Creative Space to Learning and Escape During Covid — The Arts & Learning Conservatory

submitted by Morgan Holcomb, The Arts & Learning Conservatory

based in Costa Mesa, Orange County

As soon and the pandemic shut our doors, we migrated to a digital plane. Our music classes transitioned to online instruction within a week, faster than the schools we provided the classes for. We knew that a return to schedule was paramount for students who's lives had changed overnight. Since then we have offered Free Monthly Master Classes to provide high-quality arts education to everyone, with the understanding that children and adults who may benefit most were those who's finances had greatly altered because of the pandemic. These classes have become part of a virtual library of artistic resources we now offer free of charge on our Youtube channel.

During the summer we additionally provided free Digital Drive-In screenings of past productions allowing families and classmates to come together an reminisce even if they were physically distant. We received many notes thanking us for making the productions available to relatives that had not been able to see the original shows in person.

While these offerings helped provide support, children still wanted to act, create, and engage with each other. We created a specially reinvented Radio Theatre Production for them to do just that. May the Farce be with you, allowed children to become superheros for a day -fighting aliens and monsters over Zoom to the delight of audiences.

We continue to provide hybrid classes and productions creatively designed to operate during this uncertain time and provide security and creativity for our students and community to come back stronger than before.