“In March, arts organizations large and small began cranking out free digital content to remain connected with their communities while stages were dark,” writes Jeremy Reynolds in Monday’s (7/13) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Was anybody watching? In Pittsburgh, the symphony, ballet and opera recorded encouraging numbers of viewers. The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra said videos produced during quarantine drew roughly five times the number of views compared with similar video posts in 2019…. Culture Track, an arts-focused research group, released a report on Tuesday about the impact of the coronavirus on the arts. It notes that of more than 2,500 individuals, about half said they participated in digital offerings provided by arts organizations. Only about 13% of respondents reported paying for online content. The report also identified online activities for kids as a high priority…. The Pittsburgh Symphony’s practice tip videos drew more than 5,500 views on average and videos aimed at children ages 3-8 averaged about 2,200.… The content is free at the moment to foster community.” But, said Aleta King, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s vice president of marketing and sales, “I think there will be room for both paid and free content in the future.”
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