Stuart WoodBournemouth’s annual arts and culture festival, Arts by the Sea, will be going ahead in 2020 in a revised, Covid-friendly format.
Usually attracting crowds of over 100,000, the festival will take place with a reduced number of live physical events consisting of a handful of limited capacity, outdoor installations across Bournemouth Gardens and local beaches from Friday 25th September – Sunday 4th October.
The festival will host a larger than usual programme of online activity where workshops and livestreams will also become part of the new festival format, as it strives to meet government safety guidelines.
There will be a select number of walkthrough exhibits and outdoor installations, each with timed entry slots to manage capacities and social distancing. Advance, free tickets will also be required, which can be obtained via the Arts by the Sea website.
With limited capacities, these events will be augmented via digital broadcasts, meaning anyone not able to secure a ticket or unable to leave home can get involved online.
Festival Director and Cultural Development Manager at BCP Council Andrea Francis said: “I’m immensely proud of the festival team who have worked tirelessly to design a new, safe festival format. The programme this year provides opportunities to reflect, and time to come together after months of isolation and experience something truly magical, hopefully with members of your friends and family.”
Cllr. Mark Howell, Deputy Leader for Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council commented: “I am delighted that, despite the challenges of Covid-19, Arts by the Sea Festival will be taking place this year. The team have worked very hard to reconfigure the festival to allow the public to safely enjoy this annual celebration of artistic activity”.