Today, 12th March 2020, two new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Northern Ireland, bringing the total to 20. We, like you, have been tracking the progress of the virus and its potential impact on our work. As you know, your school/community association has been taking part in one of our programmes (the Community Engagement Programme of Landmarks, Trash Fashion, This is Me, Side by Side, Masque) or Poetry in Motion for Schools/Community and whilst we are anticipating:
- the Community Celebration on 21st March in St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast and
- the Poetry in Motion schools gala on 25th March 25th in the Ulster Hall, Belfast and
- the Vision Anthology Launch in the Heaney Homeplace, Bellaghy on 15th March, featuring the Seamus Heaney Awards,
that all will still to go ahead, we are also all too aware that circumstances are changing by the day, sometimes by the hour.
We will take whatever decisions are necessary to maintain the health and welfare of our participants, staff, facilitators, audiences and volunteers, and to comply with public health guidance and directives. At present that guidance has not ruled out events like those we are due to host in the coming weeks but that may be likely to change.
We will communicate with you in hopefully a timely manner so that disruption can be minimised and we will endeavour to programme alternative dates, venues or programmes soon thereafter so that events are merely postponed until sufficient levels of public health and safety can be assured.
In the meantime, I would ask that you maintain communication with us and also alert us to any change of circumstances for your group, or school.
Take care
Conor Shields
CEO Community Arts Partnership
