Petworth Festival in confident mood for the challenges ahead

Running from Wednesday, July 13-Saturday, July 30, the festival will offer 45 events over 18 days with tickets available from www.petworthfestival.org.uk and on 01798 344576.

Top names abound across the performance genres:

• Classical stars including cellist and former BBC Young Musician of the Year, Natalie Clein and international stars including trombonist Christian Lindberg and violinist Dmitry Sitkovetsky

• Top comedians Milton Jones and Henry Normal

• Rock and pop legends Beverley Craven and Judy Tzuke

• Young classical superstar Sean Shibe heads a line-up of guitarists that also includes blues legend Dave Kelly, Flamenco musical magician Juan Martín and jazz legends Jon Gomm and Antonio Forcione

• Boogie woogie maestro Ben Waters and a host of classical names including Piers Lane and Iain Burnside.

Festival director Stewart Collins said: “We think our loyal core audience will come back but what we don't know is if the people that ordinarily would come to six or eight shows will come back to six or eight shows this year or maybe just four or five just because they've got slightly out of the habit and just because they've got slightly more used to being entertained at home. But there is no question that we have expanded the events that we have that will have a broader audience base. We have events that are intentionally aiming at newer and younger audiences.

“We are definitely catering for our core traditional audiences but we are also hoping to attract new. And I do think the cost of living is a factor. It's a concern, isn't it.

"I've just looked at my gas bill for the next month and it's absolutely enormous. Everybody has to look at how they are spending their money and the fact is that the arts and performance are not a necessity. I always say that going to a concert is just as good as going to your GP because you will come out feeling better and feeling good but the fact is if there's not a concert every Thursday, no one is going to die but I think the point is we really do need the arts.

"But the fact is that this year there are certainly a lot of challenges around, the cost of living crisis, coming back from Covid. All we can really do is just put out the best programme that we possibly can and rely on the loyalty and generosity of all the people that we hope will come along. I'm concerned that the world has changed in terms of entertainment but I do think the extra thing that we have this year that is hugely important is that there is an awful lot more collaboration that goes on now between organisations. Culture Spark has been extremely timely for us. It has given us umbrella support and extra awareness and we have being able to develop partnerships locally with organisations that we trust. That's become part of our philosophy now and it is a sign of the times that we are all using each other’s strengths to network.”