THE head of an arts festival is encouraging people to “dive in” and make the most of the last shows on offer this year.

Brighton Fringe Festival, which normally takes place in May, is running an autumn season of 50 online and in-person events, with some shows continuing until November 9.

The festival and its main sponsor The Pebble Trust has recently announced a support package worth more than £10,000 to help cover fees for artists and venues, based on the number of shows they are hosting.

Julian Caddy, chief executive of Brighton Fringe, said: “We are so grateful for the fantastic support from The Pebble Trust and these grants are a way to thank all those that took the leap of faith with us this autumn.

“We hope that this extra help will mean these participants and venues can come back stronger in 2021.

“There is still much more of Brighton Fringe to enjoy. Dive in for more great work, whether socially-distanced in venues or online.”

Jamie Arnell, chairman of the Brighton Fringe board and a trustee of the Pebble Trust, said: “We are delighted to support Brighton Fringe in recognising the courage and determination of artists and venues to get live work back in front of audiences, both physically and digitally, this October. We can easily forget how lucky we are to have such a stubbornly optimistic arts community in our city. “