MoCo Arts Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Please read our 2020-2021 Family Handbook

Updated on Friday, April 9 2021.

We have updated our protocols in accordance to current CDC guidelines. Our guidelines have been put in place to best protect our MoCo Community. We strongly request that you follow these protocols if attending classes in person.
Guidelines and Protocols at MoCo Arts:

If you, a family member, or someone you have come in contact with test positive for COVID-19, you will need to quarantine for at least 10 days before returning to in person classes and should quarantine for 10 additional days after you last have symptoms.
If you, a family member, or someone you have come in contact with have a possible exposure to COVID-19, we ask that you stay home to quarantine or until a negative test result can be produced.

If you, a family member, or anyone you have contact with have any symptoms of COVID-19, such as, fever, cough, chills, fatigue, headache, body aches and pains, loss of taste or smell, stuffy or runny nose, or other symptoms of the virus, we ask you to stay home until a negative test result is produced.

Mask wearing is required 100% of the time while on MoCo property. Students are not to congregate before or after classes, inside or outside of the building.

Taking classes remotely is always an option for MoCo students, and when in doubt, we encourage taking classes from home to ensure the safety of our community.

In the short time since our public schools and MoCo Arts suspended in-person classes, our staff and teachers have been hard at work developing our plans to continue to provide high-quality arts education experiences for our students. Here’s a rundown of what we’ve done and how we’re moving forward.

What we’re doing.

From March 16 – March 27 MoCo Arts produced and distributed over 150 instructional videos for our students. We received lots of positive feedback from our families stating that the video classes were very much appreciated. Still, we knew we could do better.
On April 1^st MoCo Arts was able to obtain an exemption from the state of New Hampshire’s stay-at-home order to allow our teachers to come into MoCo to live-stream classes from the studio. We’ve taken every precaution to continue to protect our teachers and staff by adhering to all social distancing guidelines. Teachers conduct their classes alone in the studio and only essential support staff is in the building with them. Each studio is fully equipped with disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer so we can make sure everything is wiped down and disinfected between classes.
Beginning on Monday, April 6, MoCo Arts implemented our Board approved plan to begin live-streaming all MoCo Arts classes, at the regularly scheduled class times. The response from our families has been overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing their appreciation and thanks for our efforts to keep their children connected and engaged through the pandemic. MoCo successfully live-streamed classes through the end of the spring semester on May 23rd.
On May 21st MoCo Arts announced plans for the summer. Summer classes will begin on June 22nd, most likely online. With any luck, we’ll be transitioning to in-person classes before the semester ends on August 15th. C.A.K.E. Summer Camp will run from July 6th through July 31st and will be held online this year. CupCAKE camp will be held in-person, with some adjustments to ensure that we’re following all guidelines provided by state and local government to ensure the safety of our staff and campers. Read all about Summer 2.0 at MoCo Arts here.

Why we’re doing it.

There are many, but these are the primary reasons MoCo Arts has deveoped a distance learning plan.

For our students. The arts offer a welcome respite for children, allowing them to express themselves creatively and release some of the emotions that may be boiling up in the wake of all the uncertainty surrounding them. It is an anchor to something they enjoy and can provide a sense of security and familiarity that is vital to their health and well-being. Children need the arts now more than ever.
To provide a connection. We all crave connection in one form or another. Humans are social animals and while we’re all increasingly isolated from one another, any chance we have to connect with one another is revered. Not only is MoCo providing instruction in dance and theatre, but we are also providing an opportunity to connect and spend time with friends in a familiar setting.
For our teachers. And our staff. We have a pretty incredible staff and we want to do whatever we can to take care of them. By implementing a distance learning program, we are doing what we can to ensure that our staff can continue working instead of joining the long list of displaced employees filing for unemployment benefits.

Beyond the Stage

When Governor Sununu announced his stay-at-home advisory would be in place until May 4th, we made a plan that allowed us to reschedule all of our spring performances to be held throughout the months of May and June. With the stay-at-home advisory now in place until June 15th, we have come to the realization that we will be unable to open our theatre for audiences this season. Therefore, all MoCo Arts spring performances have been canceled.

All of us at MoCo Arts remain committed to providing transformational arts experiences for our students and our community, wherever and however we can. Still, we are bound by the guidelines being put in place by our government to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The safety of our families, teachers, and staff, is always our highest priority. We have a responsibility to all of you to take whatever measures are necessary to ensure that your health, and the health of your loved ones, is not compromised.

Embracing the new normal.

New Hampshire’s public schools have led the way for our country in developing a distance learning program that enables our children to continue their education despite the need for social distancing. MoCo is proud to be one of the many educational institutions in the state that is committed to offering a distance learning program so students can continue to reap the many benefits of arts education.

At MoCo Arts we believe arts education is more important than ever and can offer children (and parents!) a welcome break in the day, encouraging them to move and giving them a feeling of connection even while we’re increasingly isolated from one another. Art inspires us in the best of times and the worst of times. It feeds our souls. And we could all use a bit of that right now.

We thank you for your continued patience and understanding in this difficult time. Our staff will continue to be available to answer any questions you may have. If you have any questions or concerns, we welcome you to contact us via email at info@moco.org, or give us a call at (603) 357-2100 and leave a message. One of our staff members will get back with you as soon as possible.

It is important that we all stay informed and follow recommendations made by public health officials which include practicing good personal hygiene and implementing social distancing practices to reduce potential exposure to the virus.

Please be sure to visit the CDC’s website for the most up-to-date information. You can also find important information about local initiatives at the City of Keene’s website here, and a current list of closures and cancelations here.

Wishing you all the best,
MoCo Arts