The Covid-19 pandemic is a huge cultural phenomenon. It has radically modified habitual ways of life, relationships with the social environment as well as ways of entertaining, accessing information and spending time.
Public shows were the first to be canceled and will surely be the last to resume. In Panama, festivals in the interior, performances at the National Theater, artistic expressions on the streets are on hiatus until further notice.
Panama, Abundance of Digital Opportunities
Although the situation we are living has hit all the links of cultural expressions, a great number of cultural achievements are beginning to be explored that are being generated in the country virtually. It is no longer theaters, stadiums or museums that host musical performances or art shows, but rather Instagram, Google, YouTubeand Facebook.
The pandemic is incresasing the virtual projects of institutions such as the Ministry of Culture (MiCultura) that is making an effort to organize live concerts with no audience at the National Theater with local singers, musical groups, plays and dances. These are broadcast by government television SerTV and digital platforms. Artistic expressions that previously would have an audience limited to the capacity of the venue and that now, in this situation, expands to thousands of people who have a mobile device, laptop or computer. Surely increasing Internet access well above pre-pandemic levels.
Likewise, there are now numerous virtual learning workshops where people can learn about the jewels of the skirt, music with Danilo Pérez or the Tambor Chorrerano (local drum from Chorrera, West Panama Province) with Nadiel Ruíz, as well as enjoying dramatic reading and art exhibitions by various painters. There are also webinars, digital reading clubs, plays for small connected audiences, digital libraries, most at no cost to the public.
Traditional and Technological Coexistence
Technologies have always proposed new areas of arts and culture. Therefore, in post-pandemic, even more creative relationships will be created between the two worlds. What will exist in the coming years will be a necessary coexistence between traditional modes of cultural broadcast and new technological platforms. An abundance of cooperative cultural initiatives that, even, already have their own digital archives.
The music has shown great flexibility, a condition of original adaptation. Panamanian artists of international caliber such as Rubén Blades and Joey Montana will have concerts broadcast on both traditional television and digital platforms. This cooperation between both platforms also leads to music festivals with national and international artists, bringing these artistic expressions closer to the general public.
The world changes and the way of expressing our culture will continue to evolve in the face of the challenges to which the pandemic exposes us. The only sure thing is that as humans we will continue to look for ways to be in contact and express ourselves.
