© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Connecticut Offers Arts Organizations A Road Map For Reopening

theater closed sign
Corey Doctorow
/
Creative Commons

State officials have released a set of guidelines for arts and cultural organizations to follow when considering reopening. The guidelines were compiled by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development along with arts advocacy groups from around the state.

We depend on your support. Donate to Connecticut Public today.

“The intended purpose of this document is to provide a strategic road map for cultural organizations and arts organizations to plan for their reopening,” said Elizabeth Shapiro, director of the DECD’s Office of the Arts. “I would encourage that you walk, even crawl towards opening, and not run toward it, because there are still a lot of unknowns.”

The guidance is heavy on safety protocols -- things like creating clean workspaces for employees, maintaining a steady supply of cleaning supplies and PPE and creating low-touch entrances and exits for patrons. A big part of the safety component is managing a venue’s capacity.

“There’s a lot to consider,” said Shapiro. “This is really about knowing your venue. What is the audience flow? What do they need when they get there? Where are your bottlenecks going to be?”

To calculate capacities, the guidance recommends the organization divide the total square footage by the number of square feet required per person. It also recommends spacing people 6 feet apart per federal guidelines and that guests wear a face covering.

Communication is another key element of the plan, not only between employer and employee, but between the institution and its visitors.

“People support us because they trust us. We have to keep them updated on what our open hours are, what our staffing is going to be like, what the visitor experience is going to be like, whether or not they are going to be able to use a restroom when they are there,” said Shapiro. “We have a very sacred relationship with our visitors, and we can’t forget that.” 

Connecticut’s creative sector was hit particularly hard by the pandemic. According to the national arts advocacy group Americans for the Arts, Connecticut arts and cultural organizations have lost almost $12 million in revenue.

The DECD says the sector accounts for 3.5% of the state’s GDP, generating $9.3 billion annually.

Ray Hardman is Connecticut Public’s Arts and Culture Reporter. He is the host of CPTV’s Emmy-nominated original series Where Art Thou? Listeners to Connecticut Public Radio may know Ray as the local voice of Morning Edition, and later of All Things Considered.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

Related Content