It is with a heavy heart that we hereby announce that the festival Uma Obscura will not be held 3-5 April. We hope to be able reschedule and ask for your patience as we consider our options along with each and everyone involved.
We have all been hard at work to prepare for a spectacular celebration of the subcultural arts this spring and this has been a tough decision for us to make. Nonetheless, it is the only viable option. Although we do not (yet) fall under the regulations currently limiting events, a substantial portion of our performing acts will most likely not be able to attend and if we were to hold the festival under these circumstances, it would not be the festival we planned for.
The spread of the Corona virus is currently affecting people from all over the world, in a myriad of ways and to an extent that we cannot yet properly gauge. One vital purpose of culture is to have different people meet and engage. In a time where people are now discouraged from meeting each other, culture will be heavily impacted – perhaps moreso from the cure than the disease. The actions taken by Swedish government are to protect public health and we will support the collective effort to reduce the damage done by the virus.
However, culture has another vital purpose and it is to inspire hope in humanity. This is the mission we will never abandon. Whether there will be an Uma Obscura later this year or not, rest assured that the heart of the festival will continue to beat to the sound of what is wondrous and dark, the macabre and beautiful, and to every other tone in the diverse orchestra of alternative subcultures. Together with you, our dear audience, we will keep spirits high despite anything and everything.
We do not stand alone as a cultural event impacted by the spread of the Corona virus – several have cancelled or postponed their events before us and we expect even more to follow. The consequences will be dire and it is our hope, together with our fellow arrangers, that we will be supported throughout the crisis. Culture is not a luxury and it is not a triviality – it is a force on its own that breathes life into our bodies. Without it we would be only almost human.
Again – we do hope that we will be able to bring you Uma Obscura 2020 later this year and that it will be as close to our vision and your expectations as possible. For now, we would like to thank everyone for their work so far with the festival. Without the outstanding people rallying to the cause of this unique festival for alternative subcultures we would not even have a postponed festival to mourn.
We also wish to thank each and everyone of the artists who have shown great support and understanding throughout the process of trying to work out a solution to postpone the festival. We also thank all our partners and volonteers for their support and understanding. We stand together in firm resolution to try to make this edition of the festival reemerge.
Rest assured, we will keep you all updated on whether the festival is to be postponed or cancelled entirely. Our goal is to postpone the festival but there are many factors in play here, as you can imagine. We will also get back to everyone who has bought tickets with an option for a refund or – if we can postpone the festival – an option to keep your ticket. This may take a week or two.
Until then we ask you to lend us your patience and to pick up the pieces with us. Listen to the music you were looking forward to. See if the artists have published online any of the works you were dying to see. Find showcases of the dancers who were going to perform. Why not write them something supportive, or buy some of their artwork if possible? Above all, remember to let those fantastic creators know that you are finding comfort in them! They need you now as much as you need them.
Until we all meet again
With love,
Uma Obscura
