Another event has been postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The National Black Theatre Festival announced on Tuesday (March 23) that the Winston-Salem event scheduled in August has been postponed a year, WFMY reports.
"Organizers evaluated the impact of COVID-19 on festival attendance and on the safety and comfort level of our staff, volunteers, artists, and patrons," said Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin, executive producer of the festival, produced by the North Carolina Black Repertory Company. "A decision was made that it wasn't best to produce an event of this size at this time."
According to WFMY, the festival is held every two years and showcases the top Black theatre companies from around the country and abroad during the event, which typically draws in around 65,000 people. In 2019, the festival held its biggest year ever and brought in more than $10 million for the Piedmont-Triad area.
Despite the phased reopening and easing restrictions across the state, organizers for the festival have decided to postpone the event until a hopefully safer time.
"The effects of the global pandemic make it impossible to present a festival of the caliber that our audiences have come to expect," said Hamlin. "The Planning Committee will continue ongoing preparations for next summer's festival.
The festival is now being planned for August 1-6 next year.
"We look forward to seeing everyone," said Hamlin. "We're saving a seat just for you in 2022."
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