In April 2021, as arts and cultural organizations slowly began to pivot from virtual and socially distant/ outdoor-only events, we raised the curtain on our Open Call column.
The idea was to offer Delaware’s many and diverse groups a stage from which to share with the community, in their own voices and photos, their roadmaps as they emerged from the worst of the pandemic.
There was a sense of relief and excitement, but also a ‘’brave new world’’ element and plenty of unknowns as we moved ahead together to navigate the next stages of the COVID-19 crisis.
Our Open Call column was launched online and in print on April 11, 2021, and most Sundays thereafter to be enjoyed over your morning coffee.
Here at Delaware Online/The News Journal, we anticipated a geyser of spring and summer season announcements, and certainly, Open Call has become a great place to get the word out about Delaware’s many exciting cultural offerings – theater, concert, ballet and opera seasons; exhibits and installations; new classes and programs and even new groups forming.
So far, the leaders of more than 30 of the First State’s arts and cultural institutions have taken us up on our offer, crafting columns that shared their programming highlights with audiences throughout our region.
More:Open Call: Historic Odessa takes inspiration from history … and beer
But much to our delight, Open Call has been about so much more than event announcements.
After all, planning and executing an engaging and vibrant season of offerings — or guiding an impactful educational or cultural program — is only a piece of what these organizations do.
The Open Call columns we offer weekly in this space have delved into some of the most crucial issues of our time – racial, LGBTQ, accessibility and social justice issues; the mental health crisis; the emotional and practical fallout of a global pandemic; the role cultural groups play in offsetting a reduction in arts education in the public school system; the need for Delaware’s cultural groups to think outside the box on programming and embrace collaboration to stay vital.
On our end, we have learned a lot from reading and sharing Open Call each week. We are also gratified by any role we’ve been able to play as Delaware’s cultural institutions work to become more inclusive and better positioned to serve a broader audience.
This column has inspired story ideas, to be sure, but it also keeps us thinking and helps us to understand the people of Delaware we work hard to engage those audiences better, too.
We welcome all Delaware cultural organizations, big and not-so-big, to continue to accept our invitation to hop on the Open Call stage and let us know what’s on your mind, whether that be an exciting new world premiere or a major institutional challenge, a new partnership or an outside-the-box initiative, a shift in mission or something else entirely.
And we want to use this opportunity, as we move towards the 2022-2023 arts season, to send out the call to groups who have yet to write an Open Call. We want to hear from you and are happy to send you the parameters for submitting a column soon.
More:Open Call: City Theater Company’s new season tells a story Wilmington wants to hear
As journalists, we recognize the important role artists, arts and cultural leaders play in making the Small Wonder a great place to call home. As the News Journal’s Audience Engagement Editor, I look forward to working together to reach underserved audiences throughout our state.
Thank you for accepting our Open Call.
To learn more about submitting an Open Call column for consideration, please email Audience Engagement Editor Tammy Paolino at tpaolino@gannett.com Open Call appears most Sundays.
