The Covid-19 lockdown challenged me to think differently about art in terms of community and mental health. On one level, apart from our safety, our self-isolation has granted us an invaluable opportunity for introspection and going back to basics, which are areas so often neglected in our busy lives. Yet with the uncertainty of how long this global lockdown will last, our and our loved ones well-being, and the short and long term instability it has on the economy which will impact our livelihoods, this can be a frustrating, stressful and anxious time for a great many of us.

In our isolation it has never been more important for us to know that we are not alone in our circumstances, and to be able to have the chance to hear and share our story with others, despite the lack of physical contact. Thereby it was with this philosophy in mind that I founded “We Are Not Alone”: an arts and culture community project that documents the voices of global artists/creatives of all ages and persuasions, in asking them to self-tape with a phone camera their answer to the following universal question:

Tell us about your life during the Covid-19 lock-down — how are you coping, what are you up to, and how is it affecting you and your art ?

Self-tapes are around the 1-5 minutes mark, and come in all shapes and sizes, from the specific to the elaborate, the glass half-full to the glass half-empty, ranging the personal and impersonal, our expectations, hopes, dreams, fears and anxieties. Furthermore, participants can also employ non-verbal forms of artistic expression, from playing a musical instrument to singing a song, spoken word, poetry and monologues, a sketch, a dance or even abstract art... the person decides their expression of voice.

Footage is then shared on the official Website, Instagram and Facebook during the timeline of this lock down. Further down the road, Elcid believes the aim will be to morph this initiative into a short film and interactive art installation that becomes a source of documentation of this extraordinary time, once the dark clouds of Covid-19 subside...

This is a still young and ongoing project that is open to further contribution, collaboration and elaboration, so if anyone wants to participate or have any other questions, you can reach me here or via info@crimsonblack.com