PerformANCE 3
CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL OF PERFORMING ARTS CARRYING ON DESPITE COVID, THANKS TO A GRANT FROM CAC
M
y fellow trustees and I were delighted to be chosen to receive a grant from the Trafford Memorial Fund.
The money helped us to pay for the extra costs of staging the 2021 Cheltenham Festival of Performing Arts during the COVID lockdown: hand sanitisers, face masks and visors, plastic screens, etc. It also greatly helped to minimise the financial loss that resulted from our decision not to charge admission, this year, to the parents, friends, and teachers of our young performers.
Despite having to reduce the number of spectators, the Festival provided the first opportunity for live, public, indoor performance in Cheltenham since the start of the COVID-19 lockdown. To ensure social distancing on stage, we had to limit this year’s Festival to solo performances only. However, more than 1400 performances of Dance, Music, and Speech & Drama took place over the twelve days and we received many messages of thanks and appreciation. The Trafford grant helped, hugely, to make the Festival happen and was greatly appreciated. Brian Harding, Hon Secretary, CFPA
Visit www.cheltenhamfestivalofperformingarts.co.uk
ROGER MATTHEWS a member of COS and exhibiting in this year's trail. www.cheltenhamopenstudios.org.uk
CHELTENHAM ARTS COUNCIL.CO.UK
