Abstract
The Covid-19 pandemic deeply affected the theater industry at a global scale. Lack of resources and information technology expertise, and several structural constraints sometimes made adaptation impossible. Locally, there are stark differences between the Global North and South in the way how artists, practitioners, and teachers are coping with the new normal. In Cali, Colombia, educational institutions and local theaters geared up to survive the pandemic, adapting IT strategies to keep up engagement of theater students and audiences alike. The BFA program in acting at Universidad del Valle, and the Festival Brújula al Sur deployed different strategies to survive the pandemic and keep theater alive. This paper explores the difficulties and solutions that both institutions faced and deployed, focusing on new forms of audience engagement, and the new practices and skills acquired. When the traditional sites of production, consumption and display were disrupted, new knowledge and pedagogy were needed to adapt social, political and community agendas to the new circumstances. Both institutions managed to adapt successfully, although theater as an art form shifted conspicuously, creating a new kind of art between presence and absence, with new digital communities. This paper maps difficulties and solutions, clusters the data set and reflects upon the new kind of theater that the institutions are doing. It is yet to be determined whether this “digital theater” is a stopgap or is poised to endure after the return of traditional venues. The conclusion addresses new possibilities in both educational and public settings.
Presenters
Jesus David Valencia RamirezAssistant Professor, Dramatic Arts, Universidad del Valle, Valle del Cauca, Colombia Julian Mauricio Gómez Ocampo
Docente, Departamento de Artes Escénicas, Universidad del Valle, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
New Media, Technology and the Arts
KEYWORDS
Digital Theater, Information Technology, Audience Engagement, Covid Pandemic, Higher Education
