Artists bring music to the people after Ottawa protest shuts NAC

Trumpet player Karen Donnelly was eagerly anticipating the end of January — when restrictions would start to lift — to perform once again at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.

But when the truck convoy first rolled into town, she said she had no idea it would result in the continued closure of the arts centre for what has now been an additional three weeks.

"I was just so disheartened," said Donnelly, the principal trumpeter of the National Arts Centre Orchestra. 

Some city services and downtown businesses have remain closed since the start of the protest, including the NAC's neighbours — the Rideau Centre and city hall. 

All performances were initially cancelled from Feb. 7 to Feb. 13, with the NAC citing unsafe reopening conditions. On Feb. 11, the closure was extended until Feb. 20.

To Donnelly and her colleagues, this meant finding a creative way to continue playing music — both for the public and also for musicians locked in, itching to play.

"I had several hours of being pretty bummed out, and I just thought…if the people can't come to the NAC, the NAC should go to the people."

Donnelly rallied together cellist Rachel Mercer, violist Paul Casey and violinist and concertmaster of the NAC, Yosuke Kawaski for a recording session.

While they'd initially been considering performing at a mall or outdoors, Kawasaki said with the closest mall closed and the cold temperatures of last week, they turned to CBC to reach people.

The string trio gathered in Kawaski's kitchen with a mic balanced on a stainless steel pot to record. 

"It's just part of our mental health to just get together and play and and take care of each other that way," Kawaski said. 

So far, the trio has recorded two songs. One by Swedish composer Svante Henryson "Seclusive Song," debuted on CBC's All In A Day Tuesday.

The trio's second recorded song — Beethoven' String Trio Op. 9 No. 1 — will air on All In A Day on Wednesday. 

Protest affects art community

Donnelly and her orchestra colleagues aren't the only artists who were eager to return to in-person performance and thwarted by the ongoing protest.

In a public letter signed by ten art groups in the city, organizations said they've worked tirelessly and with limited resources to reach people digitally and to adapt spaces to changing health regulations during the pandemic.

They say now that restrictions have started to lift, the Freedom Convoy protest has limited their freedom to safely serve the community at a time when people need it most.

"This occupation has made us, the artists and culture community members, and our many, often vulnerable, neighbours feel unsafe and harassed," reads the statement.

It goes on to say that while arts organizations agree that pandemic has caused economic hardships and strained the community, following public health restrictions was the "right thing to do" for members of society who want to help keep Ottawa citizens safe and inspired. 

"We call on the organizers of the Freedom Convoy to end their occupation of Ottawa's downtown core immediately so that we can open our cultural organizations to a community in need."