Covid-19 lockdown: NZSO and other performers take their shows online

Concerts, plays and films are cultural pastimes which are all now out of reach with the arts are facing a difficult time.

Concerts, plays and films are just some of the cultural pastimes which are out of reach right now.

But while the arts face a difficult time, the show must go on, it just happens to be online for now.

Musicians from the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra are sharing their talents from their living rooms with online concerts at least once a week during the lockdown.

"The most important thing in any kind of situation like this is that everybody feels connected and music is just one small way that we can reach out and connect with people," said Andrew Joyce a cellist with the symphony orchestra.

At this stage, the musicians are performing solo but with a number of couples in the orchestra, they're considering quartets.

"We've got the option for two people to play together and then potentially send that file over to another couple who could record their bit on top," said Mr Joyce.

And from classical music to comedy, which audiences are also enjoying online.

The improv duo "Doom and Bloom" have performed online as a fundraiser for Bats theatre in Wellington.

The actors perform from their separate houses but come together thanks to technology for the audience watching at home.

Existential questions are part of their repertoire, something which actor Ben Zolno says helps audiences.

"We gotten feedback from our audiences that we deal with things in a way that they're not comfortable dealing with in real life and they're able to process it because of that."

The arts have been hit hard by the lockdown, with thousands of jobs lost.

Creative New Zealand is offering $16 million in support.

Arts and culture you can access from home:

https://www.nzso.co.nz/concerts-and-tickets/season-2020/playourpart/

https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/discover-collections/read-watch-play/dive-collections

https://www.aucklandartgallery.com/art-ideas/explore-art-and-ideas

https://www.pantograph-punch.com/post/lockdown-film-festival

http://bit.ly/nzimprovcourseonline

http://bit.ly/doomandbloomfacebook

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