate and get this stuff out there without you know, collapsing as an industry. Not that I think we're anywhere near that, I think, you know, we've, obviously we've been through tough times before and the arts have always rebounded and I think that's something so special about this.
Um, you know, this also comes into play – and we've talked about it again before – crowdsource ideas from your staff. You know, they know your organization inside and out, and I'm sure a lot of organizations are already starting to do this, um, if that wasn't a model they used before. So, I think, you know, utilizing the staff and if you have interns this summer, talk to them. Depending on where they are in their education, they may actually have some interesting ideas that could work for your organization. Obviously, they may not be as knowledgeable about, you know, your audiences and your art form as much as you are, but, you know, maybe they have a perspective that you haven't seen before and that may open some ideas across the board to, you know, get this information or the art and whatever you're presenting, whatever your mission is, to your audiences. So, definitely utilize anyone who you think might have an idea, at least listen – you don't have to use it, obviously, but definitely listen.
And of course, social media, I think, obviously, with everything being digital, social media, you don't want to overwhelm your audiences, but it can definitely be a place for them to connect with you. I think we've seen that a lot with many different arts organizations, they're discovering that social media is potentially a place where they can really work on engagement and maintain that engagement. So, it’s, it's, again, it's a really hard question to answer and I think that we will see how arts organizations choose to move forward. I personally am interested in seeing, you know, who goes back into the theaters versus who doesn't in the sense that, you know, some may produce in-person work versus some may produce digital work. And you know what that means for upcoming seasons, I personally am very interested in seeing how that's going to flesh out, because I think that is going to determine how people do move forward. Um, so lots of factors into one difficult question, if that makes sense. [light laughter]
Alyssa: Totally, totally, yeah. And my apologies for throwing such a loaded question at you, Grace. You know, it's-
GraceL Oh, no, I think these are super important questions no matter what!
Alyssa: Mhmm, absolutely. Eventually, every arts organization is going to have to ask this question. And you know, it's interesting because what we've gathered so far from some of the, say, virtual exhibitions at museums that are trending around the start of this pandemic, is that technology can't necessarily replace the in-person experience, which is why a lot of these organizations are turning towards reopening in some various stages. But at the same time, you know, it's within trying out some of these new ideas and being flexible and experimenting that really makes it an organization not only move forward and move from the pandemic, but really step up and succeed and thrive in ways that were not really possible before.
Grace: Absolutely. I think that as much as this digital transition and this fully digital connection that we've kind of had to adjust to, as much as that's been a struggle, I think it's going to show where in the arts we can really take advantage of that and how that will increase our audiences in ways that we just didn't know could be done because of how much people wanted and craved in-person connection. And I don't think that's ever going to replace that, I think you would be speaking way out of turn if you were thinking that that was something that is even possible, but I think that what this shows, you know, with this utilization of digital technologies and various collaborations and finding way to-, ways to create art in new ways, as we're seeing arts organizations do, shows that there's so much creativity and so much wonder that still exists within the arts. And of course, we know this, but I think our audiences are really starting to see that, that there are so many ways that you can come into contact with art. That that may actually – this is my hope, that may actually, fingers crossed, bring more audiences into the arts because they're going realize the value of the arts to their lives and how much they realize potentially now, that matters. This is my personal hope I can't speak for anyone but myself, but that's, that's what I'm hoping will come out of this, we shall see. It's, it's going to be a long road, um, but I think that there could be a hopeful end to this no matter what happens. So yeah.
Alyssa: I was going to say Grace, should we hold you to you at this prediction? Like, should we come back to this episode about one year from now and see if this has come true? Like,-
Grace: I think that would be fun, I think that would be fun. Maybe, maybe there will be a look back episode at what we talked about and looking at how arts organizations did respond to this and, and what happened, even with the audiences as well, so we'll see. I don't know.
Alyssa: Hey, I'm curious, you know, like, we, you know, we shall see what exactly develops after this recording concludes and how exactly everybody responds. I think it'll be very interesting information, um, I'm looking forward to what comes next. But, yeah.
So, this has been a very wonderful time Grace, we've basically reached the end of our episode. But, you know, as always, I've learned so much from you and I learned so much with this process and, you know, it's been a lot of fun. And you know, a really big thank you to our audiences as well for tuning in, for listening to having us experiment with some of these topics, some of these trends, and some of these ideas. We always love hearing from you on these particular ideas as well. We're always curious to hear what you think or what your predictions are or how you feel, how you feel that arts organization should react to so many situations. So please reach out, feel free to send us even more ideas even as we transition to the next couple of hosts. But for now, thank you very much. You guys have been amazing. You, Grace, have been amazing along with all of the AMT Lab staff. It's been an absolute pleasure and I've had such a fun time, so thank you.
Grace: Absolutely. Thank you so much Alyssa for, you know, helping to put together this incredible season for the podcast series and developing the Let's Talk series with me. And again, like Alyssa said, thank you so much to our listeners for tuning in, and for making the Let’s Talk series one of the top podcast series for this particular season for Amt Lab. We really appreciate your patronage and thank you so much for tuning in.
Alyssa: All right, everybody, please take care, stay safe, and stay healthy.
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Thanks for listening to the Arts Management and Technology Lab podcast series. You can read more on the intersection between the arts and technology at www.amt-lab.org. Or, you can listen to more interviews and discussions in our podcast series on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play or Stitcher. Thank you for joining us.
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Transcription for the AMT Lab podcast series is supported by Otter.ai.