CHWA2020 coronavirus update [12 March 2020]
This is our conference update. For our full coronavirus resource, see here
With great reluctance, we have decided to postpone the #CHWA2020 conference. After discussions with our Board and colleagues in a variety of organisations over the last 24 hours, and we realise that encouraging people to travel and gather may be putting our delegates and speakers in a difficult position – particularly given that many of those attending may either be vulnerable to infection themselves, or be carers or health workers.
We are working on plans to re-stage the conference at Derby Museums at a later date, and also hope to arrange a series of digital events across the coming months. (If you have booked a ticket you should have received an email from us via Eventzilla but if not please do contact us for more information.)
Since we will not be able to do this next week, we would like to publicly acknowledge the enormous help and support we have had from all of our conference partners: Derby City Council, University of Derby, Derbyshire County Council, Arts Derbyshire, Derby Museums, QUAD, Baby People, Air Arts, LENS, Antony Fisher Photography and the Royal Society for Public Health. Thank you, too, to Arts Council England for their support for our work and this conference.
Our CHWA2020 Awards are currently in the process of being judged and we will arrange for an alternative way of celebrating the shortlists and winners as soon as possible. We will make further announcements as soon as a plan is in place!
[previous update: 11 March 2020 - now superceded by the update above]
We are planning to go ahead with our national conference in Derby this year, but we are monitoring government advice closely, and we are in touch with our colleagues at Derby City Council for local guidance. The government's action plan can be read here. Thus far only gatherings of over 1,000 are being treated with caution. Our conference will be 200 people max. Arts Council England also published guidance yesterday (10 March) that reflects this and clearly states that "At present there are no government ordered bans on live events, sporting or music events, public meetings or any other gatherings".
If we are forced to postpone following either a) a change in the government's advice, or b) on the advice of local authorities, we will offer you the choice of a refund (minus the Eventzilla fees) or keeping your ticket for a future date. We will endeavour to secure a new date as soon as possible in the future.
If you are presenting with any symptons of coronavirus or have had contact with anyone with the the virus, please do not attend the conference. Here is the NHS's information on symptoms and prevention. Unfortunately we will be unable to refund your ticket(s) in this situation. As stated on the Eventzilla page, cancellations cannot be accepted after 6 March 2020 – this is to allow us to make the necessary commitments to our caterers.