COVID-19 COMMUNITY UPDATE
Circus at Home has been released and classes begin April 6th!
March 13, 2020
Dear Circus Culture Community,
I am writing to notify you that starting at 5pm EST March 13th, Circus Culture will be formally canceling all classes, parties, events, and practices for the public until at least April 12th. This means the final two weeks of our winter session will be cancelled, followed by a two week break. We believe it is important to do our part in order to support Ithaca’s efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19. We plan to hold an 11 week session starting April 12th through the end of June if we are able, and will notify you about that possibility as the start date gets closer.
We will be taking care of our amazing staff and ensuring that they are paid for their two weeks of unexpected unemployment, as well as looking into the possibility of opening up limited drop in based practice times for our community if we determine a safe way to do so - stay tuned for more info about that.
How does this work financially?
We are asking our community of students and families to consider that the tuition they have pre-paid for the next two weeks be forwarded on to our teachers, who will be paid for their weeks of unemployment. As such, we are not automatically dispensing refunds or credit for the two weeks of classes missed, and instead pledge to offer makeup classes when it is safe to do so.
If you have a monthly membership, we will offer you a complementary month long membership (or more if necessary) to ensure you are not paying for classes while we are not open. If you have a 12 class pass, it will be extended by 3 months. Please note it may take us a few weeks to get up to speed with these administrative tasks.
We understand that you invest time, money, and energy into your circus practice and that for some it may be critical to have a refund for your economic well being. If this is the case, please email Claire@circusculture.org and she will assist you over the next two weeks, no questions asked.
The basics
Everything on our schedule is going to pause, full stop, until further notice.
Within the week we will email you resources that can support your home or outdoor circusing.
It is possible that as the days play out, that we will be able to open up for limited practice times, show prep, and other things of this nature.
We know many of you are preparing for shows that are scheduled from May-June, and at this time we do not know what the situation will look like then, so we will have to take it one week at a time and pledge to be in touch.
I look forward to following up this email with one full of resources about home training options and ways to keep our community vibrant during this time.
Please stay tuned for updates via email, and reach out to me with any questions.
Gratefully,
Amy
Founder/Director
March 11, 2020
Dear Circus Culture community,
This message is to update you regarding how Circus Culture is preparing for the potential impact of COVID-19, also referred to as the "coronavirus". We take safety seriously and are constantly examining the various ways we can help keep our students and community safe. We ask that our entire community of teachers, students, and families read the full letter below.
Although there have not been any reported cases of COVID-19 in our county, we are preparing in the case that this does occur. Circus is a very physical art form, and we are aware that there is contact between humans and equipment in our space daily We are taking additional precautions that we hope will support in the case of an outbreak in our community, and that will also reduce the common cold and flu from spreading, which has the potential to reduce anxiety and alarm.
We have made the tough decision to cancel all guest artists and visiting shows for the time being. We feel strongly that it is our responsibility to create policies that help our community stay safe, and at the moment, that means ensuring that folks don't travel to Ithaca on Circus Culture's account. We will refund anyone who has purchased tickets to shows or workshops that are being cancelled.
Please note that with proper precautions, we plan to continue all of our normal programming unless there is a mandate from the state, county, or school district that recommends we act otherwise.
What you can do:
1. Stay home if you are sick! If you have a cough, sore throat, runny nose or fever or any cold or flu symptoms we encourage you to stay home and get the rest you need. You can make up your circus class at any point - there is no expiration date on make ups.
2. Stay home if anyone in your immediate household is sick.
3. Wash your hands often! (with soap and water for at least 20 seconds)
4. Avoid touching your face. (This is harder than it seems, but can help prevent the spread of illness)
5. If you have recently traveled to an area with a high rate of COVID-19, follow CDC and Department of Health guidelines for staying home and self-monitoring.
6. If you have pre-existing health conditions or are immunocompromised and have concerns about coming to Circus Culture at any point, contact us to make sure that we can support you and be transparent about our efforts and our limitations.
7. Let us know if you have any recommendations, requests, or resources that can help us do an even better job of keeping everyone safe.
What we are doing right now:
-We have made the tough decision to cancel all visiting artists and teachers effective March 11 until further notice.
-We will be checking in with all teachers about their travel plans, and ensuring that if anyone travels out of the county, we are aware and evaluate the situation according to CDC requirements.
-In accordance with CDC recommendations, we have increased the frequency and scope of cleaning, sterilizing, and disinfecting all facets of our facility. We will ensure that high contact areas such as door handles are disinfected at least daily.
-All props, mats, and ropes are currently disinfected weekly, and aerial fabrics will be changed out weekly and laundered professionally in between uses.
-We are suspending use of reusable cups and replacing them with disposable ones. Please bring your own water bottle if possible.
-We are making sure our teachers have access to sick leave so that they can stay home if they exhibit signs of sickness that could put our students at risk.
-We are removing cushions and hard to clean items from our “hang out” area in the loft.
- We have made hand sanitizer available in both of our spaces.
- We will prop doors open when weather allows to reduce the spread of bacteria and virus on heavy traffic areas like door handles.
- We have added signage in our space reminding folks to wash their hands and stay home if they are feeling sick.
We will continue to follow state and federal guidelines as they are updated and will inform our students if there is an interruption to a class or program at any point.
What we will do in the case of an outbreak in our community:
If a COVID-19 case is detected that impacts us – for example, someone known to be sick with the disease has been in Ithaca, or more specifically in our facility, we will follow protocol from Tompkins County Health Department to evaluate exposure risk and make decisions regarding quarantine/closure for the general health and safety of our entire community.
Additional resources:
NY Department of Health - NY updates and guidelines.
CDC - National information and recommendations.
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us at info@circusculture.org.
We are grateful to the leadership at circus schools all over the US for assisting us with advice about how to handle this situation in a circus specific setting, as well as all of those individuals and groups working to get accurate information out to communities.
I welcome any questions you may have - please contact me at info@circusculture.org.
Sincerely,
Amy Cohen
Circus Culture Founder/Director