An announcement about hcmf// 2020

After many weeks of monitoring the circumstances and restrictions imposed by Covid-19, the hcmf// team and its Board of Trustees have reached the decision that it is not possible to produce our usual 10-day festival this November.

Whilst this is a huge disappointment to everyone involved with the festival, the safety and well-being of our staff, volunteers, artists and audiences – many of whom come to Huddersfield from across the UK and around the world – has been the primary consideration in reaching this decision. Taking into consideration our international programme and audience, travel restrictions, quarantine requirements and social distancing guidelines have also inevitably played a major part in our decision making.

In place of the 10-day festival, we are working on producing a variety of programming across a number of online and broadcast platforms, to take place during what would have been hcmf// 2020’s opening weekend (Friday 20 – Sunday 22 November). Further specific announcements about the programme will be made later in August.

In the meantime, we’re pleased to announce that the Israeli-American composer Chaya Czernowin, who we had announced as hcmf// Composer in Residence for 2020, has accepted the festival’s invitation to become Composer in Residence for hcmf// 2021. We’re looking forward to working with Chaya on a wide-ranging exploration of her work, including new commissions.

From when the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions were first introduced in March, hcmf// has been actively working with a number of partners to create opportunities for some of the artists and composers whose livelihoods were immediately devastated by cancelled concerts and events as well as by loss or cuts to funding and the inability to travel and collaborate. To date, we have awarded more than 20 commissions to both established and emerging artists.

hcmf// set up a COVID-19 fundraising project to help fund five £1,000 commissions for five UK-based artists to create a 15-minute work to be presented at a future edition of the festival. The open call for proposals attracted over 200 responses and you can find out about the successful artists here. In partnership with Riot Ensemble’s Zeitgeist initiative, we have commissioned solo works from six artists for members of The Riot Ensemble, which will be premiered online during hcmf// 2020 through Zeitgeist’s online space, with the first live performances at hcmf// 2021. You can read about the successful artists here.

Thank you for your support throughout the year so far. Though it won’t be hcmf// as usual, we look forward to sharing our alternative programme with you soon.

For more information visit https://hcmf.co.uk/an-announcement-about-hcmf-2020/