We are all living through unprecedented times, with a global pandemic claiming thousands of lives around the world and necessary measures to contain the outbreak of Covid-19 limiting our fundamental freedoms, confining billions of people at home and severely affecting our economies.
Our hearts go out to all those who have lost someone to the Covid-19 virus and are enduring extreme levels of distress, as the pandemic reaches even the most remote parts of our world.
The arts and entertainment sector has been among the first to be hit by national confinement measures, as small to large gatherings of people were banned, theaters and cinemas suddenly closed and all creative production ground to a halt. Today, as the world is holding its breath and tentative efforts are made to resume something approaching normal life while remaining safe, many uncertainties still linger about how, and when exactly, that may actually happen.
It has become increasingly clear that holding our Congress in September this year would not be reasonable, when so many of our affiliates are busy 24/7 assisting their members through thick and thin and advocating for emergency relief to help them withstand this hardship. It would also be irresponsible, when so many of our affiliates’ resources are committed to assisting fellow performers out of work, in the face of a looming economic crisis of unparalleled size in modern history.
As the end of the pandemic is not yet within sight, it is not yet clear when travel restrictions will be lifted globally and it will be safe to meet again. Travel bans, where still in place, might well prevent our Congress from meeting the statutory quorum and taking authoritative decisions on behalf of our entire membership.
In these troubled and very unique circumstances, the FIA Presidium and the FIA Executive have therefore resolved unanimously, in accordance with our Constitution, that the FIA Congress shall be postponed and that the authority of the existing FIA governing bodies shall be extended, on an interim basis, until such time as elections can take place again.
All FIA affiliates are therefore advised that the FIA Congress, due to be held in Manchester from September 28 to October 4, 2020, has provisionally been moved to February 15-21, 2021. The FIA governing bodies will carefully monitor all developments going forward, in consultation with the FIA Secretariat, and will announce the final Congress plans towards the end of August this year.
