Are you getting pandemic unemployment for salaried or freelance work?
Don’t let your benefits run out while you stil need them. Despite all the changes to the federal and state procedures, Boston Dance Alliance has confirmed that you do need to certify those benefits every week — even though you can assume the state knows things are shut down.
How to do it:
- Log into the account that you used to applied for unemployment benefits and certify weekly that your employment status has not changed and that their work is still affected by COVID-19.
- If you are earning or still receiving freelance or W2 income, include that information.
- The weekly certification opens on Sundays, so apply any time Sunday-Saturday for the prior week.
The Department of Unemployment Assistance has published a helpful step-by-step guide for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance applicants once they submit their claim, which includes direct links for certification (Step 2) at https://www.mass.gov/how-to/apply-for-pandemic-unemployment-assistance. People who applied under the traditional Unemployment system can find information about certification at https://www.mass.gov/how-to/request-weekly-unemployment-benefits.
If you haven’t yet applied — or if your regular salaried employment is about to end — there is still time! While the federal stimulus funds are in danger of running out (again!) you are likely to be approved for unemployment from the state.
Please sign this petition to send to your state representative. Many nonprofits, acting completely legally, opted out of the state unemployment system, never imagining that they would have to lay off or furlough everyone who works for them all at once. Signing this shows that you understand that the nonprofit sector — social service and arts and culture together — are crucial to our community.
Apply for residencies! Applications for the Boston Dance Alliance/Boston Center for the Arts Boston Dancemakers Residency are due on Sunday, May 10. As an added attraction, your application allows you to opt into the applicant pool for BCA’s Run of the Mills and Public Art Residencies! While the timing of these valuable programs necessarily remains somewhat fluid, the panels will go on as scheduled. Don’t delay and good luck.
Tell your story. The Arts Fuse is looking for artist/writers associated with small to medium sized performing arts organizations to talk about their plans for survival and the future. The Double Edge Theatre kicked off the series. To participate, contact editor Bill Marx at billmarx@artsfuse.org
Most dance companies, studios, and venues in our community now list their streaming classes,performances, and zoom conversations on their own websites, with aggregators such as Arts/Boston, the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, and Artist2Artist at Studio 550 also listing events.
Many come up at the last minute, so check Facebook and Instagram regularly. (Check back Pro/Motion newsletters for some of the links; we are trying not to duplicate information we have already shared. The BDA website calendar is on hiatus for now.)
The latest entry is Cambridge Community Center for the Arts which has posted nice faculty profiles, like one for Alex Ambila of the Black Flag Dance Crew & Sad Boys Club with videos that were created just before the shutdown.
Traveling far and wide from home
Friday May 1 6-7:30 pm Olivier Besson teaches “Contact solo: the vertical plane.” We (re)introduce movement patterns, usually done on the floor and apply them to a wall (vertical plane). We move through a systematic approach and explore various physical situations, right side up/sideways/upside down/all around. We playfully let it evolve into a partner dance with the self, sometimes referred to as a contact solo.”
Friday, May 1, 8 p.m ICA’s First Fridays recommence featuring The Davis Sisters for a digital dance party along with cocktail-making (BYOB!) and dj-ing.
Saturday May 2, 10-11:30 a.m. Creative Business Planning in a Crisis is being offered as part of the Creative Economy Workshop Series at MassArt, with Sara Hartmann speaking about financial planning and envisioning the future — especially when you feel you don’t have enough information.
Saturday May 2, 7:30 Dance and chant by San Francisco-based Hawaiian ensemble Hālau O Keikiali’i bring virtual balmy weather to Wellesley College by way of a 2016 performance being re-released online with a new q/a session after the stream.
Sunday May 3, 3 p.m. Iconic dance and vocal artist Meredith Monk opens the Bang on a Can Marathon from New York
Sunday May 3, 7:30 The Guggenheim Museum has been commissioning artists from a wide variety of genres to create new works, less than 5 minutes long, while observing social distancing guidelines.Catch them on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (@worksandprocess) every Sunday and Monday at 7:30pm Definitely a source of ideas and inspiration
It is your commitment and good will that has kept area hospitals from being completely overwhelmed by Covid-19 patients. THANK YOU for treasuring our bodies and our health — and protecting our neighbors and community.
And Ramadan Mubarak to those of you who are observing the holy month.