The Shaw Festival has cancelled all public events and performances through May 25 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Festival officials will continue to monitor the situation to see if additional cancellations are needed and will follow the guidance of the provincial and federal governments along with the public health units of Niagara, the province and the country, spokesperson Laura Hughes said in a media statement.

“Until we can be back on stage, we are keeping our art alive and sharing as much as we can on Instagram and Facebook,” Hughes said. “It has certainly been inspiring to see how our artists have found ways to continue to create together despite physical distance.”

Hughes also announced that Kate Hennig is now the Shaw’s director of artistic development and Kimberley Rampersad is stepping into the role of associate artistic director.