Nonprofit Talk: How a vital performance venue moves online to serve audiences

Ellen Kodadek (left) with former Borough President Claire Shulman. Photo courtesy of Flushing Town Hall

By Ellen Kodadek, as told to the Eagle

Ellen Kodadek is the executive and artistic director at Flushing Town Hall, located on Northern Boulevard in Flushing.  She discusses the challenges that Flushing Town Hall and other organizations are facing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

How has your organization navigated the pandemic?  

We have repurposed most of our staff and existing resources from providing “in-person” programs in our theatre and gallery to Flushing Town Hall at Home, online.  Seeking new ways to serve our mission and diverse audiences, this has required a learning curve, research into appropriate platforms, evaluation of existing resources to move content online, raising funds to pay our teaching artists to develop new content for schools, families, and seniors, plus providing additional hardware, software and tutorials to staff now working remotely.  This has been a truly extraordinary effort and I couldn’t be prouder of our staff. 

How are you now serving your audiences? 

Our strengths in global arts programming and diverse teaching artists representing multiple cultures, traditions and disciplines, continue to celebrate the global communities of Queens and NYC – only now expanded online until we can re-open again “in person”. Online programs include Global Arts for Global Kids at Home for schools and families, Jazz Jams (with global musicians!) celebrating the legacy of Louis Armstrong, pre-recorded concerts, community partnerships, Zoom conversations, artists’ meet-ups, comedy/animation festival, our first-ever virtual fundraising Gala, Chinese community activities, and much more in development.  Multiple schools are using our new Teaching Artist content in their virtual classrooms.  

How are you balancing the needs of your clients with the level of risk to your employees?

The safety, comfort and well-being of our audiences, artists, school children, staff and volunteers, all of whom come from all over the New York City metropolitan area, is of the utmost importance to us.  Staff is engaged in many conversations with colleagues across multiple sectors who are all grappling with the challenges of re-opening – particularly in a small, intimate arts center such as Flushing Town Hall, and with financial and programmatic recovery.  The uncertainty and ever-changing landscape make it very difficult to plan but being responsive to safety comes first, even though we know it will likely lead to very difficult decisions. 

What types of support do you most need support now? 

Thank you for asking! We need unrestricted funding for general operating support; to keep paying staff for their hard work and to create new online programs in this time of social distancing and virtual learning, for paying bills such as health insurance, and building security, phone and internet, etc.  The arts are essential—a way for people to heal, to celebrate, to express their joys and sorrows—look at how everyone is turning to the arts online! Every dollar someone donates helps us stay afloat so we can keep serving our communities, who need us now more than ever. 

What have you had to cut back on?

Flushing Town Hall has been closed since mid-March, therefore all “in-person” performances, workshops, exhibitions, school programs, rentals, etc. have been cancelled. We frequently present artists from overseas and they were unable to travel due to the virus.

What do you think the future holds for your sector as a result of the pandemic?

The arts sector is vast and intertwined with community life all across the world. The need and desire for social gatherings and live arts experiences will be greatly heightened.  Once the arts and cultural sector figures out safety issues and the math of re-opening, we’ll be welcoming audiences and artists back with great delight!  Artists are eager to create new work and present that to live audiences.  The daily conversations that the sector is having is forging new relationships and future partnerships that are exciting.  Online content is here to stay, and we will all be navigating two worlds.

Learn more about Flushing Town Hall at flushingtownhall.org.