Festival beats the recession

Last year saw record sponsorship and record attendance at the July arts Festival, and this year it’s all looking even better.

In the week which sees confirmation of the full final programme, Petworth Festival artistic director Stewart Collins can also confirm that the Festival is 12 per cent ahead of its sponsorship target of approx £70,000.

It’s a remarkable achievement at a time when the vast majority of festivals are struggling to make sponsorship ends meet.

“We have had a tremendous response,” Stewart said. “The first people that we tell the programme detail to are potential sponsors because we need to attract sponsors. And we have now broken all our records for attracting both private and corporate sponsorship.

“It’s partly because a significant amount comes from private supporters, and private supporters by their very nature are slightly less fickle. A lot of them are local and very dedicated to the festival. A number of these people have simply increased the amount that they give us.

“We have also attracted four or five corporate sponsors this year in a way that we have not done in the past.

“Partly also I think it is because the Festival is seen as a really remarkable diamond in the area. We are attracting support because the Festival is seen as something very solid and exciting that people want to be associated with.”

As for the programming, Stewart said: “I am pleased with the overall balance which makes it to my eye the kind of festival that I have wanted to do, which is a mixture of well-established artists, internationally-known people, up-and-coming performers and local performers.

“It’s also the range of classical events which are the core, but also we have added more theatre and comedy and also this year literary events. We have now added the absolute detail to make sure that it becomes an all-encompassing celebration of the arts.”

Stewart is particularly pleased that three major musical figures will be joining the Festival programme in significant birthday years for each of them - Julian Lloyd Webber in his 60th year, Sir Richard Rodney Bennett in his 75th and Anthony Payne, also in his 75th.

Tickets and more details on www.petworthfestival.org.uk.