Case study: Out-of-province popular music artist

This case study is for a visiting artist in popular music, who is arriving at your performing arts centre or venue from out-of-province.

The case study outlines how performing arts venues can practice due diligence in each process of putting on a show, from contract negotiation to rehearsal to performance, and everything in between. 

Artist contracting & booking phase

Contracting

• Artists, Crew, and Management travelling outside their region must follow local health regulations and develop a quarantine plan for travelling to your region/venue. Discuss the specifics of the quarantine plan.
• Discuss and include Health & Safety policies during contracting stage.
• Closer to the date of performance, review the policies with the performers and crew, being sure to check if anyone has become or has been at risk of exposure

Advance-of-show discussions between technical director and external client (i.e. crew booking, meals, breaks, ingress and egress, etc.)

• Review H&S policies to determine areas of risk
• Stagger entrance times
• Stagger breaks
• Allow time for signing H&S waiver
• Allow time to put on PPE
• Use haze and other atmospheric products in accordance with local regulations

Collaboration and coordination with internal stakeholders

• Review risks and remediation for shared equipment and spaces

Gear booking

• Rental equipment to be disinfected before handling

Crew call 

• Review health and safety risks with respect to the tasks of the day
• Staggered call times depending on union requirements

On-site processes leading up to performance

Set up

• Artist gear load-in
• Merch moves to lobby
• Check distance between performers onstage, and from performers to the closest seated audience member

Crew meal break or coffee break

• Identify designated break areas per show

External client arrival to venue

• Ensure artist areas have been disinfected
• Control access points
• Review risk orientation with client

Crew and artist rehearsal

• Once rehearsal begins, other onstage work by crew is not allowed
• Disinfect onstage gear pre- and post-rehearsal
• Where possible, all equipment should be handled by the same individual

Cleaning in venue as per Health & Safety Guidelines

• Prior to usher arrival

Usher team arrives in house

• Do pre-show orientation in designated area (not in the performance hall)

Show crew arrives

• Disinfect all handled stage gear (if not already completed post rehearsal)

Artist call time

• Pre-show health check of artists and crew

Doors

• Front-of-house staff prepare and don appropriate PPE

Post-performance & tear-down

End of show

• No meet & greets or guests backstage (or before show)

Audience loads out

• Front-of-house staff prepare and don appropriate PPE

Crew takes down show

• Disinfect all handled stage gear
• Merch moves to stage
• Rental equipment to be disinfected before packing up
• Crew and external client load trucks 

Artists prepare to leave

• Ensure artist areas have been disinfected
• Control access points

Crew heads complete timesheets

• Paperless submissions

Crew, external clients, and artists leave building

• Ensure artist areas have been disinfected

The technical director and artist management work in all spaces

• Follow all Health & Safety measures, policies, and protocols