Browse Exhibits (2 total)
We Keep Each Other Safe: Mutual Aid in the United States of America during the COVID-19 Pandemic
In 1902, philosopher Peter Kropotkin published an essay collection entitled Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution. Although this was not the first use of the term, his book popularized the idea of mutual aid, stating “As soon as we study animals…we at once perceive that though there is an immense amount of warfare and extermination going on amidst various species… there is, at the same time, as much, or perhaps even more, of mutual support, mutual aid, and mutual defence amidst animals belonging to the same species or, at least, to the same society.”
Indeed, the practice of mutual aid—of neighbors helping neighbors— is an ancient one; nevertheless, the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic decline has seen a heightened interest in mutual aid. Hundreds of funds and networks have been established around the United States in an attempt to respond to increased need due to shelter in place orders, disrupted food supply chains, and massive job loss (14.7% as of May 2020). The nature of COVID-19 has forced many of these networks to primarily function online, resulting in a plethora of born digital resources documenting these hyper-local, community based efforts. Online aid request forms, marketing materials, and community agreements chronicle the work of neighbors helping neighbors. Tweets, YouTube videos, and articles draw attention to the ways in which civilians have fulfilled needs where more formalized institutions have failed.
This collection includes resources which best illustrate the principles, practice, and influence of Mutual Aid networks across the United States of America as a direct response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in an attempt to document this work for future generations.
Theatre in the Time of a Pandemic
The nature of theatre and the performing arts relies on telling a story with the performers and audience members gathered together in the same room at the same time. However, what happens when a pandemic shuts down a society and threatens the culture that defines the community? How does the theatre industry respond when those social gatherings it depends on are prohibited? Theatre and all types of performances were one of the first industries to shut down when the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020. This collection looks at how performers, both from history and the last year, have found ways to bring entertainment to communities when it was most needed in order to continue telling their stories. From ancient Grecian amphitheaters to Roman street performers, history is filled with detailed examples of how performers have adjusted or pivoted when faced with a challenge. The COVID-19 pandemic has once again provided performers a fresh opportunity for ingenuity that will have lasting implications on not only the theatre industry but our culture. By looking at past pandemics and how our current world has reacted to entertainment during COVID-19, we can gain insight into the future direction of theatre.
The goals for this collection include:
-To highlight the changing methods that performers have utilized to express their emotions
-To preserve examples of digital performances and the progression of the different pandemic performance styles
-To provide future pandemics insight into how theatre in the 21st century endured and survived this latest pandemic
Pandemics are worldly and affect performers irregardless of skill level or location. To demonstrate the worldly impact and the universal need to create, the items in this collection originate from several countries within North America, South America and Europe. It contains interviews, articles and audio-visual materials that describe the creation process, the resulting performances, and any potential or actual lasting effects. However, since many performances were only available with a ticket or live attendance, whether in person or online, this collection contains mostly articles and interviews that describe the works and less of the works themselves.
Finally, because the COVID-19 pandemic will continue until most of the world is vaccinated, this collection will remain open to additions as they become available.