The future of one of Harrogate’s leading cultural programmes is in the balance after coronavirus forced organisers to cancel an entire season of events. 

Harrogate International Festivals has called off its renowned Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival and popular Spiegeltent, as well as numerous outdoor theatre and community events set to run through the summer. 

Instead, it is setting up an online resource to share some of its work with people at home. 

In a statement, the organisation said: “As a not-for-profit arts charity, we are reliant on our events programme and ticket income, alongside sponsor support and donor philanthropy, and so the cancellation of our main season has huge financial implications that place the future of our Festivals at risk.  

“But despite the unprecedented challenge we now face, our mission to bring immersive and moving cultural experiences to as many people as possible remains unchanged.” 

Although the festivals will not be going ahead, the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award will still be announced in July, with nominated authors set to give online interviews. HIF Player, meanwhile, will be a free online hub of archive performances, educational material and activities for families to use at home. 

The statement concluded:

“Art and culture help us understand what it means to be human and how to make sense of life, and festivals are a vital part of this ecology. When this troubling time passes, we will need – more than ever – the transformative power of the arts to bring communities together, to inspire hope, to lift spirits and change lives.”