You are for it or against it. People leave and come back. Post endless pictures of their (fill in the blank…). But let’s face it: Facebook has captured the imagination of millions and millions of people. Throughout the past few weeks with the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the world, Facebook has been an incredible means of communication for a lot of folks who are at home alone, as well as a means of getting info out about online events and initiatives relevant to these troubling times.
Here are a few things I have clicked on recently, from the very cute Pluto pup providing advice to two-leggeds to the thoughtfully written posts on HowlRound, an open platform for theatre artists from all over the globe, and Theatre Art Life, a forum for live entertainment professional worldwide.
Facebook also provides a glimpse into what people are doing during their downtime at home, from virtual cocktail parties, to digital dancing and singing, or companies such as IWeiss hosting a Zoom lunch for employees. Clever solutions that might give you a helpful idea or two.
There are also a lot of Facebook groups for like-minded people. Ones that have come to the forefront in recent weeks, and offer a lot of resources, include:
- Theatre Education Distance Learning
- USITT Women In Theatre Network
- IATSE
- Technical Theatre Educators
- All the Magical things an Audience never got to see...
Facebook is also the place to find out that a lot of your online friends and acquaintances have been hard at work in recent days, creating resources for their peeps. Here are a few good links to lists:
- Resources For Touring Personnel (created by The Activity)
- Magnum’s List Of Free Training Opportunities
- Brian Philips Virtual Guest Lecturer and Artist Registry
And where else but Facebook would you find a link to ETC’s April Fools’ Dogment3D video?
Woof!