How to move your event online or tools for community building in a pandemic

Since we put our first poetry slam online on March 14th, I’ve been fielding questions on how to move other events online. I’m happy to share what I’ve been learning — included here are my suggestions and reflections.

Take stock

Do an inventory of your online presence by asking these questions:

Does your organization have a Facebook, an Instagram, and Twitter account? Where do you currently have the highest engagement rates online? When people talk to you about your online presence, what do they say to you or your team? How many followers do you have on each platform? Have you provided live content through any of these platforms before? How does the story or content you plan to share resonate now? Is there a medium that suits the content uniquely?

Even a simple reflection on these points can help you be strategic in taking your next steps. Decide on how much you will build on what you’ve already been doing and how much you will focus on trying something new.

Find a way to be of service

Find a way to be of service — there’s enough noise out there already and there’s enough high, quality, pre-recorded content on Netflix to last most of us awhile. The real-time updates of social media are designed to model a way of keeping in touch, through more organic, online, network-based social interactions. To the extent that these platforms model real-life interactions, while people are withdrawn from in-person, daily interactions — there’s an opportunity for helping to mitigate the mental health impacts of isolation.

Ask how can you be of service in this online space and try something new. See what feedback you get and adjust accordingly. None of us will do anything perfect the first time and so much of the world is in a time of trying something new. Be thoughtful and iterate your process as you innovate.

Zoom is the new place to socialize

Providing meaningful ways for your communities and friends to keep in touch is a public service at this time. We need to stay physically distant but that doesn’t necessarily mean that this has to be a time of social isolation. We have the tools to keep in touch.

I’ve been online over Zoom not only with the poetry communities I’m part of but also in more intimate spaces with my family of friends. I’ve held space as people cry. I’ve shared what’s new and tender for me. I’ve been on Zoom while writing about Zoom. I’ve seen Zoom used for beautiful cultural and artist moments, like Broadway reproductions that have hit me in the feels. We’re in a time of innovation and Zoom is one of our tools.

How do we socialize on Zoom? The use of a video interface allows for some of the nonverbal communication cues that make up an essential part of communicating. We all know that this doesn’t replace being in-person but for the time being this technology builds a bridge to our unknown future. It helps people keep in touch and build a sense of community.

Zoom has its privacy concerns, yet it had wide enough use to be a go-to place for video interaction in my circles. Somehow Zoom’s technology was more accessible, intuitive, and user friendly for many than what Google Hangouts, Skype, FaceTime, WhatsApp, FaceBook, and other platforms had developed as this pandemic hit. I’d love to see more debate about the merits and constraints of each of these platforms and information spelled out in plain language.

If your organization is hosting an event through Zoom, you can also broadcast it live to your social media accounts. Many of your followers and community members are already hanging out there. Stay connected with them. Social media users can take in the Zoom content you’re sharing via social media. Or you can invite them to join the Zoom audience — which allows for interaction with the event’s content and audience members, depending on how you’ve set up your permissions and settings.

Your physical space

Before you broadcast a show, panel, workshop, dance party, poetry reading, or gallery tour: be intentional. Think about how to set up your physical space for the broadcast. When you can, prepare and test your set up in advance with a friend or team member.

Natural lighting is best if you have access to it, but if not, bring all the lamps you have nearby and shine the light directly on what you intend to broadcast. If you have a microphone (from podcasting, perhaps) or camera (this could be your phone), consider using them to improve the quality of your audio, video, or both. We are not professional broadcasters and our audiences understand that, but your efforts go a long way. There will inevitably be glitches with the set up and internet and perhaps a family member or pet will pass by, or interrupt, and that’s part of the reality and new intimacy of these spaces.

The online space

Participation makes online events and gatherings engaging. Zoom’s chat function is helpful for real time notes and interactions. Audience members and participants can send questions. You can link to your website or a site like Paypal where people can make financial contributions.

If your internet connection isn’t strong or steady enough, turn off your video but keep your audio. If you are broadcasting, think about what your back up plan is if your internet fails. Can you have co-hosts online who can take over or keep the event going if your host’s connection drops?

Many people already find these spaces intuitive to use, including those who have been working remotely and most millennials and their younger cohorts. They know the rules of engagement and act accordingly.

Most people will use these platforms appropriately. Simple courtesies apply — like turning off your audio and video if you will be doing something distracting (ordering a pizza during an event) or inappropriate to share (using the washroom during a meeting). I’ve heard both of these examples over unmuted audio connections over the last month on Zoom calls and knew they were unintentional after a moment of confusion.

Unfortunately, others are misusing this technology by ‘Zoom-booming’. In a community gathering, collective management of the online space can go a long way to minimize and sometimes eliminate these kinds of disruptions. Moreover, it’s the job of the designers of these technologies to limit, or when possible eliminate, the impact of these disruptions. I’ve been wondering if there will be an Uber or Airbnb type mutual rating system developed for Zoom as it works to update it’s software to keep pace with the new reality of current real-time use and misuse.

There are things we can do while we wait for technical updates to be developed. Upgrade the app on your phone or computer regularly during this time of change. If you’re a host or co-host of an event, learn the applicable and useful shortcuts, like the mute all function, in case of disruptive participants.

In summary, build on what’s working to stay connected with your friends, family members, professional network, and other organizations online. Use these tools to help limit and prevent the kinds of social isolation that leads to devastating mental health outcomes. Work together to design new pathways for people to engage with your work and community. Share what you learn.

Community building matters

Community building matters — now and always. As the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s Jeffrey Beecher observes, we have yet to see how “these adapted skills and perspectives will change the live arts experience once we move freely from our homes.”

The ways that we innovate today can help to build the kind of world we want to live in after this pandemic subsides. Together we can work to build communities that are kind, creative, and inclusive. Accessibility now can help to ensure accessibility later. Let’s use the tools we have now to the best of their capacities.