14 March 2020

Coronavirus updates re T'ai Chi classes

Great river and The T'ai Chi Centre students and friends, I do hope you are well and safe, wherever you are.

I am home to London 3 days early as I cancelled this weekend's Gothenburg sessions in consultation with the students, as the situation regarding public health advice in Sweden was changing very rapidly. I am very glad I made this choice as I do not wish anyone to get ill due to my lack of diligence. I miss the students and send you warmest greetings. BA price-gouged the flights and charged me a cool £550 to come home. Exploitation has many faces, sadly. Last month I arranged a few months sabbatical from teaching in Aberdeenshire, and now it seems I would have ghad to cancel the travel and workshops anyway due to outside forces. What strange times we live in.

I have been asked by a Swedish student to consider Skype sessions for those abroad and for those who have specific questions they would like to work on, or things they would like to see demonstrated. I will consider this all week and post something next weekend. I think given the current worldwide situation, this could be a good idea. I have not used Skype in this way before but I have enjoyed using Zoom, so watch this space, literally, and I will come up with something. I will also record any video clips students need and send them by Dropbox, just get in touch if there is something you need. My phone is perfectly good enough for this job. Flexibility is the movement of Tao, after all...

Mark's classes in London, and plan for the Summer and Autumn workshops are so far not changing, you are welcome to contact him if you have any questions.

My Tooting Lido classes will continue this week and I will ask the students if they would like to carry on weekly, or pause and resume after Easter break, as circumstances allow. The hall is hygienic, roomy and we all have plenty of space there. I provide hand gel and there are excellent hand wash facilities, so I am minded to turn up this week on 18th and see what folks think. We will however pause our study of partnerwork and continue with solo practice. There is plenty to be getting on with!

Lastly, spare of thought for the gig workers, including T'ai Chi teachers, artists, craftspeople, musicians, actors, workshop instructors and choir leaders, etc all around the world who teach and lead groups of people in person, and whose livelihoods are now very precarious. I am lucky, I have boat and lowish overheads, almost all my work is now cancelled, but I have plans in place, as I have always thought a situation like this would arise one day and prepared accordingly. The spring season is often the busiest time for makers and organisers of events, and suddenly this is all cancelled. If you are someone with a regular salary and and good healthcare, now is the time to be reaching out to friends whose work has dried up, and buying that vase from them you always wanted, or joining their Patreon, or booking a Skype lesson, and so on. I will be organising something in solidarity with my other self-employed friends over on my art life Instagram @foundandground and you are very welcome to have a look.

To all who read this, stay safe, check in with the vulnerable ,and be well. Get in touch any time.

Dance study, Part the Wild Horses Mane

Northern posse

No comments: