Ashton Court Festival in financial difficulties

Bristol's Ashton Court Festival, which has been running for 32 years, has announced it is in financial crisis, and it needs help to survive.

Following a disappointing turnout this year, plus increased costs of running the event, the organisation urgently needs your support if it is to continue to offer the Bristol community such an important event for local performers right on its doorstep at a bargain price (£7 a day in 2006), and is today launching a public appeal.

The organisers are asking people to donate whatever they can towards a public appeal fund, with the aim of putting the event back on a secure footing. If 5,000 people each donate £20, it will enable the festival to pay off its current debts of around £100,000 and will help ensure an event in 2007.

Having overcome difficulties in dealing with the new licensing act and SIA security regulations to put on the 2006 event, and despite a very successful Saturday, the figures on Sunday were around 10,000 down on what was expected and therefore the festival is facing a financial loss. Without immediate help, the festival will have to be wound up, which after 32 years would be an immense loss to the city and to all of the artists it works to support.

"The festival has become a kind of institution and people seem to take it for granted that it will always exist", said Neil Barlow, who has been on the Bristol Community Festival (BCF) Management Committee for 10 years. "However, it really is crunch time and we desperately need the support of the community to carry on. If we do not act now, by January it will be too late to turn the situation around and 32 years of heritage will be lost. Along with it will go one of the most important dates in the Bristol calendar and a major opportunity for local artists to perform. We are hopeful that the people of Bristol can come together and support the festival and we will do everything we can to ensure that it will live to see another year."

The organisation does not receive public funding and is entirely reliant on sponsorship and gate income to survive, so there is no margin for error. BCF have also appealed to the city council. Negotiations are ongoing but the council’s support alone will be unlikely to save the Festival.

On top of the losses from this year, for 2007 the festival is looking for a new title sponsor after the agreement with Orange concluded after five years, and Orange have decided change their sponsorship strategy.

If the festival manages to overcome its current crisis, the change in title sponsor will be just one of a number of changes to the event. "We have been working hard over the last few months to look objectively at the event and work at improving it for future years." said a spokesperson. "We are keen to introduce a few new areas and refresh the format, in order to provide more opportunities for local artists, community groups and organisations to get involved. The festival provides a platform for over 1,500 artists to perform each year, but we would like to increase this and introduce more opportunities for the kinds of groups that we currently cannot cater for."

To help keep the festival alive and to enable it to continue as an important date in the Bristol calendar, you can donate directly with a credit/debit card via the website www.ashtoncourtfestival.com. Alternatively, you can send a cheque made payable to “Bristol Community Festival” to 1 Ninetree Hill, Bristol, BS1 3SB.

eFestivals is pleased to be able to help, and is donating £500 towards the appeal.

The dates for 2007 are provisionally confirmed as Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th July.

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