Ilkley Summer Festival puts on more free events (From Ilkley Gazette)

Ilkley Summer Festival puts on more free events

11:50am Thursday 9th July 2009

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As other festivals go to the wall because of the recession, the diversity of Ilkley’s Summer Festival has put it in a much better position to ride out the storm.

The organisers have been very conscious this year of the effect the recession is having on family budgets and have increased the number of free events to help people enjoy themselves.

Festival chairman Anne Hawkesworth said: “We know that many families are holidaying in England this year, some at home, and we’ve arranged as many free events as possible without lowering standards.

“You can enjoy an event for free every weekend during the Festival, although to see concerts like the Last Night for nothing you’ll have to stand and you may not get a very good view or be in the thick of it but you should hear the music,”

Apart from Last Night of the Proms, the main musical event will be the Picnic and Rock event featuring hot rockabilly star Imelda May in Riverside Gardens on Saturday, August 15.

Organisers of other music festivals around the country have admitted having to scale down events through lack of ticket sales and income.

Imelda May’s manager Hugh Phillimore said: “It’s tough out there. Anyone who remains in business by the end of the year has got a huge result.

“Live music is supposed to be the place to be, but there’s no monitor for when the market is saturated.

“There can’t be enough people to go to these things. There are too many festivals.”

Melvin Benn, of Festival Republic, promoter of Glastonbury, Reading, Leeds and Latitude, said: “I know of festivals which may go to the wall.

“Two or three are in such trouble, even if they don’t pull out the people running them will be in financial trouble afterwards.”

With just a few weeks to go before the opening of Ilkley’s seventh annual Summer Festival, the organising team have moved into top gear to have everything ready for the spectacular opening first day on Saturday, August 1.

There is more financial good news as the Friends of the Manor House is celebrating two grant awards in support of their contribution to the Summer Festival.

Two grants of £2,415, from the Big Lottery Fund, and £445, from Grass Roots Grants, will allow an exciting community project focusing of the kind of outdoor entertainment which took place in the Middle Ages.

Activities include theatre workshops which will enable people to take part in afternoon performances in the Manor House Courtyard on Saturday, August 22.

Councillor Hawkesworth said: “ Last year we raised quite a lot of money for breast cancer charities at some of the Festival events.

“We shallbe collecting money for breast cancer charities throughout the Festival this year. Because some of our events although free are very high class we hope everyone will be generous”.

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