BY BENJAMIN MANDILE
Flushing residents starting to get cabin fever as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on are in luck as Flushing Town Hall has released a schedule for a series of live video activities for all ages.
While Flushing Town Hall is currently closed due to social distancing measures put in place — all public programs in May have already been postponed — they will have art education, Facebook Watch parties, a virtual tour and “community hangs”.
“Though we may find ourselves more physically isolated than usual, none of us is alone,” said Executive and Artistic Director Ellen Kodadek.
Those who previously purchased tickets to a postponed event are not out of luck, as tickets will be honored when the event is rescheduled and refunds are available by contacting the box office at boxoffice@flushingtownhall.org or by calling 463-7700 x222.
Global Arts for Global Kids will be held March 30 through April 3 starting at 2 p.m. local time, led by teaching artists and will culminate in a family matinee experience on Saturday. The online experience will give participants short music or dances and will be followed up by post-lesson activities on the Flushing Town Hall website.
The first week will feature artist Martin Vejarano and Columbian music, according to FTH.
Past shows held at the town hall will be streamed on Facebook Watch Tuesdays and Fridays at 7 p.m. local time, featuring music of all sorts including the Latin, jazz and world genres. The first “watch party” is expected to feature Spanglish Fly and the Mini-Klezmer AllStars led by Frank London.
Performances set as of March 31 include:
Week of March 30: Global Mashups 2019
3/31: Bollywood meets Global Roots Blues
4/3: Latin Boogaloo meets Klezmer
Week of April 6: Celebrate JAM Month with jazz music
4/7: Vince Giordano and The Nighthawks
4/10: The Brubeck Brothers
Week of April 13: Discover World Music
4/14: Kobo Town
4/17: Banda Magda
Week of April 30: Dance to South American Music
4/21: Inkhay & Rio Mira
4/24: La Patronal
Week of April 27: Clap to Asian Beat
4/28: Talavya + Punjabtronix from India
5/1: Light & Beat from Korea
Performances are free to view, but donations are welcome by those who are able and moved to contribute and can be made online or by mail in check made out to the Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts.
Community members wanting to stay connected to their neighbors can log on to the weekly “Zoom Community Hang” through the online video conferencing software. Each Thursday for the month of April a group video chat will be available to all members of the community at 1 p.m. local time.
Those interested must register for this event in advance at zoom.us/meeting/register/uZApc-2przMpa1a6Hjf_b11zKGB_POvz5w to recieve a confirmation email on how to join the meeting. Registration is only needed once to join all of the meetings.
History buffs are also in luck as FTH will be on tour via virtual access Thursday, April 2 for an hour long tour.
Sami Abu Shumays, deputy director of the cultural center in Queens will lead the tour via Zoom video conferencing to share “many of the secrets of Flushing Town Hall that were previously discovered by Untapped New York.” Shumays is also expected to perform a violin piece for those on the call.
Interested community members must register as an Untapped New York Insider and sign up for the talk on its website.
Members on the call will also have the opportunity to ask questions at the end of the tour.
