CommonTime Logo - The Fermata: A Happy Accident

CommonTime - Fermata - A Happy Accident 

The Pandemic, Covid 19, put us all in a holding pattern. A pause. Unprecedented. From it came our creative best.

When I was informed of our first lockdown, three thoughts came to mind:

How will I educate the performing arts students online? How will I convert our outreach engagements with arts organizations to a virtual platform? How will I keep the students engaged?

 I reached out to designer Amanat Dugal with the concept,  “Let’s make a platform that puts visiting artists and arts organizations into the virtual classroom - globally and call it CommonTime.” The “fermata” was actually a half clock. A clock that in March 2020 had been stopped for a pandemic.

With life on hold, each of us, young and old, created in ways we never thought possible. Artists, arts educators, arts organizations outdid their creative selves in keeping arts vibrant in our lives. The dominant medium of this creativity was technology. Artists and Arts Organizations kept us entertained while simultaneously supporting educators who continue to find creative approaches to teaching - and engaging - students online. Through this innovative generosity, we, as humans, as part of this collective experience, browsed through arts organizations for offerings, gallery tours, streaming, recording projects, highlights and spotlights - that were offered mainly for free.

 The Arts, collectively, are one of the largest global economic drivers of any culture, of any nation. The Arts, therefore the artists, are there to pick us up, help us feel, make us think, give us shared experiences - help us to pause together. Arts education draws upon the professional artist’s ability and context to inspire, to awe, to engage while the educator develops and fine tunes the skills and coordinates the outreach! The Arts Organizations show us the next step of this learning journey. The latter turns potential to professional performance - closing and cultivating the learning loop. It is the perfect Trio: The Artist, The Educator, The Arts Organization - with the learner at the center of attention (audience).

 However, free, doesn’t make this irrefutable model financially sustainable. Free devalues what we need most - our inherent right to create. This interdependent trio is an irreplaceable and inestimable value in all of our lives.  

 When the Conductor lifts the baton in preparation to give the down beat, ending the pause, the fermata, to allow the music to move forward in time, the arts will guide the creative way forward through this new, and unknown, global passage of music. What lies ahead is yet to be composed. However, It will offer significant improvisation and be in need of creative guidance.

 CommonTime is ready for the downbeat to guide the arts forward. Across a Common Time, in a Common place, with a Common cause finding our pulse together - globally.

To be part of the downbeat, moving the arts forward in time, please join CommonTime. We are inviting Artists with experience working with students, Educators and Arts Organizations with virtual outreach programs. Together we keep Arts on a Global Stage.

Please visit our website: CommonTime

Sincerely,

Christine Matovich, Founder, CommonTime