May 3, 2021 - Monday
Yesterday was the start of Canadian Children’s Book Week May 2 - 8, 2021. Normally, I would be blogging about last minute packing, rushing to get to an airport and all that good stuff that goes into a tour. Sadly, that is not the case this year. No one is travelling anywhere except by Zoom or Microsoft Teams. We check in ten minutes before a gig, and when we end a session we all go back to our normal lives. Boy, things sure have changed since my first tour in 2013 to Alberta.
What does a virtual tour look like, you ask? Read on to learn more about my upcoming experience which has been condensed into two days of work, no jet lag, no hotels, no taxi drivers shuttling me around from school to school. There won't even be lunch with the storyteller this time around.
I will be telling stories virtually to students who may be participating from their homes in Ontario via their school or library, and in the Yukon where I believe the students are in their classroom. Just a few of the numerous hurdles and challenges schools and organizers of this event have had to overcome during the Corona Virus Pandemic of 2020-21.
Thank you to the Canadian Children’s Book Centre and all of their amazing staff who have coordinated this online tour for me. Your video message wishing us all a fantastic tour was very much appreciated, as well as the online technical webinar. A big shout out to Storytellers of Canada for once again selecting me to not only tour, but to represent them in this first ever virtual context. As well as a heartfelt thank you to all of the incredible funders who help support artists interacting with students in this new technological capacity.
Over the past few weeks I have been corresponding with contacts from each school and library. Thinking about my own virtual set up including lighting to provide the students with the best possible experience.
Last week I participated in a number of virtual meetings with each host tech team to check for lighting, audio quality, and most importantly to put a face to the people who are inviting me into their space. I have one more meeting tomorrow and then the touring will begin. It has been a lot of fun and everyone has been incredibly welcoming thus far.
HAPPY TOURING to all of the other authors, illustrators and storytellers who are on this fabulous journey from the comfort of their home and computer space. Each and everyone of us will be visiting our own designated schools and libraries from coast to coast to coast!!!
Talk about journeys unfolding in every virtual sense across this great Canadian country in one designated week devoted to written, visual, and oral language!!!!!
