The Wellington Arts committee have announced after exhausting all options they have had to change the venue of this year's annual Arts and Sculpture Festival.
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On Monday, August 31, the event was dramatically impacted by changes to the COVID-19 restrictions.
Organisers can no longer deliver the sixth festival as originally planned at Hermitage Hill and have relocated the event to the Wellington Civic Centre.
In an email sent out on Friday, August 28, Wellington Arts president Lisa Thomas said the event is planned for the same dates and times, over September 5-6, but unfortunately will not have any of the original highlights planned.
"Over the past three days we have exhausted all options to find a venue where we can have the guest blacksmith, stalls and workshops, music and safely light fire buckets as previously planned but with such short time frames we do not have a location suitable to accommodate the entire festival," she said.
The event will now be scaled down to become an exhibition to provide an opportunity for artists and creators to professionally exhibit works.
"We are planning on providing a display for these larger items (sculptures and fire buckets) if they can be manhandled into the Civic Centre venue, and if they are too cumbersome then display them at secure businesses around Wellington town centre," Ms Thomas said.
ALSO MAKING NEWS:
There will be four workshops still providing lessons and will now either be in the Western Stores building, at 42 Swift Street, or on-farm for the stone dry wall building.
All workshops must be pre-booked with the tutors where the arrangements will be provided.
Go to www.wellingtonarts.org.au for booking workshops and making contact.
As planned on Sunday at 2pm, winners will be announced in all of the arts categories and the raffle prize.
Ms Thomas has urged the Wellington and wider community to continue fully supporting the event and appreciated the effort of all involved in making these necessary and safe changes.
"Our local and regional artists and creators have worked for months in preparation of the event and we wish to showcase these efforts by supporting them," she said.
