Uncertainty over lockdown prompts Fife jazz festival to move summer event online
Organisers of the Langtoun Jazz Festival say “lack of certainty” over pandemic restrictions mean they cannot plan ahead with confidence.
The event was scheduled to run from June 24-26, and all gigs will now take place online.
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Hide AdLast year, the festival staged some 36 performances via Facebook and Youtube and raised £343 in donations to Kirkcaldy Foodbank.
Grace Black, who leads the team behind it, said: “Everyone in the cultural industries has endured a desperate 12 months and it seems there is more hardship to come.
“Across the country many venues and performers have found ways of using social media to perform - but these outlets in no way make up for the loss of income from performing to audiences. “
The festival got £77,000 of Lottery funding in 2020 to support a new festival - in particular to support free community events within the programme.
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Hide AdGrace said: “The lack of any certainty beyond April gives the festival no basis for planning a live event.
“In England there are indicative dates for live performances and events in late May and June, but the Scottish Government has hinted strongly that it will take a more cautious approach.
“We understand this, but it means yet more hard times for performers.”
The intention for 2021 is that musicians will include payment links within their recorded performance to allow viewers to support them directly.
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Hide AdThe event is also likely to be on a smaller scale - full details will follow after the AGM in April