Music, storytelling, theatre, animation shows, radio drama, visual art, magic workshops and poetry performances are just some of the entertainment available online as ‘The Library Presents’ goes virtual because of COVID-19.
Following the the cancellation of their spring programme of events due to the coronavirus pandemic, Cambridgeshire County Council’s new service was will allow residents to watch, and participate in arts and culture performances and workshops.
Over the next few weeks, there will be a mixture of live streamed performances, live workshops, videos, downloads for families and a series of collaborative activities where everyone can participate.
A musical highlight is the Discover Florence Nightingale workshop, where musician and songwriter Louise Jordan invites attendees into the world of Florence Nightingale through song-writing.
Children can also enjoy the programme thanks to interactive workshops, including one from Scoop Magic, which teaches simple magic tricks using everyday objects around the home.
Also, some of the events will be signed or subtitled, all marked on the website. These offerings include inclusive storytelling for young children and those with complex needs, with sensory musical theatre company Collar and Cuffs.
Joanne Gray, head of The Library Presents team and partnerships, projects and funding manager, said: “With usual work postponed or cancelled, like many others, artists are struggling.
“Through our digital programme we have been able offer the opportunity for paid work and artists have said that the opportunity to do something creative for an audience is extremely valuable at the moment.
“We were amazed by the number of artists who put forward fantastic offers for this programme.
“We look forward to being able to visit our network of local libraries and host events in them again in the future and hope to keep a version of this new digital offer for audiences to enjoy too.”
‘The Library Presents’ is run by Cambs County Council working with Babylon ARTS and funded by Arts Council England.
Hedley Swain, Arts Council England’s area director for the South East, said: “As well as providing people with an essential opportunity to access arts and culture from their homes, it also offers incredibly important paid opportunities for artists that have been deeply affected by these challenging times.”
Visit www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/arts or search @TheLibraryPresents on Facebook.
The timetable will be updated weekly with events from the digital programme.
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