When the world fell quiet during the pandemic, Annie DiMartino, Deputy Director of Performing Arts Center Eastside, found a way to bring back the music. With a background in the nonprofit sector and a passion for performing arts, Annie conceptualized and created the Arts Without Barriers program to offer a lifeline to out-of-work musicians and bring vibrancy back to her community responsibly after over a year of lockdown. Discover how she and her team turned public spaces into the stages for musicians to showcase their talent and restore simple humanity amid challenging times.
Launching Arts Without Barriers was no easy task. Against the backdrop of the pandemic, in just five weeks of intense planning Annie and her team breathed life back into public spaces, initially intended for a 90-day run. Hear the heartwarming story of how local musicians intersected with people in common areas, leading to an extension of the program across the calendar and multiple years.
In the latter part of our conversation, we delve into the evolving social trends in the event industry. We discuss the surge in no-shows and digital burnout due to the pandemic and how it has impacted event attendance. Despite these challenges and more, Annie's Arts Without Barriers program has successfully broken down access, transportation, and childcare barriers to live performance.
Arts Without Barriers has been made possible in part through visionary support of 4 Culture, OneRedmond, and Redmond Town Center.
The brilliant graphic designer behind the award winning AWB visual assets is Claire Zoghb.
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