Some arts festivals could close amid ‘significant financial challenges’

Some British arts festivals are astatine hazard of being “lost” arsenic organisers conflict with rising costs and accrued fiscal challenges, a study has said.

The Festivals Forward study surveyed 101 festivals specified arsenic the Edinburgh Fringe, BBC Proms, Cheltenham Festivals and Hay Festival.

Produced for the British Arts Festivals Association (BAFA) by arts and civilization consultancy BOP Consulting, it recovered that galore events person to trust connected reserves to support going.

The festivals that springiness america pleasure, nutrient for thought and the accidental to conscionable radical who stock our passions are often a beacon of airy successful an different mundane existence

Val McDermid

The study said that connected mean past year, festivals had a walk of astir £245,000 and an income of £225,000, meaning a spread of £20,000.

BAFA is calling for a reappraisal of backing to nutrient “more stability, ambition and sustainability successful this cardinal sector”, by moving distant from yearly grants.

Scottish writer Val McDermid, known for her books featuring Dr Anthony “Tony” Valentine Hill, who was played by Robson Green successful ITV bid Wire In The Blood, said “preserving our festival practice and gathering connected it is nary frivolous matter”.

“We request the airy that solemnisation gives us,” she besides said. “The festivals that springiness america pleasure, nutrient for thought and the accidental to conscionable radical who stock our passions are often a beacon of airy successful an different mundane existence.

“They’re often tally by volunteers who give untold hours to marque definite things tally smoothly for artists and audiences. Sponsorship is simply a immense help, of course, peculiarly successful times of austerity, but it’s hard to find and hard to clasp connected to.”

The study concluded that “without further enactment and concern – some fiscally and developmentally – the assemblage is astatine hazard of some the simplification and nonaccomplishment of galore iconic festivals, akin to the important measurement of greenish tract festivals that person been mislaid during the past year”.

The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) said 50 UK festivals were wholly closed oregon were postponed oregon cancelled this year.

“Recognising the strategical relation that festivals play successful the UK arts ecology and successful gathering stronger communities year-round volition beryllium the archetypal measurement successful creating a festivals argumentation that enables festivals to thrive,” the Festivals Forward study said.

About 30% of respondents successful 2023 saw their reserves alteration by much than 10%, with much than fractional of these reporting a driblet of much than 20%.

BAFA manager Fiona Goh said: “Britain’s arts festivals are presently confronting a scope of challenges but, arsenic the study shows, they person overmuch to physique on.

“Festivals are powerhouses of creativity and catalysts for the imaginations of full communities and we indispensable harness this creativity to re-imagine their spot successful our lives.

“By re-thinking their spot and gathering connected their top strengths – their publication to the wider arts ecology and their hyperlocal presumption – we tin enactment them connected a firmer footing and marque definite they thrive, arsenic good arsenic survive.”

The study besides said that 80% of festivals present year-round outreach and originative opportunities for schools, and 40% of audiences question little than 5 miles to be the events surveyed.