FUTURE UNCERTAIN FOR RECORD BREAKING ARTSFEST

15-09-2009

The future of Birmingham’s popular Artsfest isn’t guaranteed beyond next year – despite last weekend’s record attendance of 270,000.

Leisure boss Councillor Martin Mullaney says he’s in the process of developing a portfolio of festivals for the city, combining populist and more esoteric events – but it remains to be seen whether Artsfest will be part of it.

“We are intending to keep it for next year, but we were always going to review it" he said.

“I’ve already been talking to officers and we have to explore whether there is an opportunity to do other things with it.

“Under Ray Hassall [Mullaney’s predecessor] it became much more populist and it pulls the punters in.  Everyone likes it, and the venues sell a lot of tickets off the back of it, so from that point of view you have to ask, ‘how can you get rid of it.’

“But we are in the process of getting our ideas together for more niche festivals.  We’ve got to mix the populist with the more offbeat and quirky, so we’ll be having a brainstorm over the next few weeks.

“Beyond next year all I can is that there will be a festival in autumn.  Whether Artsfest changes its name, or splits in two or grows bigger, that decision will depend on the funds available.”

Also see our review  of Artsfest 2009.

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