Tel Aviv mayor presents plan for resuming cultural events
”Culture is not a luxury. It is essential and necessary for the existence of society and for ensuring the dignity of the workers in the industry," wrote Tel Aviv Mayor.
By HANNAH BROWNA view of Tel Aviv, including the Charles Bronfman Auditorium.(photo credit: GUY YECHIELY)
Ron Huldai, the mayor of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, presented an outline for the resumption of cultural events in the city in a letter to Culture and Sport Minister Chili Tropper and Health Minister Yuli Edelstein that was sent on Tuesday and released to the press on Wednesday.In the letter, Huldai called on the Culture and Sport and Health ministers to immediately allow the resumption of open-air cultural events, among them theater, dance and concerts. Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic in March, all indoor cultural events have been mostly closed down. There was a brief period in the spring when some theaters were allowed to open their doors with many restrictions. Outdoor events have been limited at times and mostly prohibited completely. Beyond the loss of culture to audiences, the letter noted, there has been severe damage to the livelihoods of the artists, craftsmen and workers in the culture industry.The mayor wrote: "Culture is not a luxury. It is essential and necessary for the existence of society and for ensuring the dignity of the workers in the industry. Operating cultural events in the proposed format is an appropriate solution that balances the various needs” for protecting the health of the audiences and of the workers.The proposed outline for reopening the culture sector can be implemented immediately, according to the mayor, who said the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality is prepared to put it into practice as soon as it is approved. The outline includes provisions for performances to be held only in stadiums and open-air amphitheaters. Seating of the audience at the appropriate socially distant intervals can be controlled with chairs marked in accordance with the “purple tag” Health Ministry regulations.The spectators would be divided into capsules that would enter from separate gates, with 20 people sitting in each capsule and a distance of 2 meters to be maintained between the capsules.The crowds would enter the stadiums gradually and at set times in order to prevent a crowd of spectators from swarming the stadium entrance gates. Temperatures would be taken at the entrances and hand-washing stations would be set up. Restrooms would be thoroughly cleaned frequently and inspectors would be positioned at the entrances to restrooms to monitor the number of users. Audiences would wear masks throughout the shows.The municipality proposed holding an event that would be a pilot performance in accordance with the outline. The event would include a music performance at Bloomfield Stadium, with audience participation depending on the ministers’ approval.The mayor’s letter included a detailed seating plan for Bloomfield Stadium showing how the plan would be implemented.Over 150,000 people are employed in the culture sector; many of them are independent contractors, thousands of whom have been struggling to make ends meet since the COVID-19 crisis began.
