In-Person BORDERLIGHT FESTIVAL Postponement Announced

The 2021 BorderLight International Theatre + Fringe Festival has postponed its in-person programming, citing COVID-19-related concerns. The 2nd biennial summer theatre festival was to have occurred this July 22-24, 2021 as a large-scale hybrid outdoor and virtual event, with in-person programming to take place in downtown Cleveland.

According to a statement released by the BorderLight's co-founders and Board of Directors: "This decision is heart wrenching and was not taken lightly. While in many parts of the U.S. COVID-19 news is increasingly positive, there are still concerns that make a summer 2021 event challenging: low vaccination uptake across much of the Midwest, highly contagious emerging variants, which have been overwhelmingly impacting younger populations; and the effects of prolonged COVID-19 related border closures and travel restrictions on the festival's core international programming. All of this created a situation of uncertainty, leading to delays in planning, challenges in finalizing funding, and difficulties in contracting." The full statement is available here.

2021 virtual "fringe festival" programming will continue as planned, including 20+ interactive live streamed and on-demand virtual works, as well as self-guided audio events from local and international companies, to be accessed via BorderLight's website: www.borderlightcle.org

The new target for the festival's in-person return has been set for July 2022.