Reopening Plan

When Seraphic Fire found itself under the full weight of the pandemic in March 2020, Finance and Operations Manager Eric Rubio was tasked with monitoring the various layers of government-imposed emergency orders and regulations to ensure organizational compliance.

Toward the end of the summer, with the alternative format of Season S in production, the Board and staff turned to the natural next step of determining how best to reopen and resume inperson vocal music performances.

Information on “New Normal Guidelines” from Miami-Dade County, gathered with the assistance of staff in the office of County Commissioner Eileen Higgins (in whose district sits Seraphic Fire’s administrative offices and our Miami performance venues) as well as Michael Spring, Director of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, informed the development of the Reopening Plan .

In addition to the various rules and regulations imposed by local government, Seraphic Fire also needed to consider that its artists live all over the country —resuming normal artistic activities requires artists to travel to Miami . Seraphic Fire also partners with churches and other venues for rehearsal and performance spaces in Miami-Dade, Broward, Collier, and Palm Beach counties . Government regulations for all of those regions and types of facilities were reviewed .

Eric wrote an initial draft with key input from Artistic Operations Manager Alexis Aimé . Following thorough review by the staff, Board, and the COVID-19 Task Force, and on the recommendation of the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors voted to approve the Reopening Plan at their regular meeting in October 2020 .

The Reopening Plan is in three phases . Each phase requires certain minimum internal conditions (ability to procure protective equipment and supplies) as well as external conditions (gathering sizes allowed under government restrictions, maximum CDC-reported infection rate metrics) . At their regular monthly meetings, the Executive Committee considers whether to recommend proceeding to each phase . A minimum three-month lead time is required so that the administration has sufficient time to book venues and make artist travel arrangements .

Each phase has details of the ways different areas of Seraphic Fire’s concert operations will be modified: artistic personnel, administrative personnel, audience amenities, and venue usage . Even in Phase III, when both the artistic product and the patron experience are back to their standard form, certain modifications will remain for the remainder of the pandemic, and many positive operational changes around cleanliness will remain permanently to ensure a healthy performance environment .

The organization’s goal is to return to providing the great artistic experiences that our South Florida communities love and long for, and to do so safely and with care and concern for the well-being of all stakeholders and constituents . The second half of our mantra for Season S, Ars Longa – “Art is Long” – holds true in our Reopening Plan . The art will be with us through this Season S, and into the future as we reopen and regather to celebrate .

SERAPHIC FIRE REOPENING PLAN

PHASE I

THROUGH SUMMER 2021

MODIFIED Artistic Production (e.g., remote recording)

MODIFIED Patron Experience (e.g., multimedia presentations)

PHASE II

FALL 2021

STANDARD Artistic Production (in-person in Miami)

MODIFIED Patron Experience (limited audience w/ streaming option)

PHASE III

SPRING 2022

STANDARD Artistic Production (in-person in Miami)

STANDARD Patron Experience