Reel 2 Real cares about the health and safety of students, teachers, and festival attendees. We are listening to the concerns of the community and participating school boards, and prioritizing guidance from the Public Health Agency of Canada, HealthLink BC and BC Centre for Disease Control to adopt new, robust operational practices. We recognize the need to be vigilant. Given that R2R is a month away and that none of our events exceed the maximum of 250 people in one space, we are optimistic that the festival will be able to proceed as planned while we continue to prepare for contingencies. Aligning with the VSB’s position, we are standing by to monitor developments over the break, and will reserve the final decision to postpone the festival. In the event that schools are closed upon return or field trips not permitted, we will reschedule the festival, pushing our dates and all bookings into the next school year, likely November. We will help arrange new itineraries.
As a non-profit organization we can only deliver our unique programming with the support of teachers and members of the community like you. We encourage you to hold your class bookings and tickets until we have updated information after the break and are in a better position to make an informed decision. We understand postponing may cause some disappointment for students. Given the severity of global concerns, we want to assure you that we will not put you, students, or families at risk. We have already adopted preventive measures. Our staff has been encouraged to work from home, and have been directed to self-isolate for two weeks if they notice any symptoms. In addition, a number of risk mitigation strategies will be implemented to ensure safety and good health practices at our venues.
- Students who may have been exposed or are exhibiting flu like symptoms should remain at home
- Hand sanitizer stations will be provided upon entry and throughout the presentation
- Accessible hand-washing sinks will be clearly indicated
- Patrons are advised to cough/sneeze into the bend of their arm, not their hand
- Classes will be seated together for screenings and will not be permitted to mix among other schools
- No screenings at R2R will exceed a capacity of 220 patrons
- High-touch surfaces such as handrails, door handles, pin pads and workshop surfaces and materials will be cleaned several times a day, and between screenings and workshops
- Workshop materials such as clay and paper will be replenished for each class. Students will be encouraged to take their clay and paper creations with them.
At this time, schools that have booked for our festival have not been closed for anything other than the planned holiday. Please let us know if you have any concerns that have not been addressed. If you’d like to make a booking, we are accepting registrations. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact education@r2rfestival.org
Thank you for your continued support and please stay healthy,
The R2R Team
Additional resource for teachers:
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/health-professionals/public-health-measures-mitigate-covid-19.html
