Festivals Stand Across Europe
In a very short space of time, the spread of Coronavirus/COVID-19 has put the whole world in an extraordinary and worrisome situation. A situation that we handle best by not doing what would otherwise seem like the most human thing to do when the world is against us – getting together. Instead, we must now keep our distance to each other. We must take care of our community by not being together.
As festivals, we know what community means to people. We are behind events that, if anything, are a celebration of life and togetherness. Every summer, we stand face to face with the difference that the community does for the individual and for all people. And we see the importance of music, art, and culture in this context.
As festival organisers we take the current situation very seriously.
We are monitoring the situation closely, and we are all, as always, cooperating closely with the authorities and the emergency services to ensure the best and safest environment for the festival community. We share experiences and knowledge with each other. We stand united.
Viewed in the light of these facts and with the knowledge that we have, we shall continue monitoring the current global health situation throughout the next weeks, and we shall together inform about any further decisions in this matter. Nevertheless, we all expect to carry through our festivals this summer. We will stand united to make it a safe and sound experience for our participants and the outside world. It’s about taking responsibility for the events – and it’s about taking responsibility for the industry we’re part of.
It’s an industry in which we, as major festivals, are the final part of a food chain where the smaller players – the artists, the venues, sound and light production and many more – are already suffering from the serious situation we are in. They suffer so much that they may not be able to recover if they are not given the opportunity to be a part of festivals like ours.
By carrying through our festivals this summer, we can be a crucial part of the survival of this industry.
We owe it to the community, the music, the art and the culture to assume responsibility together!
Ola Krakowska – Alter Art
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