ONE community in South East Cornwall is determined it won’t let the coronavirus get in the way of creativity.
With 72 classes to enter and more than 3,000 schedules sent out to local people, the Callington Virtual Show has something for everyone of all ages, talents and interests to take part in.
The show came about after Hilary Mackay of Beech Auctions saw choir rehearsals, club meetings and the usual shows being cancelled due to lockdown and social distancing rules.
‘When so many people were home with time on their hands, and more people creating and baking than ever, I felt this was a time for shows to grab the attention of potential new competitors for 2021 and the future,’ she said.
‘It seemed madness not to offer an alternative!’
Hilary, who has previously been heavily involved with the Town Forum and its online space, One Callington, has been concentrating recently on the Callington Foot Project. This initiative for young people, supported by a legacy from the Foot family to benefit those under-18 in the town, was just starting up as the pandemic began.
Hilary saw a chance to widen out the usual show categories to involve even more people and groups by going ‘virtual’.
The Callington Produce Show got on board and its committee chairman Margaret Lawrence will be a judge in the theatrical and poetry section.
Meanwhile, a raft of businesses and groups are supporting the online event, either by helping to organise, judging classes, donating prizes or all three.
You don’t have to live in Callington to enter, as the invitation is extended as far as Tavistock, Saltash, Liskeard and Launceston and villages inbetween. As well as traditional arts, crafts and produce classes, there’s cookery, music and singing, a pets section, and competitions to design a new mural for Callington, and to design a logo for the new Callington Foot Project.
Families can have fun entering a model making, self portrait or fancy dress class together, and there are categories for children and young people too.
Entries can be made by Facebook message (Callington Virtual Show 2020), email, post or on a memory stick and should be in by August 22.
Meanwhile, schedules are available from Spar in Callington or can be seen and downloaded at www.callington
footproject.org
After a request from the Town Council, and thanks to Ross Design and Print at Kit Hill, 3,000 schedules were printed, folded and delivered to the Town Hall to go out with the latest copy of the newsletter.