NECCA Needs your help!

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Dear friends, students, creators, and fans of circus:
These are strange times indeed. Usually, when times get tough, we come together to celebrate our art as a community. We see NECCA as our “happy place” and rely on the joy, celebration, and connection it adds to our lives!

But, the current Covid-19 pandemic prevents just that.

Classes have been suspended, programs cancelled, and the very connection that brings us such joy has been put on pause until further notice.

We here at NECCA know it is imperative to do our part in keeping our students and community safe by suspending operations. But, that doesn’t make it easy! We miss seeing our students every day and delighting in their joys and successes. We are counting down the minutes until we can be together in person again.

Meanwhile the financial hurdle we face due to this shut down is significant, to say the least. We are getting creative, as we always do, and tightening our belt and hunkering down to wait it out. We don’t know what it will look like when this threat has past, but you can play a significant part in making sure we are prepared. A donation now can help us spring back into action when the time comes.

YOU CAN HELP BY DONATING HERE (https://necenterforcircusarts.asapconnected.com/FundraisingCampaign.aspx?CampID=552)

Please consider making a donation and ensure that our students have NECCA to come back to and that our staff will be able to continue the joyous work of sharing circus with our community. Help us make sure that this “happy place” continues to be there for everyone when they need it. After the fear, anxiety, and isolation of covid-19 has passed, people will need to celebrate, create, move their bodies, and find joy with others more than ever! You can help make sure this is possible.

Thank you for your support in so many ways. Thank you for being our amazing community and our extended family. We wish you safety and comfort in this uncertain time. And we look forward to celebrating and creating with you once again soon.

In health and in circus,
The NECCA team

YOU CAN HELP BY DONATING HERE (https://necenterforcircusarts.asapconnected.com/FundraisingCampaign.aspx?CampID=552)

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Dear NECCA community,

We hope this finds you well and that you are enjoying the first signs of spring as much as we are. As you may know, here at NECCA we take safety seriously and are constantly examining the various ways we can help keep our students and community safe.

We wanted let you know the safety precautions we are taking around the covid-19 virus and provide you with some additional resources. We want to underscore that NECCA remains open, and that with proper precautions, you can continue to enjoy all the great things we have to offer. We’re still here to help you stretch, grow, leap, and fly!

What we are doing:
In accordance with CDC recommendations, we have increased the frequency and scope of disinfecting the space. We have also added to our cleaning staff and expanded the cleaning schedule.

To encourage people to stay home if they exhibits any signs of illness, we are temporarily waiving our cancellation policies so that any student who is sick can cancel a lesson, workshop, or class enrollment and be given a credit or refund (for illness only).

We are requiring our staff to stay home if they exhibit signs of sickness as well and have expanded our sick pay to make this possible for them.

Any students traveling to NECCA for auditions will have the option to audition remotely via video conferencing if they choose not to travel or are ill themselves.

We will continue to follow state and federal guidelines as they are updated and will inform our students if there is an interruption to a class or program at any point.

What you can do:

1. Stay home if you are sick! If you have a cough, sore throat, runny nose or fever or any cold or flu symptoms we encourage you to stay home and get the rest you need. Contact the reception staff about cancelling or rescheduling your class or lesson.
2. Stay home if anyone in your immediate household is sick as well.
3. Wash your hands often! (with soap and water for at least 20 seconds)
4. Avoid touching your face. (This is harder than it seems, but can help prevent the spread of illness)
5. If you have recently traveled to an area with a high rate of Covid-19, follow CDC and Department of Health guidelines (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/after-travel-precautions.html) for staying home and self-monitoring.

Additional resources:

• Vermont Department of Health (https://www.healthvermont.gov/response/infectious-disease/2019-novel-coronavirus) – Vermont updates and guidelines.
• CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html) – National information and recommendations.
• Brattleboro Memorial Hospital (https://www.bmhvt.org/coronavirus/) – General and local information.

If you are local to Brattleboro and are experiencing symptoms you can call 802-251-8777 to schedule a primary care appointment. Check with your insurance provider, as you may also use tele-health options such as “Dr on Demand” from home for guidance.

If you have any questions or concerns, you can reach out to us at info@necenterforcircusarts.org or at 802-254-9780.

Be well!
The NECCA Staff