The challenge of this special edition Vision event, Healing Soul, is primarily in bringing together the power, the healing energy of music and poetry to people who rely on creativity to give them hope and a spiritual sustenance in this dark time. Our real challenge is how can we use art to create a more just and compassionate world. How can we uplift people?

The practical challenges lie in the logistics: how can we raise the funds necessary to pay artists as well as staff decently, with a staff that is working remotely and in some cases dealing with childcare. We had to bring onboard new staff who are helping AFA to move from live events to live streaming. This is essential if we are to serve our audiences as well as the artists. Most people are now primarily staying home in order to stay safe.

When creating a live in-person event, we are doing all that is necessary to ensure a safe environment for all concerned. These in-person live events are healing in themselves, as people need to share these incredible uplifting moments. Yet as most are still staying put and as our events serve people around the world, this same live in-person event must be streamed so that its healing force can be felt by people around the world.

Have you noticed any shifts in the way that artists are performing now that the usual audience format has changed?

The shift is in the feeling of commonality. This pandemic has to a certain extent equalised the scene as all are working less, and as tours have become nigh to impossible. It is compounded by the social unrest which in many instances has unified artists. However, I think that there is also some polarisation.

Artists are now almost exclusively performing online. However, taking advantage of the warmer weather some have found different venues to rehearse or perform outside, eg parking lots, backyards, rooftops, under highways or at demonstrations. But these gatherings are fewer than what was possible when venues were open. The paucity of opportunities to share their music has been a hardship on musicians. Some deal well with the isolation and others not so much.

Have you learnt anything new or surprising about the relationship between music and community through the events of the past months?

What is different now is that musicians and others involved in the world of this creative music seem to increasingly see that their community is more than the musicians with whom they collaborate, present or write about. As the world becomes more oppressive, we can all better understand our interdependency. Yet artists still tend to have their lone wolf personalities and needs as creative beings – but now, many artists are making moves beyond that, as they miss the kinship that they felt when playing with and for others, but also as they perceive that the social norms that we have all depended upon are crumbling.

Community and our interdependence has always been central to the work of Arts For Art and the Vision festival. AFA as a community, we are concerned about the music and art being visible and how it impacts the world around us, and we see that creativity is aligned to social justice and our sense of our own humanity.

Tickets for Vision Festival: Healing Soul livestream are available now.