Thank you for your support
It is with great sadness that we have had to close the doors of Brighton Dome and cancel Brighton Festival in light of the current climate. As you can imagine, this wasn’t an easy decision to make but something we felt was right for not only our audience but staff and artists involved.
Since sharing this difficult news, we have been inundated with kind messages and words from members of the public. We wanted to take this time to say thank you!
Thank you for your thoughts.
Thank you for reaching out with kind words.
Thank you for continuing to support the arts. Thank you from our CEO Andrew Comben:
The Arts and Culture sectors are going through a period of difficulty, as are other public venues. Most arts organisations, like ours, are charities, we are reliant on the talented artists who want to perform at our venue and the dedicated audiences who come along. With social-distancing and isolation becoming part of our day-to-day, how we keep the arts alive is changing. We are no longer able to pack the house out as we did before to share culture and creativity as a community! Now, we are relying on the support and kindness of the public to keep us going. In these dark moments, we want to create opportunities to keep the arts alive, we are working to find new digital ways to reach our audiences. And while we are hard at work with that, we are so grateful for all those who are quietly, or loudly, cheering us along. So far we have received a total donation of £2.5k from ticket purchases which shows the generosity of a community in need.
Below we have shared a few of our favourite words of encouragement that we’ve received in person, over email or on our social media platforms. This is our way of saying THANK YOU, to give a little back to you, and to keep those spirits high in these uncertain times.
We believe the arts inspire and change lives. And access to art for everyone is a universal human right. Now more than ever, art can lift our spirits, brighten our days and support our mental health. If you would like to see the ways to support Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival, take a look here.
We also want to say a special Thank You for those who have contributed directly over the past few days. Your generosity does not go unnoticed, we are blown away by your kindness.
A Special Thank You
Robert, Rachel and Trustees at The Chalk Cliff Trust
Mel at Amex
Susan at Rayne Foundation
Margaret Field at Nursing Association Trust
Thank You for your words of support
“Thank you for the email about sadly cancelling Brighton Festival. We currently live in very strange and worrying times. The term ‘uncharted waters ‘comes to mind.
I purchased tickets for 10 events - 2 tickets for each event. I would like very much to donate the money from these tickets to the Brighton Dome charity and therefore do not require a refund. I’ve listed below the events I booked to make it easier for you to correlate this with your system. Hope it helps.” – Valleri, via email
“Thoughts and thanks to everyone involved in what promised to be another incredible May jam-packed with arts and culture from around our city, country and globe. I hope everyone will support in whatever way they can, be it kind words, deeds or donations #brighton #arts #culture” – Dom, via Twitter
“So sorry to hear this but clearly the right decision in the circumstances - sending [love] to all involved, including the lovely people @brightfest who make it all happen. Fingers crossed that 2021 can be a vintage year!” Dan, via Twitter
“I am so gutted that @brightdome @brightfest 2020 has been cancelled. What a huge loss for everyone in the #Brighton area and the artists who come from all over the world.” Charlotta, via Twitter
“This is very sad news. What a devastating impact this virus is having. I am so sorry for you, for Andrew and all the team. I’m also sorry for us - the Festival is an important part of our lives and a focal moment of the year. Of course we will donate our ticket payments as donations. Please let me know if there’s any other way we can support you. Take care.” - Diane via email
“We had naturally feared this would happen and we are so sad for you and everyone who puts so much time and effort into making it such a wonderful and unique event. Please send our best to Andrew and the team and hope you all stay well. Beat wishes.” Julia & Jon, via email
“I knew this was inevitable but it is still a shock. So much effort goes into the planning of the Festival, it must be heart-breaking. I do feel for all the artists, musicians and performer whose livelihoods are disappearing event by event, venue by venue. Be assured of the support of those of us who love the Festival and admire all your work for it. Best wishes.” – Betty, via email
“It is a sad time for us all and I am sorry to hear that the Brighton Festival has been cancelled. As a supporter I would like to be of help and am donating the cost of all of my tickets to the Festival. Good luck. Best wishes.” – Helena, via email
“Brighton Festival is so important to the city, of which we are proud to be a part. We’re sending our support and love to the team and all the artists involved. We will be here for you when the Festival is back up and running - I know we will need you more than ever.” Steven Marshall-Taylor, Head of Senior School, Brighton College
This is a truly inspiring selection of the wonderful, local and national support that we feel here at Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival. We believe that the arts can help the individual, inspire new ways of thinking and build an encouraging community. If you are interested in supporting us do take a look at our donation page.
Again, Thank You.
