Our statement regarding the decision to postpone Light Up and surrounding activities

Karl Greenwood, Director of First Art said:

“It is with a heavy heart that we’ve taken the decision to postpone our plans for Light Up, due to take place in South Normanton, Leamington in Ashfield, Clay Cross and Bellamy Road in Mansfield between 16 – 19 December.

We have not taken this decision lightly as, since September, we have been working tirelessly with our partners to plan an ambitious activity to spread a little light across communities. However, with the rapidly evolving climate surrounding the pandemic and the ‘goalposts’ changing, we felt what we initially set out to achieve on a creative and community level was no longer possible so we took the tough decision to postpone the activity until the early part of next year.

Light Up is about celebrating a moment of togetherness in the local communities we work in and recognising what these communities do for people during times like those we’ve experienced during the pandemic. We wanted to bring a special shared moment for these communities at the end of what’s been a really tough year.

We know that some people will be disappointed but we just cannot take that risk. The safety of people and our staff is our main priority. We still plan to make Light Up happen in the New Year but clearly this decision is heavily influenced by what Covid-19 restrictions are in place in January and February 2021.

The decision also affects the announcement of the Shine a Light heroes activity planned to take place just before Christmas. Shine a Light is our way to find local heroes and thank them for all they have done for their community during Covid with a special shining surprise.

We will continue to work to find ways to make these projects happen in the coming months and details will be announced as they become available.”

Read more about what we have been planning.