Goal: To provide internal equity in opportunities for both athletic as well as arts students, to have a mask optional policy while competing, and the allowance to compete in regional as well as statewide competitions for the FY22 school year and beyond. We ask our decision makers to:

1. Allow our students to perform/play and compete without masks as students can in sports (especially when social distancing is an option).
2. Allow our extracurricular activities in the arts to have parallel protocols to sports teams across the state.
3. Allow our students/student groups or teams to travel to regional as well as statewide competitions including but not limited to as VHSL, Virginia Thespians Festival, Virginia Theatre Association, Virginia Music Educators Association competitions (such as honors choir), Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association, Atlantic Indoor Association, Winter Guard International, Virginia Choral Directors Association, Bands of America, and other related competition events.
4. Consider equal opportunities for all of our students to participate fully in well-rounded extra curricular activities to help the mental health and well being of our students.

On September 22, 2021, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) released new guidance for performing arts. We are unsure why these came out since there has not been an ordinance from the governor since E0-79 and when the VDH put out guidance allowing recreational sports exemptions for athletics. Performing arts ARE athletic in nature as well, and deserve the same considerations. We have put together a proposal and this petition to have our voices heard, so our students of all disciplines, passions, interests, etc. can continue to have equal opportunities in our schools in the state of Virginia. Here is a one page version of the same proposal highlights.

Once again, as we saw the power of the people last spring. The more voices that contribute, the more likely we will see action. Sports programs in and out of schools often have maskless options as well as are permitted to travel to their statewide events. Even Physical Education classrooms in some districts have maskless options for indoor exercise. Performing arts programs include exercise too. Whether this is for the curricular or extracurricular component of performing arts programs, we are asking for the same considerations. "As of July 1, 2021, the State of Emergency declared in response to COVID-19 has expired and all Executive Orders imposing COVID-19 restrictions are either expired or terminated," according to the governor's website. So why are we here? Of course we should still take precautions, but why are performing arts being restricted again and again?

In performing arts across the state, we are already taking many other precautions. Some of these include but are not limited to students continuing to wear a mask in rehearsals and off the stage (playing field) when necessary, sanitization would still be carried out, and groups would minimize contact for players as well as patrons for performances or competitions. We are not asking for fully unrestricted activities, just exceptions for performing/competing like athletic programs are receiving right now. Students are partially adjudicated upon their expression, which is hindered by masks, and includes travel to participate in some of these adjudication opportunities.

We are asking for the OPTION, which we do not have currently across the state. Each district is determining their own guidance and the more the state restricts performing arts, the more each district will do so more drastically, and by the time the individual teacher has to make even more limited decisions, our performing arts programs will be on the brink of collapse. Keep performing arts in schools and advocate for equal opportunities for our students. Help us do this by signing the petition and sharing this out with as many others as possible. Our youth deserve the chance to present their work, pursue their passions, and compete in these statewide events fully for performing arts, sports, and other curricular/extracurricular programs in between. Even though we are back to school in person, many programs are already stretched thin and suffering with enrollment. If performing arts programs continue to be limited, we will see them slowly fade away from our schools, our communities, and our society. Help us save performing arts and ask for equal guidance from our statewide decision makers.