IDEAS Lab & Pandemic Control Measures at National Theater & Concert Hall, Taipei

NTCH reopens with IDEAS Lab in July 

Highly anticipated amid coronavirus, the IDEAS Lab rescheduled from the first half of the year will reopen NTCH in July. As one of the four major seasons of NTCH, the IDEAS Lab emphasises the experimental spirit and invites artists to ask questions, fight against popular trends, and create innovative visions together. Four new productions include two theatre works — Wonderful (1 – 5 July 2020) by playwright, director and actor Daniel Wang, and Hsiao Gao Obey Bree (10 – 12 July 2020), a solo performance by comedy actor Kurt Hsiao; two dance works by female choreographers: Lin I-chin’s tsia̍h thóo (17 – 19 July 2020) and Lin Su-Lien’s One, and then to Five (24 – 26 July 2020).  

To further support innovative talents, IDEAS Lab-R&D was launched this year. Six projects have been selected through an open call. NTCH supports these projects from early stage through a research and development fund, studio space and mentorship. Three of the six projects will move to the next stage with NTCH’s support to be presented in IDEAS Lab next year as a full production.  

Amid the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, life in Taiwan has largely continued as per normal thanks to the swift response by Taiwan government and its citizens. However, the ban on mass gatherings has greatly impacted the performing arts sector, a situation faced by all theatre practitioners around the world today.  

Abiding by the guidelines of Taiwan CDC – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NTCH has taken precautionary measures to ensure the safety of our audience, staff, artists and all theater practitioners. In the hope for a sooner recovery for all theatres and performing arts centres, NTCH has complied these measures and would like to take this opportunity to share it with our international colleagues.  

 

NTCH Pandemic Control Measures Overview

I. Immediate Measures

Visitors 

• Temperature check is required before entering the venue. If an audience’s forehead temperature is measured above 37.5°C, admittance would be declined.  

• Hands must be disinfected before entering the venue. Hand sanitiser spray is available. 

• Wearing a face mask is required when entering the venue and throughout performances. Visitors must bring their own masks as the Taiwan government has provided sufficient surgical masks to the public. 

• Ticket holders are required to complete a mandatory form to provide personal information (name, telephone number, address, ID number, travel history of past 14 days) before entering the auditorium. 

• Ticket holders must follow their assigned seating. Seating layouts have been modified such that there is a space is allocated between the audiences, e.g. seat allocation of National Theater. 

• Rental programs can still proceed if they comply with the following regulations:  

• Indoor events cannot exceed 100 people; audience must keep 1.5-meter distance from others.  

• Outdoor events cannot exceed 500 people; audience must keep 1-meter distance from others.  

NTCH, including other national theaters governed by Ministry of Culture, follow stricter regulations and has stopped presenting programs during this period.  

Staff and Environment  

• Temperature check and hand disinfection are required before entering the venue.  

• Wearing of face mask is required at all times. Each staff was given a cloth mask cover to prolong the effectiveness of surgical mask. 

• All staff are divided in two groups. Split operation (half of the staff work from home in a weekly basis) can take place right away when necessary. 

• NTCH has increased the disinfection frequency of highly used areas, including elevators, stair handrails, restrooms, ticketing counters, and auditoriums.  

• A sterilising chamber for face masks was set up. 

• External meetings are conducted online whenever possible. 

• External parties who enter NTCH for meetings must wear face masks and provide their travel history. 

Cancelled Performance: Relief Measures 

• NTCH programmes: reschedule to 2nd half of 2020 or 2021. Companies can still rehearse in studio or on stage free of charge on the original dates. 

• Rental programmes: rental fee is fully refunded. Companies can still rehearse in studio or on stage free of charge on the original dates. 50% rental discount when performances go on as planned or is broadcasted live online. 

Theatre Practitioner: Relief Measures 

• Temporary staff: new tasks were arranged for technical crew – making cloth mask cover. 

• Front-of-house part-time staff/technical crew: assist to conduct temperature checks for the public. 

• Providing project-based staff and contractors with the necessary documents to apply for relief fund from Ministry of Culture. 

• Work with ticketing system and encourage ticketholders to donate to performing arts companies instead of requesting for a ticket refund.  

Relief Programme of Ministry of Culture (MOC), Taiwan 

MOC has rolled out a US$25 million aid package so far for creative and cultural sectors. Small businesses and self-employed people are eligible to apply for subsidy for operation cost and salary, extension of loan payment, increase line of credit, as well as subsidy for R&D project, personnel training and digital marketing.   

 

II. Programming for Upcoming Seasons

While no performances will take place in NTCH up till June, all staff continue to work on future projects. We plan with caution that all programmes will be back on track in July. In the meantime, we are working on Plan B especially for international programmes which might not be taking place in the end due to border controls. 

 

III. Self-reflection and Strategic Planning under the Impact of the Pandemic 

As a venue, NTCH has been as been asking itself the following questions while coping with the cancellation of programmes: 

• How do we sustain the creativity and activity of artists, and reflect on the challenges facing humanity through new productions? 

• As one of the very few venues still in operation around the world, what can NTCH do? What experiences can we share? 

• The immediacy of live theatre has been replaced by online streaming in a time of pandemic. On the other hand, some technological development, such as 5G, has contributed to the diverse expression of performing arts. Is there a different narrative or way of expression that theatre practitioners can develop in this digital age to compete with the online entertainment that is already flooding our screens today?   

• Would viewers following movies and series through these online platforms return to cinemas or theaters when the pandemic dies down? Apart from developing new narratives of online theatre, the ways in which viewers approach, experience and pay for online programmes need to be reinvented as well. 

We do not have perfect answers for the above questions, yet they prompt us to work with artists and launch the following projects: 

• Research & development fee: provide companies with R&D fee for new production in 2021-22 to keep artists active.   

• Ne(x)t Theater: involve different industries and commission artists to create online theatre which deploys 5G, AR or VR technology. 3-4 works in progress will be released in the 2nd half of 2020. 

• Open all: call for creators of all backgrounds to reflect on the life during pandemic, its far-reaching impact and imagine the post-pandemic future.   

• Autumn Festival (Oct-Nov): festival theme, “violence in the name of___: the road to hell is paved with good intentions,” will explore the challenges facing civilisation in the 21st century, including how the pandemic changed the way we live.