A few days ago, I came across a story from the folks at DOR that got me thinking. The text went something like this: “A year ago, at this time, yeast had already disappeared from stores and Romania reported 168 cases of coronavirus. Yes, in that order.” Little did we know what was about to happen. Little did we know that the world was going to change, and so were we.
When we announced that Jazz in the Park was not going to happen in 2020, apart from the obvious reality check, I changed my Facebook cover after 5 years. I admit, I have a favorite photo and a matching description: Being part of something big. Well, that big thing was suddenly postponed, and we were left with all the good plans and intentions.
Why is it necessary to have Jazz in the Park in 2021? For me, the answer is as simple as it can be: because we need it, we need a drop of normality (of course, adapted to the current rules of the game), we need such moments to take a break from this vicious circle of the pandemic. Sometimes we really need to stop and have beautiful experiences, not just numbers, reports, and cases. If not, I sincerely believe we’ll lose it.
And that’s precisely why we’re actively working on Jazz in the Park. A Jazz in the Park that’s different from what you’re used to, a festival where we want to bring the “in the park” vibe to the whole city. That’s how we thought and how we organized everything to be as safe as possible. Bottom line, we chose the locations in such a way that we can control the number of people present at the event. We chose the locations so that they are as natural and as unobtrusive as possible.
We have the experience of Jazz in the Park Tiny Version, and we know we have an excellent model of good practices. We have plans, hours of measurements, discussions with architects, health specialists, authorities, and research as much as possible. Basically, we have scenarios for most situations and we can adapt Jazz in the Park to each of them. I find it funny, but in 2021, hand sanitizers, thermometers, and markings for social distancing have become as basic as bars, toilets, or info points. And yes, we’re ready to do them all. That being said, “in the park” is a vibe and we’re gonna fight for it! Then, we’ll all see each other. I can’t wait!
#whatatimetobealive
