Community groups across the borough are being invited to organise ‘watch along’ events to enable local residents to come together for a special Covid commemoration event being staged on Saturday 26 March.
The event, Commemoration – Remembering and Celebrating the Loves, Lives and Losses of the Last Two Years, is being developed by the Mercury Theatre in partnership with Colchester Borough Council. It will be staged between 7.30pm and 9.30pm, including a short interval.
The evening of songs, music, readings, poetry and special performances is being staged free of charge by the Mercury Theatre. There will also be performances from local groups and professionals.
It is designed to give people the chance to remember any loved ones they may have lost during the pandemic, as well as thanking those who helped support those suffering from Covid and the families of those who have been bereaved.
People from the emergency and frontline services as well as representatives from voluntary groups who played a key role in supporting Colchester residents through the pandemic are also being invited to attend the evening being staged at the Mercury.
However, the event is also going to be live streamed via Colchester Borough Council’s YouTube channel, Youtube.co.uk/ColchesterCBC, so as many people as possible can watch it. The show will also be live captioned for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
The council has written to a range of community groups and parish councils to encourage them to stage their own events in keeping with the commemoration feel and invite people from their local area to come together, get involved and watch it live.
For example, Colchester Borough Homes are already planning an event at Greenstead Community Centre for local residents to come together and watch the show. More information on this will follow shortly.
Events could either be planned to watch the show live or on another date as it will be available on the YouTube channel following the live performance.
If people don’t want to attend any of the locally organised events, they can watch the show from their own homes on the council’s YouTube channel.
Other special events are also being planned throughout the day around the Mercury Theatre to support the evening, which is being developed together with the High Steward of Colchester, Sir Bob Russell, The Bishop of Colchester Roger Morris, Hunnaball Funeral Directors, and the Colchester Garrison.
The Mayor of Colchester, Cllr Robert Davidson, said: “The last two years have been a very difficult and a trying period for all of us and it is right that we have time to remember those we have lost and thank those key services and our communities who have unselfishly helped support us through the pandemic.
“This performance promises to be a poignant and uplifting reminder of how we all came together to support each other and that, while we are still living with Covid, Colchester can look forward to a better future.
“We want as many people as possible to be able to watch the event when it is being staged and we encourage community groups and others to look at staging events where it can be streamed live.
“We hope many take this opportunity to do just that, so that we can all come together to remember and look forward.”
People can register an interest in acquiring the limited tickets to the show at the Mercury through the theatre’s website or by visiting the Theatre’s box office.
More information about the events being planned on 26 March and the schedule for the event in the evening in the Mercury Theatre will be announced in due course.
Page last reviewed: 7 February 2022