To all our artists, families and support people
We have been missing you.
It has been great to keep in touch through Zoom and phone calls with some of you and we hope that you are all keeping well and making great art during the lockdown.
Now that we have reached Level 2, Mapura Studio will begin offering classes in the studio beginning in the week of Monday 25 May.
It will be a slow and gradual start and we will contact everyone to discuss options and issues.
Initially there will be only a few studio classes offered.
The plan is to continue to offer Zoom sessions to those who are unable or not ready to return to the studio. These will be held during the actual class taking place in the studio at the normal session time. We’ll give you all the details at a later stage.
More classes will come on stream gradually – we’ll let you know as it happens.
These are worrying times and we have introduced new protocols for the way we can operate in the studio.
It is important that you read and understand these.
We have put these protocols in place in accordance with guidance from the Ministry of Health, so if their advice changes or we find that we need to adjust something, we’ll update these protocols and let you know of the change.
I am attaching below our Covid 19 Health and Safety plan – please read it.
We will be maintaining a 2m social distancing policy at this stage of Level 2 and the studio will be marked out to show safe distancing. There will be one table per artist and nothing will be shared.
Also please note we will not be offering any refreshments – you’ll need to bring your own water bottle.
Fees;
We won’t be charging any fees for group classes for the rest of term 2.
We closed down with 3 weeks of the first term left. So the balance of those fees will go to help cover our costs during term 2 which runs until 3 July.
But please, if you haven’t yet paid your term 1 invoice, we’d be grateful if you could attend to it soon.
We know that some of you will not be able to come back yet or do not feel ready, that is fine.
We all need to look after ourselves and do what is best.
Alex will be calling you all to chat about how you feel, whether you want to come back yet and any concerns you might have.
She’ll also talk to you about whether you have any underlying health conditions that might mean you can’t yet return even if you want to, or any personal needs that may need you’ll have to have a support person with you in the studio.
If you have any concerns or questions, please don’t hesitate to get on touch with:
Diana – Director, e. diana@mapurastudios.org.nz, t 0212418975
Alex – Student Liaison Officer, e alex@mapurastudios.org.nz t. 0220454391
Sacha – Studio Coordinator, e sachaarmel@hotmail.com t. 021332192
Diana McPherson
Director
15 May 2020
Information for Students
To ensure that you feel safe at Mapura we are putting the following studio guidelines in place.
These guidelines are constantly reviewed in accordance with the latest Ministry of Health recommendations and government requirements.
Health:
Please do not come in if you are sick or if anyone in your community/home is sick. Do not be offended if we ask you to leave. You will need to stay away until you or others in your community are well.
Mapura staff are required to enforce this provision.
If you have an underlying health condition, you should not return to the studio initially. We will check with you when we call you to ensure that people who are particularly vulnerable, wait until the time is appropriate to return.
Sanitisation: You and your support person must wash your hands on entry to the studio. There will also be hand sanitiser on the tables for your use if required. But W.H.O. advice is that the best defence to Covid19 is washing your hands.
Mapura staff will clean and sanitise all surfaces between classes
Social Distancing: Tables and areas will be marked out in the studio to ensure that strict social distancing can be maintained. Mapura will be adopting a 2 metre distancing policy at this stage of level 2. It is however, also your responsibility and that of your support person to keep within the guidelines. Support people must stay within the bubble of their own artist.
Entry to the studio will be through the main double doors only
You may need to wait with your driver in the vehicle until entrance doors are clear.
Contact Tracing: Everybody coming in to the studio must sign in on arrival. Artists will need to be marked off on the roll at the door.
We will no longer be supplying tea, coffee and biscuits at this stage. Please bring your own water bottle.
We will be separating tools and media between classes, making small packages of materials for students to use, so that there is no communal usage.
You may also be asked to bring your own dry media to work with initially. Tutors will advise. This is to limit the sharing of common materials.
Artists who have personal needs e.g. toileting, seizures. which may require close contact will be contacted, as they will need to have a support person with them or consider if they should remain at home for longer. Mapura staff will not be able to attend to such needs.
Some Mapura staff may wear PPE but it is not mandatory for them to do so.
PPE, disposable masks and gloves supplied for students if they would like.
14 May 2020
