Springtime is normally when arts organizations plan some of the biggest performances of their season. But as arts organizations all over the world have been forced to cancel or postpone these performances due to the spread of coronavirus, many of Nashville’s major arts institutions have taken the unusual step to issue a joint statement on social media.

In it, the groups—which include the Nashville Symphony, Nashville Ballet, Nashville Opera, OZ Arts Nashville, Nashville Children’s Theatre, Nashville Repertory Theatre, The Nashville Shakespeare Festival, Studio Tenn Theatre Company and Tennessee Performing Arts Center—ask for continued financial support and request that patrons reach out to government leaders to urge for legislation that provides relief resources for the local performing arts community.

And in an era when our lives increasingly move online, they also urge audiences to continue to connect through the arts from home until the end of this “unexpected intermission:”

We believe that the arts are a necessary part of life but especially in times like these when we turn to the arts to sustain us, entertain us, and help us make sense of the moment we find ourselves in.

We are a strong community and part of our strength is our innate desire to support one another and come together in times of crisis. Together, we will foster a spirit of strength and resilience.

You can read the full statement here.