Why Community Matters in Ridgefield: Meet Katie Diamond

 

Why Community Matters

Local creativity is overflowing in communities as moms, dads, small business owners, nonprofit leaders and volunteers are finding new ways to communicate in this new world of social isolation. Their coping strategies and ingenuity are beyond inspiring! 

We are proud to introduce you to these innovators in “Why CommunityMatters”, a series made possible by LIFEWTR.

Meet Katie Diamond, founder of ACT of Connecticut, Broadway performer, and busy mom

With the new norm of practicing social distancing, how are you finding creative ways to connect with family and friends?

Connecting with friends and family is so important during this period of isolation. Our niece turned one last week so my sister-in-law threw a virtual birthday party on Zoom which was so fun! She mailed a box of party supplies ahead of time, which included balloons, party crowns, and individually packaged cupcakes. We all set up the party in our own homes and then partied "together" to celebrate the birthday girl. So much fun! 

If you are a parent, have you found creative ways to engage kids at home?

It's amazing how full my days are with just cooking meals for 6 people and cleaning my house! I've been joking with my mom that I feel like I've been thrown back into the 1950s. But I've actually had a lot of fun baking! It's something I don't normally have time for, so it's been a fun and creative outlet. Cakes, muffins, cookies... you name it! I'm planning on making a pie next. And yes, this definitely means I'll be gaining the #quarantine15. Don't judge me! 

Aside from the daily art projects, reading, and "Just Dance" competitions on Nintendo, our family has decided that we need a weekly party to get us through! It helps us to have something to plan for and get excited about. Each week has a different theme, with costumes and decorations too! The first week's party theme was "Princess Ball", week two was "Disco", and this week we're planning our "Mario Brothers" party.

Do you know of any local businesses or nonprofits innovating to serve communities during this difficult time? How?

Although this situation is incredibly challenging for all businesses and non-profits, it has been an interesting lesson in creativity and thinking "outside of the box"! At ACT, we started a program called "Ridgefield Streams" which will be a platform for arts organizations to stream content for their patrons. ACT and the Ridgefield Playhouse held a joint livestream event on Facebook last week with performances by seven local singers, including Stephen Schwartz. Over 30k people have watched the event so far, so we know there is a desire for this type of content! We will work on creating more events like this in the future, until we are up and running "live" again. 

We are also now offering virtual lessons in acting, voice, and conducting with ACT's artistic director, Daniel C. Levine, and ACT's resident music supervisor, Bryan Perri. Visit actofct.org for more info!

Learn more about local creative and ACT of Connecticut online here.

Community matters - now more than ever. We are thankful to LIFEWTR for helping us to connect and stay strong.

The views and opinions expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of HamletHub or LIFEWTR. 

R
Submitted by Ridgefield, CT

Become a Local Voice in Your Community!

HamletHub invites you to contribute stories, events, and more to keep your neighbors informed and connected.

Read Next