Transmission is an original writing series reflecting on living during COVID-19
CBC Books will be commissioning original creative works reflecting on time, place, identity, community and purpose in an era of COVID-19. The theme of the series is Transmission.
Transmission, according to the dictionary, has two meanings:
- the action or process of transmitting something or the state of being transmitted
- the act or process by which something is spread or passed from one person or thing to another
The series launched in late April. Participating authors will include Casey Plett, Kaie Kellough, Brian Brett and Gary Barwin. More participants will be announced at a later date.
Works will be a variety of fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction.
Read all the pieces in the Transmission series:
- On Doomsday Anthems by Joshua Whitehead
- Crosstrees by Christy Ann Conlin
- I'm Writing by Zalika Reid-Benta
- Quarantine Days by Iain Reid
Transmission is part of the Art Uncontained initiative from CBC Arts. Art Uncontained offers inspiration for audiences and support to the Canadian artistic community in these unprecedented times.
Other projects that will be part of Art Uncontained include:
- Digital showcase of a selection of projects supported by the Digital Originals fund in partnership with the Canada Council for the Arts
- CBC Podcasts' PlayMe: The Show Must Go On, featuring adaptations from Canadian playwrights whose projects have been disrupted by the pandemic
- COVID Residencies, video diaries from artists sharing how isolation has affected their art
- Pandemic Diaries, personal essays from writers and artists reflecting on how they're coping with the crisis
- Provocative original theatre from the National Theatre School of Canada's Art Apart program, which supports young and emerging Canadian theatre artists
- Scenes From An Exhibition, offering exclusive virtual tours of Canada's finest galleries and museums
- CBC Music's Quarantunes, highlighting Canadian music created in isolation; Great Canadian Singalong, a virtual singalong to Blue Rodeo's Lost Together; Inside Voices, a collaboration with CBC Kids and a professional vocal coach; and regularly updated music listings of live streams from Canadian musicians
- CBC Podcasts' The Quarantine Chronicles, featuring new, original audio dramas exploring the limits of lockdown
- A COVID-19 resource list for artists and freelancers and weekly virtual arts listings to help people explore culture from home
CBC is also launching a Digital Originals initiative, which will allow artists to apply for up to $5,000 in funding for a project. Approximately 200 projects will be funded and CBC/Radio-Canada will highlight select projects. Artists interested in applying can do so on the Canada Council for the Arts website.
CBC Books has also partnered with the National Arts Centre for #CanadaPerforms, an initiative designed to support artists during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Artists, including actors, dancers, musicians and children's entertainers, share their work online through live streams on social media and are supported financially through a relief fund. You can see a listing of all the literary #CanadaPerforms events here.
