Coronavirus: Lewes Moving On parade to be ‘re-imagined’

Patina Lewes was due to hold the celebration, which marks year 6 primary school leavers’ transition to secondary school and into adolescence, on July 3.

The event, now in its 19th year, is the culmination of months of planning and fundraisers, with pupils working with the charity’s artists to create costumes and sculptures.

Patina Lewes director Caroline Croft says the charity is doing all it can to put contingency plans in place and that the 2020 event could run in September.

She said: “Moving On has become a local tradition and it marks a really important milestone for our young people.

“Participating gives them a sense of belonging and an understanding of the community support they have around them.

“We feel it is doubly important in anxious times like these to stick with the children, mark their transition and give them something really positive to focus on.

“We are doing all we can to re-imagine and re-engineer Moving On so that the children don’t miss out.”

In February, Patina Lewes announced that the title of this year’s parade would be We Are Making History with pupils to look to fashion trends from across the decades for inspiration.

Ms Croft says ‘everyone is really pulling together’ and that the trustees have committed reserves to the event, as its forthcoming fundraisers have been cancelled due to the pandemic.

The charity is also currently engaging with those due to take part in the parade through at-home art projects that it will bring together later in the year.

Ms Croft added: “Patina is about creativity and community. We want to give the children and the whole community something creative and positive to enjoy and be proud of.

“The class of 2020 have been looking forward to their moment and we won’t let them down.”

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