An Update from MAYK

Dear Friend,

We hope you are doing okay in this strange and challenging time. It's hard for us all to feel so disconnected.

We wanted to update you on how MAYK is responding to the Covid-19 crisis. In mid-March, we closed our office and cancelled or postponed all our performances for the foreseeable future. We feel that absence most in Mayfest of course – a programme that we were so proud of. It’s also true that the process of bringing together that extraordinary collection of experiences gives us the spirit to plough on and consider new unchartered territories. How do these stories continue to be told? How do we best support our artist community; the bedrock of everything we do? And how do we be brave and work with integrity at this time?

In tangible terms, we're looking at how we will share some of those Mayfest projects with you in the future. And how we can mark the festival that never was this year (more on that soon). So as we take the necessary steps to safeguard our employees, our community of artists and our city, we are working hard from our homes individually and together online.

The focus of our work now is on the longer-term health of our organisation, and on continuing to hold structures that support and champion the brilliant artists that are part of the MAYK family. Plans are still afoot to premiere Raquel Meseguer's beautiful A Crash Course in Cloudspotting in Bristol, and for that to be the catalyst for ongoing international touring. And Verity Standen's intoxicating Undersong will also be in Bristol and across the country as soon as it feels safe to do so.

We mention these specifically because they are two of the projects that we had announced were happening in Bristol in the next few months. A lot of the work we do has always been unseen, and so as ever we are developing new projects with Still House, Sleepdogs and more.

But everything is shaken up. We are taking things a little more slowly. Prioritising care and building resilience for the future. It has never felt more important to listen.

Please get in touch if you want to know more about what we are doing, or want to share some thoughts. We'd love to hear from you, our brilliant audience.

We are right here.

Stay safe and strong. And if you are a key worker, thank you for everything you are doing.

Kate and Matthew