Check out these upcoming and on-demand online classes related to safety planning and creative resilience.
Safety and Preparedness Planning
Looking for more free safety planning guidance? View recordings of past webinars on the Performing Arts Readiness (PAR) website for topics which include how to develop a safety plan, training for fire emergencies, crisis communications, and much more related to safety, preparedness, and resilience.
Severe weather preparedness
Made available for on-demand viewing for Event Safety Alliance members, the Severe Weather Summit is a four-part series of 90-minute videos, each dedicated to a specific topic of event severe weather planning.
The festivals in the Folk Alliance International’s 2021 Festival Safety Working Group all took this training and felt it provided valuable information for their staff, volunteers, and colleagues.
Where: Online
When: Available on demand
Cost: Free with ESA membership ($25 for individuals)
Introduction to Festival Safety: The Art of Mass Gatherings Approach
Embracing a whole community approach to safety and preparedness means helping event producers master the art of mass gatherings. Free registration required. Presented by Matthew Kowal and Molly North of Majestic Collaborations through Performing Arts Readiness.
Where: Online
When: January 27th at 12:30pm CST
Cost: Free, registration required
Disaster Response for Performing Arts Organizations
Emergency response can be a daunting prospect for performing arts organizations. This webinar will lay out the basic tenets of responding to an emergency including support organizations, working with vendors, and helpful resources for organization and planning. There will also be a brief introduction to the Incident Command System so that performing arts centers can work more seamlessly with their local first responders. Presented by Donia Conn through Performing Arts Readiness. Free registration required.
Where: Online
When: February 8th at 1:00pm CST
Cost: Free, registration required
Safety Skills Training
These skills-based online trainings may be helpful in building capacity among your volunteers and staff in designing and hosting safe events.
Event Safety Access
Presented by the Event Safety Alliance, this online entry-level safety awareness training program and competency credential was created specifically for those working in an event environment. It covers major safety concepts and awareness for event professionals and seeks to advance a cultural change in how safety is viewed and approached within the industry. Learn more or register at eventsafetyaccess.com
Where: Online
When: Available on demand
Cost: $9.95
You Are the Help Until the Help Arrives
A brief online training, useful for event volunteers and staff, on the steps to take in the event of a medical emergency. Transcript available in English and Spanish.
Where: Online
When: Available on demand
Cost: Free
Accessibility
Digital Accessibility Foundations
Presented by the Web Accessibility Initiative, this free online training program covers how to make websites and online digital media accessible. The self-paced curriculum takes about 16-20 hours to complete.
Where: Online
When: Available on demand
Cost: Free (can opt for a $99 certificate of completion)
Accessible Signage
What type of signs are covered by the ADA and ABA Standards? Which ones must be tactile? Are signs required where none are planned? This session will review the new bulletin and requirements for tactile signs, directional and information signs, required accessibility symbols, and pictograms. This webinar will include video remote interpreting (VRI) and real-time captioning.
This webinar is part of the free Accessibility Online training series!
Where: Online
When: Thursday, February 3, 2022 from 1:30-3:00pm CST
Cost: Free, registration required
Community Relationships
Community relationships are cultivated, not taught. If you’re excited about strengthening collaborations with other organizations, reach out and get involved!
One specific idea we think can help lead to a more resilient future of folk involves the contribution of skills, spaces, and resources that our industry can redeploy to support emergency response efforts in times of crisis. This can open up alternative grants and funding streams for organizations, and provide folk professionals with skills that serve two roles: look after their own festivals and audiences during normal operating seasons, and serve the broader community through jobs and volunteer roles during disaster response, or when venues and events are shuttered. It’s with this in mind that we’re sharing the below course:
Community Emergency Response Team Training
Designed specifically for participants based in the USA. This is a standardized 20-hour course which covers basic preparedness skills meant for people to be able to support their community in times of emergency. Topics include fire safety, disaster medical operations, light search and rescue, disaster psychology, and emergency response organization.
To find a CERT course, first search for training providers in your area and then search or contact them directly to find out about upcoming trainings.
If you’d like to learn more about the CERT program before registering, take the FEMA IS-317A on-demand training, a free roughly 2-hour online introduction to the program and curriculum.
Where: Various local program centers
When: Varies, must contact local training center
Cost: Typically free
Old Courses (Hidden)
Event Preparedness: Active Shooters and Hostile Activity at Your Venues
Presented by Emma Stuart through Performing Arts Readiness (PAR). A new addition to the PAR series, this webinar will cover the types of attacks to prepare for, as well as the training you should consider for your venues and staff. Free registration required.
Where: Online
When: Wednesday, November 17th at 1:00pm CST
Cost: Free, registration required
Health and Safety in the Performing Arts
Presented by Ellen Korpar through Performing Arts Readiness. This webinar covers how to ensure a safe and healthy environment by controlling for known and potential hazards associated within creative, artistic, and performance development. These risks can be minimized and controlled through proper training, equipment, and use of appropriate precautions, restrictions, and established safe-work practices. Free registration required.
Where: Online
When: Thursday, December 2nd at 1:00pm CST
Cost: Free, registration required
Emergency Planning for Performing Arts Organizations
Presented by Nicole Grabow, Director of Preventive Conservation, and Melissa Amundsen, Assistant Preventive Conservator at the Midwest Art Conservation Center. This 2-session course explains the essential components of an emergency plan, the types of safety risks to prepare for, as well as how to develop a plan and the training you should consider for your venues and staff. Each participant will be encouraged to complete a risk assessment and work on their emergency plan between the two sessions on which they can get feedback. Free registration required.
Where: Online
When: 2-part course: Monday, December 6th and 13th, both from 10am – 12pm CST
Cost: Free, registration required
This content was created as part of the Changing the Tune project, developed in partnership with Majestic Collaborations and made possible thanks to a grant from Performing Arts Readiness.


