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Health & Safety

Introduction

Updated March 8, 2022

Muse Machine is excited about many creative opportunities planned for the year ahead! We will integrate protocols and guidance suggested by the CDC and the ODH alongside the protocols of schools and our arts partners to provide safe experiences for students, educators, the public and our staff. You will find our safety policies, optimized for each activity and venue, below.

Muse staff currently work and meet both remotely and on site, as situations dictate. Staff may be contacted most effectively via email (details here). Due to high COVID-19 transmission rates at this time, those at the Muse office will wear masks (including fully vaccinated people). 

Muse Machine will continue to consider the latest data and guidance as we create and inspire with safety as our priority. We look forward to providing exciting arts experiences that will help students, teachers and our community to create bonds of joy, hope and healing.

In-School Performances

Muse Machine will follow all school district protocols for health and hygiene. We highly recommend that all in-school artists follow recommended best practices for preventing the spread of coronavirus and other contagious diseases. Should an artist have a fever, productive cough, cold or other flu-like symptoms, Muse asks that they immediately notify the Secondary Schools Program Scheduler to reschedule upcoming performances. The following list outlines Muse’s expectations for: artists, schools and Muse staff.

Artists will:

• Wear a mask while traveling through the school (i.e., office, hallways) to the performance space. Artists will remain masked and maintain 6 feet of social distance around school staff and students.

• Not need to mask during the performance, unless by request of the school or district.

• Maintain 15 feet of distance between themselves and the audience

• Immediately notify your co-artists, school representative and the Secondary Schools Program Scheduler, and go home as soon as possible, if you begin to feel ill during a performance.

Schools will:

• Provide a clean performance space with at least 15 feet of distance between the artist and the audience.

• Share all relevant health and safety protocols with Muse staff ahead of the performance date.

Muse Machine will:

• Do our best to communicate school health and safety protocols to Artists ahead of your scheduled performance.

• Make every effort to reschedule canceled performances for a later available date, as outlined in the Service Contract.

Any extra precautions that in-school artists might choose to take — in addition to following school district guidelines required of visitors — is within their right as independent contractors to decide.

Out-of-School Performances

If any Muse Machine student member has a fever, productive cough, cold or other flu-like symptoms, Muse asks that they do not attend any out-of-school performance and immediately notify their Muse advisor. It is strongly advised they also consult with their physician.

Dayton Live has lifted its mask mandate for those attending performances. In Montgomery County, the community level is currently low and the CDC now advises mask wearing based on personal preference, informed by personal level of risk. Patrons are welcome to wear masks at Dayton Live’s performances or venues, but it is no longer required.

Please note one exception: Touring productions can also require that their own health and safety polices be observed. Only one upcoming show that is part of Muse Machine’s offerings has a mask mandate. All audience members attending Dear Evan Hansen are required to wear masks.

Dayton Live Health & Safety Q&A

If any student begins to feel ill during a performance, the student should notify their Muse advisor immediately (if they traveled with a school group). If they attended independently, they should go home as soon as possible and notify their Muse advisor at the next opportunity. Again, if any student experiences a fever, productive cough, cold or other flu-like symptoms, it is strongly advised they consult with their physician.

Preschool and Elementary Residencies

Muse Machine will continue providing transformative arts-integration experiences to PK-6th grades while remaining vigilant about safety practices to protect you and the communities we serve.

Muse Machine will follow all school district protocols for health and hygiene. We highly recommend that all Preschool & Elementary Program resident artists follow recommended best practices for preventing the spread of coronavirus and other contagious diseases. Should a resident artist have a fever, productive cough, cold or other flu-like symptoms, Muse Machine asks that they immediately notify Michael K. Lippert to reschedule upcoming arts-integration workshops and performances. The following list outlines Muse Machine’s expectations for participating resident artists, schools and Muse Machine staff.

Resident Artists will:

• Receive the full round of vaccination against COVID-19 prior to conducting in-person arts integration workshops.

• Wear a mask while traveling through the school (i.e., office, hallways) to the arts-integration workshop space. Resident artists will remain masked and maintain social distance around school staff and students.

• Immediately notify your Muse Machine Preschool & Elementary Program School Contact Person and Michael K. Lippert and go home as soon as possible if you begin to feel ill during a residency day.

• Immediately notify Michael K. Lippert if you test positive for COVID-19.

Schools will:

• Provide a clean workshop space with at least 6 feet of distance between the resident artist and the participating students and teachers.

• Share all relevant health and safety protocols with Michael K. Lippert and the resident artist ahead of the residency dates.

• Immediately notify Michael K. Lippert and the resident artist if they have been exposed to COVID-19 by school staff, faculty or students.

Muse Machine will:

• Communicate school health and safety protocols to the resident artists ahead of your scheduled residency.

• Assist all schools and resident artists to reschedule canceled residency dates as outlined in the Muse Machine Preschool & Elementary Program Contract.

• Immediately notify school personnel if a resident artist has tested positive for COVID-19.

Any extra precautions that resident artist might choose to take — in addition to following school district guidelines required of visitors — is within their right as independent contractors to decide.

Muse Machine Musical

To create a supportive and safe musical experience, all student members of the cast, orchestra, production assistants, adult creative team and adult volunteers must be vaccinated for COVID-19 (proof of vaccination required).

Those same people will wear masks in all public areas of the Metropolitan Arts Center, the Muse offices and the rehearsal studio. Performers will be unmasked while on stage during Victoria Theatre performances and at selected times during Victoria Theatre rehearsals.

Rehearsals will occur in our studio which (along with the Muse offices and the Victoria Theatre) now have the benefit newly improved air movement and filtration (see below). 

Prior to daily student arrival, Muse will use disinfectant spray on selected, commonly trafficked surfaces in the building (such as door handles and table tops).

Hand sanitizer will be provided in convenient locations on the third and fourth floors. It may be used at any time by participants and the creative team will require all participants to utilize the hand sanitizer and at specific times during rehearsals.

To minimize risk of illness, it is important to practice good hygiene habits, including proper hand washing and not touching one’s face

If any member of the company (including student performers, musicians, production assistants, adult creative team or volunteers) has a fever, productive cough, cold or other flu-like symptoms, Muse asks that they do not attend rehearsal and immediately notify the producer or rehearsal stage manager. It is strongly advised they also consult with their physician.

If anyone begins to feel ill during a rehearsal or volunteer session, immediately notify the producer or rehearsal stage manager, and go home as soon as possible. Again, if they begin to experience a fever, productive cough, cold or other flu-like symptoms, they must consult their physician.

Muse for Educators

To support a safe and welcoming experience for all guests at teacher programs in the Metropolitan Arts Center, Muse Machine will provide layers of protection at all indoor gatherings.

Muse staff will:

• Clean and disinfect the meeting room(s) before and after each gathering.

• Wear masks at all times in the Metropolitan Arts Center.

• Provide hand sanitizer and extra face masks at the door.

• Provide individually packaged food and beverage options and a separate eating area from the workshop space.

• Create increased space through altered room layouts for social distancing.

• Work with Public Health to conduct contact tracing as appropriate. 

Muse guests (teachers, artists, students, volunteers, etc.) will:

• Wear a mask inside the Metropolitan Arts Center.

• Sign in using the visitor management system.

• Maintain social distance as much as possible.

• Assess themselves for physical symptoms of illness and go home if they feel unwell.

Programs that occur anywhere in the Metropolitan Arts Center now have the benefit of newly improved air movement and filtration (see below). 

If anyone begins to feel ill during a program or receives a positive test result for COVID-19 after attending a Muse program, they should contact the program director as soon as possible. If they begin to experience a fever, productive cough, cold or other flu-like symptoms, they are encouraged to consult their physician.

Air Exchange and Filtration

We are delighted that our friends at Dayton Live have provided outstanding upgrades to the air exchange and filtration effectiveness across facilities, including performances venues and the Metropolitan Arts Center (home of the Muse Machine offices and studio). Spaces now experience five air exchanges per hour. MERV 13 filters and HEPA filters are both used to provide superior filtration. MERV 13 filters are rated to remove particles as small as 0.30-1.0 microns and are used to provide filtration in, for example, hospital inpatient care and general surgery. HEPA filters provide an even greater degree of filtration.