WinterFest continues to raise spirits after event's success

The month-long music and arts festival has been hailed a triumph in the face of adversity with a total of 22 online events attracting more than 18,000 viewers.

People from 26 countries across the globe enjoyed the festival’s free events and donations made have reached almost £2,000.

The money raised will be shared between WinterFest’s Wellbeing Fund, which helps people in Brightlingsea and the mental health charity, Mid and North East Essex Mind.

Dave Griffiths, co-founder of WinterFest, said: “We didn’t think we were going to be able to do anything for the 2021 WinterFest because of Covid restrictions but we ended up doing loads, a truly great outcome given the awful year this has been.

“The pandemic forced us to use streaming technology and we were all surprised by how effective and popular it was.

“In many cases far more people attended the events than would have been possible if we had held them at a physical venue.

“It was such a success we are planning to use the same technology next year, as well as conventional venues, even if social distancing rules have been relaxed.”

Dave Griffiths is helping to collate the book

Mr Griffiths, who is author of the Acme time-travel books, is turning his attention to a different genre for WinterFest’s Food for Thought book project, which he is collating.

He added: “Although this year’s WinterFest online events have finished, the Food for Thought book is still open for contributions.

“WinterFest is paying to publish the book featuring pieces by people about how they have dealt with the effects of living in a time of Covid. Contributions to date include favourite recipes, paintings and drawings by children, short stories and poems.

“We would like even more of these contributions and anyone can enter a submission. 

“Any profits from sales of the book will go to the WinterFest Wellbeing Fund.”

Email bseagriffs@gmail.com, marking the email Food for Thought.