DramaFest 2020 cancelled
It is with an incredibly heavy heart that Theatre Nova Scotia and the DramaFest Coordinating team have made the difficult decision to cancel DramaFest 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With our province locked in a State of Emergency, the announcement from the Premier on Monday that schools will be closed until at least May 1st, and an announcement from Dalhousie University that all events hosted by Dal are being suspended until June 1st, being able to make DramaFest happen this year is an insurmountable goal.
It goes without saying that both Theatre NS and the DramaFest Coordinators are devastated to have to make this decision, especially after such a successful year in 2019. We were all so looking forward to this year’s Festival, but it is not safe or responsible for us to host this event or put our students, teachers, or workshop leaders in such an environment. There will be no fees charged to any school or student who was originally registered to come.
We want to thank and acknowledge the amazing artists we had lined up for this year: our Company in Residence HEIST with their award-winning live action queer anime drag adventure The Princess Show, and our returning Morning Masterclass-Masters Hello City. We encourage you to check out both of these amazing and talented companies online and follow their work! (HEIST: https://www.facebook.com/liveheist/ ) (Hello City: https://www.facebook.com/hellocityimprov/ )
We also want to thank our teachers and our students. For your patience while we weighed our options and made this difficult decision, and for your commitment to this Festival. It was not that long ago when we had to cancel in 2016 during Work-to-Rule. It has been so heartbreaking to lose our Festival once again after working so hard towards a great 2020. Theatre Nova Scotia has already turned our attention to the planning of DramaFest 2021 – our committee will use our resources and creativity to consider a host of new and interesting ideas to determine our best options for an outstanding event next year. We will keep you posted.
For now, please stay safe and take care. Let us know if you have any questions.
Thank you so much and be well,
-Chelsea, Jake, Alex, and the team at Theatre Nova Scotia
