We were extremely saddened to read about the cancellation of our local festival, folk institution, the Cambridge Folk Festival. We entirely understand this would have been a very difficult decision. We ourselves have spent the past few weeks watching, waiting and discussing our options and the state of play with Burwell House, our committee and tutors.
As it stands there is no easy or simple answer to the question of this year. We have a number of factors on our side due to our size and timing. Unlike many other staples of the folk calendar, we are comparatively small, able to move quickly and can change plans easily. We have the potential options of creating a smaller, more intimate gathering should medical advice and government mandate allow. With this in mind we have taken the decision to temporarily "hibernate" Burwell Bash 2020 with the view to make a solid decision on whether or not to go ahead in May. For that reason we will not be taking any payments, as initially planned to happen in April.
This may appear to be blindly optimistic but we will not move forward this year if we cannot suitably safeguard everyone involved and do not want to create any undue risk. We will continue to monitor the situation, follow all government advice and abide by all rules pertaining to gatherings.