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The Brockville Theatre Guild (BTG) relies on volunteers to run the organization and to develop, promote, and showcase theatrical and dramatic art events in Brockville and the surrounding area. These activities bring volunteers together who work in groups on and off stage, as well as audiences who gather to enjoy the productions. This organization is considered an employer by all legal standards, and must therefore comply with any applicable and governing legislation including Public Health and Workplace Health & Safety.

Illnesses, such as with Covid-19, can be transmitted from person to person while engaged in theatrical arts, for example sharing props, costumes, and common surfaces in rehearsal and on set.

This plan outlines the expectations and steps necessary to conduct any of these activities in a safe manner.

Policy Objectives

This BTG Pandemic Screening Plan has been developed and implemented to meet current public health guidelines of the Province of Ontario.

All members of the BTG must acknowledge and comply with this plan as a condition of participating in any activity. This applies equally to all sanctioned activities, including any meetings, rehearsals or productions of any sort, whether conducted in any enclosed spaces (e.g. theatre) or outdoors.

To the extent that volunteers of a BTG production may also be subject to a similar plan in place by another organization or facility (e.g. City of Brockville in the Brockville Arts Centre), the most restrictive elements of whichever plan or policy will apply and overlap accordingly. In the case of any question, issue or complaint, organizers or facilitators should seek guidance from the Board of Directors.

Application & Governance

Vaccination: Any person taking part in any BTG organized activity, whether a member or guest of a member, must comply with current legislation governing vaccinations. This includes providing proof of vaccination for any event taking place indoors. A visual confirmation is sufficient for this purpose. Records will be kept for the prescribed period of 3 months after which they will be destroyed.

The Secretary, or delegate appointed for this purpose, will confirm and maintain a careful record of the vaccine status for any person taking part of any general gathering or meeting indoors.

A delegated member of the production team will maintain a careful record of the vaccine status of any member or guest taking part in a production rehearsal or performance. Proof of vaccination need only be verified once for duration to time for the meeting, rehearsals or performance period.

Screening: Any person taking part in any BTG organized activity, must complete the provincially approved Covid-19 screening questionnaire or self-assessment in the hours before participating in any way and stay home if unwell. In the case when a facility used by the BTG requires screening for use in their facility, the BTG will defer to the use of the other screening tool so long as the Board of Directors or the approved delegate from the BTG (e.g. Producer) is satisfied it meets the provincial standard.

The BTG has developed an online form that automatically and privately stores the information for contact-tracing and audit purposes: HERE.

The board will make the form available by email to all members, participants and online (e.g. social media) to ensure widespread distribution.

Participants may choose to either:

complete the form online (auto-email); or,

complete the form, print it and bring it along to the activity to be submitted to the organizer and subsequently to the secretary for audit;

As the screening must take place before arriving and co-mingling with others, the screening tool will not be available on-site. However, the form may be accessed by portable device outside the venue and be submitted electronically in the usual way.

Any person showing symptoms of Covid-19 as identified in self-assessment screening or are feeling unwell are not permitted to participate in a BTG organized activity until they receive a negative Covid-19 test, or have completed the mandatory 14-day isolation.

The BTG will hold these forms for the prescribed period of time and then destroy or delete the digital record when they are no longer required.

The Secretary, or a person delegated for this purpose, should actively confirm the screening has taken place with anyone who takes part or attends any applicable meeting, rehearsal or performance.

Regardless of whichever self-assessment screening form is used, the BTG must maintain attendance records for contact tracing.

The secretary will record attendance for any board meeting.

A member of the production team (e.g. Producer or Stage Manager) will maintain a careful record of attendance including contact details for any person (e.g. invited guests, friends) who are not registered as a member of the organization, and submit that record to the Secretary as soon as practical after the activity. This record will be kept for at least 3 months for reasons of contact tracing.

The BTG will inform the staff of the Brockville Arts Centre of any activity that takes place in the city facility so that appropriate general cleaning measures can be implemented.

The policy of the BTG is to provide an established schedule of activities in advance.

In the event of the need for ad-hoc gatherings, permission must be given by the President, or Vice President. A designated member of the board will provide a notice to city staff as soon as practical.

The BTG relies on current in-force public health regulations and authorized Public Health officials for managing outbreaks and contact-tracing.

Mitigation: General provisions

The BTG will ensure someone attending the activity is designated for the purpose of the application of this plan; and, ensure common surfaces have been cleaned; and, ensure there is disinfectant and spare face covering for anyone who attends an in-person organized activity.

The BTG follows ‘in force’ Ontario public health guidelines that apply to any activity. All members should be familiar and apply these guidelines including provisions for safe social distance (2 meters), use of face coverings, disinfecting common surfaces and limits on the number of participants in either enclosed or open spaces.

Current rules stipulate masks must be worn unless safe separation allows for their removal. None-the-less, the BTG encourages the use of masks in any enclosed spaces.

Any person with a medical condition that renders them incapable of wearing a mask will be unable to participate in the activity; but will be accommodated to the extent possible depending on their role and the availability of resources to assist with the accommodation.

Mitigation: Productions

The BTG will adhere to any specific Provincial rules and guidance governing live entertainment from Schedule 2 of the “Province of Ontario Step 3 Regulations”. Specifically, that entertainers will maintain at least 2 meters physical distance from any spectators.

Cast members in a production may be asked to engage in activities that encroach on one or more of these guidelines among each other (e.g. safe-distance, face covering, disinfecting of shared surfaces). To the extent possible, all members of the production team are encouraged to work together to minimize and mitigate against unnecessary risk and establish protocols accordingly.

Any member who feels unsafe should respectfully advise the others of their concern and work towards implementing an acceptable solution.

Complaint

The board may restrict participation of any member who refuses to abide by this plan.

In the case where a member or guest refuses to abide by this plan, or a complaint is received of a serious breach of this plan, and regardless of any investigation made by an outside agency, the BTG will institute a review in keeping with parts 4 and 5 of the BTG Code of Conduct & Harassment Policy.

Review and applicability:

the Board of the BTG will review and update this plan as a matter of practice at least every 4th meeting of the board to ensure it is current.

Roles & Responsibilities

One or more Director from the Board shall be nominated responsible for the oversight of this Plan, including leading the review exercise by committee if required.

The Secretary will ensure compliance with record keeping and subsequent destruction of any personal records, including screening questionnaires, in keeping with the BTG Privacy & Protection of Private Information Policy.

The responsible Director(s) for the administration of this Plan will ensure that any delegated person understands this Plan and ensures it is implemented accordingly.

Any member in good standing may be delegated as an appointed Health & Safety representative for the BTG, and made responsible for any of the review, updating, implementation and maintenance of screening tools and this policy including delivering training as part of new productions as necessary. There are no term limits, but the person must be reconfirmed to the role annually.

A Producer authorized to manage a production is always a delegate, even if they find a suitable volunteer to take on one or more parts of the administration of this plan.

Any member in good standing may be delegated to administer any part of this plan, for example to verify vaccine status and screening, and collect attendance at any event.

Appendix A: Backstage & Performance Safety measures

Screening, Vaccines and Minimum Staffing

The Stage Manager and assistant Stage Manager will work with the Secretary to ensure everyone who is participating on stage or backstage has submitted their proof of vaccine, submits active screening to the Brockville Theatre Guild once each day including for set-building, tech-week rehearsals, and performance; and registers the attendance for track-tracing purposes with the Secretary.

Production cast and crew will ensure only authorized persons enter the dressing room and backstage spaces and limit access to only those necessary as part of the performance.

Dressing Rooms & Corridors/Stairs

Dressing rooms and the attaching corridors and stairways are confined spaces. Masks will be worn except when alone.

Stairways to the mainstage space will be identified as one-way travel and to the extent possible, cast/crew should abide by the direction to avoid crossing in these spaces.

Masks should always be worn if two people are crossing direction in the stairway.

The BTG will arrange for extra masks to be available, and sanitizing stations placed at the exterior entrance, bottom of stairs and for each dressing room.

Occupancy/use of the washrooms should be limited as indicated on signs.

Crew: Set Building/Set Décor

Volunteers working as “crew” assisting with the load-in and set-up, set-décor and then the reverse will wear masks at all times except when alone (i.e. painting/wallpaper etc..)

Backstage & Props

The aSM and/or person designated for props should be disinfected between performances and only touched by the actor(s) who must use them.

Masks should be worn backstage at all times until the actor makes an entrance on stage; and then put on again backstage.

Guests and Sponsors

Any guests or sponsors of the organization who is given a tour of the stage must be accompanied by a Producer or Board of Directors representative and remain masked at all times.