All but a couple of spring and summer 2020 workshops have now been rescheduled to 2021. Scroll down to reach March 2021 to view new dates. All bookings have also been moved. There is no need to do anything unless you wish to cancel your booking in which case our normal Terms & Conditions apply.
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Months in the planning, our 2020 programme was our biggest ever. With so many of you setting your alarm clocks back in October in order to grab your places, we also had our highest ever level of advanced bookings. Only 5 weeks into the 2020 programme and this crisis has meant we were forced to stop 94 events going ahead and, with a heavy heart, disappoint over 700 customers.
SO, WHAT’S THE PLAN?
As the weeks have passed our worries about workshops have been dwarfed by the stress and suffering endured by so many and it has become clear just how unpredictable the future is going to be. Initially we thought we might reschedule workshops over the summer break when we are usually closed and working on the programme for next year. However, even if restrictions are lifted over the summer, there isn’t the time to check tutor and customers availability in order to reschedule and reach viable participation levels in this time-frame. Plus, we guess there will be many people you’d want to catch up with before us!
We are so sorry for this situation, but we are determined to deliver the workshops you have booked. Our plan now is to roll over the postponed workshops into roughly the same time-frame and, wherever possible, the same day of the week in 2021 – just like the 2020 Olympics and Glastonbury! We are already consulting with tutors and should be able to confirm arrangements over the next couple of weeks. Once this exercise is complete, the workshop dates will change on the website workshops page and all show as 2021.
We currently have everything crossed for the autumn season and hopefully, we’ll be able to go ahead with it as planned. As we can’t do much to influence this, we’re not going to worry about it for the moment! We’ll be back in touch over the summer as soon as things are clearer.
ARTISON’S SITUATION…
So, 2020 was to be our 10th Birthday – we think that might need to roll over to 2021 too… ArtisOn has been a labour of love for the two of us. From small beginnings with a handful of tutors running one workshop a day on Fridays and Saturdays, to 2020 with nearly 100 tutors and 250 different workshops a year. We became a not for profit business in 2015, we work on low margins and invest profits back into the facilities wherever we can, and we have never received any external funding. So, ArtisOn is personal and we were certainly ready to celebrate our 10 years!
Our focus now is on enabling ArtisOn to weather this crisis and make it to 2021 and beyond. Like all other small businesses in these unprecedented times, it won’t be possible without your support and in this case, your willingness to wait till 2021. We are currently attempting to balance many issues, but our priority is to ensure the cash reserves required to deliver your workshops next year, remain intact. To achieve this, we are currently mostly furloughed, but when the scheme ends in June, it is likely that we will take unpaid leave for most of the summer.
We’re still here but, once the rescheduling in done, this situation requires us to keep ArtisOn work to a minimum. If you need to contact us, we will get back to you, but your patience is appreciated in these unusual circumstances.
KEEPING BUSY
As well as keeping watch over ArtisOn, Sue and I have been helping Mashamshire Community Office adapt to the crisis and become a hub for information and volunteering in Masham. Our lovely sewing tutor, Claire Humphries, has also got us involved in the Sewing Yorkshire Scrubs scheme – we’ve helped recruit a band of sewing whizz’s who are sewing laundry bags and scrubs for The Friarage and Harrogate Hospitals plus local care homes. 350 sets of scrubs have been delivered to the Friarage already this week and ArtisOn is a collection point for competed work and donated fabric. Thank you to everyone involved.
Vanessa is keeping herself busy, subjecting Ian, her husband, to her many new food creations…we suspect he won’t be getting out of the door, even when it is unlocked! She has so far resisted requests from other people wanting to move in with them during lockdown!! …we’ll just have to keep asking 😊
If you’re short of something to fill your time during the lockdown, there are lots of online offering springing up. Here are a couple of options to look at:
Rural Arts in Thirsk have come up with RADISH (Rural Arts Daily Inspiration while Staying at Home) – daily ideas and inspiration you might like to try to keep your creative spark alight. More info here.
ArtisOn watercolour tutor, Ian Scott Massie has been beavering away during lock down adding to his collection of online painting courses. Click here for more information.
Thank you all for bearing with us in our attempt to ensure an arty crafty future for us all. We will be in touch again once we have 2021 dates firmed up. In the meantime, please stay safe and well.
Best wishes, Gaynor & Sue
P.S. THE AUTOMATED REMINDER EMAILS MAY CONTINUE FOR A FEW WEEKS AS WE HAVEN’T WORKED OUT HOW TO STOP THEM!! PLEASE IGNORE THEM…
