We care About your Health and Safety at the Academy
The Academy Center of the Arts has always put our patrons, our supporters, and our community members first. That’s why, when COVID-19 began to spread throughout the region, we closed our doors ahead of official governing regulations, and why we continue to put tremendous thought into reopening those doors once again.
In the attached document below you will find a detailed plan guiding our organization through re-opening and hosting guests in our venues. This plan was made by staff in consultation with local and regional professionals and approved by our local health department. This is a living document, in that at any time, should factors change, that it will be edited to fit the current realities brought on by the spread of COVID-19.
Access our Venue Reopening Health & Safety Guidelines
While we encourage you to read through this document to gain a full understanding of our new policies and procedures, below are a few highlights of the changes we have made as an organization with your health and safety in mind.
Community members knowing our current, and ever-evolving, plan and understanding that we are making every reasonable effort to provide a safe and healthy environment can ease apprehension however, we know there is no guarantee of zero risk. We hope you will choose to join us soon, but moreover we hope that you continue to remain safe.
As we move forward, our plans will continue to be data-driven to assure that we protect our community members, our staff and volunteers, our artists, and our venues. For additional questions, call (434) 846-8499.
Educational Activities
In addition to our online educational offerings, summer camps and classes for students of all ages will resume in-person instruction beginning June 30, 2020.
The following measures will be adhered to:
- Increased disinfecting and sanitation measures on-site
- HVAC enhancements
- Installed social distancing controls for queuing
- Timed entry for student arrival
- Enhanced health and safety screening at venue entrance points upon arrival including:
- Contactless temperature screening
- Hand-washing
- Symptom checking
- Availability of disinfectant and sanitizer at touchpoints
- Requirement of facemasks worn on-site
- Strict social-distancing measures in place, adhering to the 6-foot guideline
- Increased staff presence to assist with symptom checking, supervision, and disinfecting measures
- Limited access to specified class or camp classroom and restrooms for art-based camps
- Limited access to Historic Theatre venue, as well as assigned small-group break-out rooms for larger, theatrical-based camps
- Break-out rooms will be used for personal belonging storing, lunch-time, and rest breaks with staff supervision
- Individually-assigned supplies and/or props to eliminate cross-contamination among students
- Interval health and safety measuring throughout the day to include frequent hand-washing and symptom checking
- Timed departures
Performances and Ticketed Events
The Academy Center of the Arts will resume in-person performances when restrictions on indoor performance venues are lifted by state authorities. More information will be released as it comes available on upcoming performances.
The following measures will be adhered to:
- Increased disinfecting and sanitation measures on-site
- HVAC and air filter enhancements
- Installed social distancing controls for queuing
- Enhanced health and safety screening at venue entrance points upon arrival including:
- Contactless temperature screening
- Hand-washing
- Symptom checking
- Requirement of facemasks worn on-site
- Availability of disinfectant and sanitizer at touchpoints
- Touchless ticket scanning
- Guests must use print-at-home or show tickets on mobile device
- Will-call ticketing prohibited
- Strict social-distancing measures in place for lobby, concessions, and restrooms, adhering to the 6-foot guideline with floor markings
- Increased staff presence in restrooms to assist with guest movement and disinfecting between rush periods
- Strict health and safety measures taken at concessions
- Addition of no-contact pick-up and delivery options at performances
- Elimination of lobby seating to discourage gathering
- Contactless playbill distribution
- Assigned seating entry to reduce gathering at main doors
- Socially-distanced seating, assigned at point-of-sale, to adhere to 6ft guideline
- Elimination of intermission
- Usher-dismissal from seats to eliminate congregation
- Direct exit-routes from seating
Galleries
The Harrington Gallery Building will resume in-person First Friday events on July 3, 2020, with a cap of 20 patrons in the building at all times. This is in addition to private visitation, which can be scheduled through our staff.
The following measures will be adhered to:
- Increased disinfecting and sanitation measures on-site
- Installed social distancing controls for queuing
- Timed entry for visitation, allowing a limited number of patrons in the building every 30 minutes
- Patrons must reserve no-cost ‘tickets’ to gain access to event
- Enhanced health and safety screening at venue entrance points upon arrival including:
- Contactless temperature screening
- Hand-washing
- Symptom checking
- Requirement of facemasks worn on-site
- Availability of disinfectant and sanitizer at touchpoints
- Strict social-distancing measures in place, adhering to the 6-foot guideline with floor markings
- Restriction of food, beverage and live-music offerings on-site
Affected Performances and Events
In the interest of the health and welfare of our patrons, staff, volunteers, and performers, the Academy Center of the Arts has postponed all public performances through October 1, 2020. Performances and events outside of this date range may also be postponed or canceled, due to the COVID-19 impact. Our organization will continue to follow Federal, State, and local directives as announced.
This includes the following performances:
- Brooklyn Rider Quartet with Maeve Gilchrist, March 14 – Canceled
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, March 14 and 15 – Canceled
- Amherst Habitat for Humanity: Working on a Building 2020 – March 21 – Canceled
- Met Opera Live in HD: Der Fliegende Hollander, March 14 – Canceled
- Empty Bowls, March 20 – Rescheduled to August 29, 2020
- Opera on the James: Barber of Seville, March 27 and 29 – Canceled
- Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra: Lynchburg’s Finest – Rescheduled to May 23, 2020
- Frist Fridays April – Canceled
- Ladies of Laughter, April 4 – Rescheduled to September 10, 2020
- Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live!, April 5 – Canceled
- In the Light of Led Zeppelin, April 10 – Rescheduled to October 17, 2020
- An Evening with David Sedaris, April 16 – Rescheduled to September 13, 2020
- Met Opera Live in HD: Tosca, April 19 – Canceled
- Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest Presents: A Conversation with Mr. Jefferson featuring Frederick Douglass, April 25 – Canceled
- Masterworx Theatre Presents: The Sound of Music, April 30 – May 2 – Rescheduled to August 20-22, 2020
- First Fridays May – Canceled
- Dance Theatre of Harlem, May 2 – Rescheduled to August 28, 2020
- VA Humanities Talkback, May 7 – Canceled
- Buddy Guy, May 9, 2020 – Rescheduled to March 10, 2021
- Met Opera Live in HD: Maria Stuarda, May 10 – Canceled
- Reduced Shakespeare Company: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] – Canceled, Hamlet’s Big Adventure (a prequel) offered on April 29, 2021
- Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra: Lynchburg’s Finest, May 23, 2020 – Canceled
- Trace Adkins, August 8 – Rescheduled to November 30, 2020
- Masterworx Theatre Presents: The Sound of Music, August 20-22 – Postponed to August 14-17, 2021
- Dance Theatre of Harlem, August 28 – Postponed to TBD Date
- AbbeyRoad, September 5 – Rescheduled to January 8, 2021
- Ladies of Laughter, September 10 – Rescheduled to April 15, 2021
- The Academy Gala 2020, September 18 – Canceled
- Rumours: The Fleetwood Mac Tribute Band, September 26 – Rescheduled to September 2, 2021
- Broadway Princess Party, October 9 – Canceled
- The Purple XPerience, October 4 – Postponed to TBD Date
- The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Wednesdays in October – Canceled
- In the Light of Led Zeppelin, October 17 – Postponed to TBD Date
- Opera on the James Presents: Amahl and the Night Visitors, December 4-5 – Canceled
- Charlottesville Ballet Presents: The Nutcracker, December 11-12 – Canceled
This decision is in line with public health guidelines regarding COVID-19 (Coronavirus), as well as by the order from state authorities to limit large public events and close entertainment and recreation facilities, effective immediately. While it’s disappointing to cancel upcoming events, we look forward to coming together again as a community when the time is right.
