It’s been a funny old time of late, to say the least!

It has at times been a struggle to maintain forward momentum and the almost daily battle with uncertainty is chipping away at our resolve and reserves. To add to the issues, as some of you might already know, our Twitter recently fell victim of a hack attack. Locked out of our account we followed the steps diligently, reported the hack, confirmed our identity, filed a report and put our trust in the powers that be to sort the problem. With an uneasy feeling we sat waiting and watched as everything we recognised about the page disappeared in front of our eyes. We put out a call to arms and as ever, you were there! Within minutes we had offers of assistance in resolving the matter, troubleshooting tips and general sharing in the frustration.

This whole episode has turned our thoughts to the importance of community, our connection to it and the way we communicate and collaborate within it.

Community has always been at the very core of everything HebCelt stands for and that remains unchanged. People are the beating heart of HebCelt, the local community here in the Outer Hebrides have played home to the festival and helped nurture it from humble beginnings to the internationally renowned event that it is today. Through this growth we have cemented our place in the Scottish festival calendar and the wider community of UK live events. A community which is going through the toughest of trials at the moment. Plagued with uncertainty and unable to do their jobs again we sit and watch everything change before us while we put our trust in others to rectify a situation over which we have no control.

One thing in all of this is clear, we must continue to innovate, to find ways of keeping in touch, working together and dreaming big to support and grow through these challenging times, and to come out the other side stronger.

Collaboration is something we have always encouraged. From our artists, through commissions and special projects to our enduring partnerships with key stakeholders both public and private alongside the many creative relationships fostered over the years. The value that can be derived from this collaborative approach cannot be overstated.

While there are without doubt new challenges to overcome, uncertainty is somewhat of a speciality here at HebCelt. We’ve never taken anything for granted, whether it’s waiting for news on funding decisions, the weather forecast or the ferry sailing on time, we’ve dealt with many uncertain scenarios over the last 25 years!

So please keep in touch, we’ll get through this together!

Oh, and we’re happy to report that after a frustrating and uncertain few weeks however, the little birds at Twitter worked their magic and everything is back to normal, the @HebCelt handle is back in business.

Give us a wee follow ;)

Twitter - @HebCelt