The Totnes Festival will be back from 5-14 September 2008, bigger, brighter and building on the successes of its first two years. Councillor Judy Westacott, Chair of the Festival Committee said: ‘The Festival has really established itself well in a very short space of time as both a community event and also as a magnet for visitors. The diverse range of events within the Festival highlight what an exciting and vibrant community we have here. We are now looking for people to come forward with events for 2008’.
This year’s Festival will introduce a brand new opening event to kick things off in style, the Busking Competition will be back, as will the torchlit procession and fireworks, the Torbay Symphony Orchestra will be performing Beethoven’s 9th and popular choir ‘Glorious Chorus’ are onboard too. The Dartington Morris Men will be hosting the Morris Ring: a gathering of hundreds of dancers who will perform in and around Totnes during the opening weekend. Early indications are that it will be a programme as packed and as varied as the first two years.
A real success story from 2007 has been ‘The Carrivick Sisters’, 18 year-old Salcombe twins Laura and Charlotte, who won the Busking Competition and with it the chance to play at Glastonbury. Since winning they have played at Colston Hall in Bristol, are booked for Dartmouth Music Festival and are through to the finals of the BBC’s ‘Upstaged’ Competition.
The fact that there is a Festival this year is down in no small part to the support and enterprising activities of Devon Artsculture, a Dartington Hall Trust project supporting the creative industries. As well as financial and organisational assistance, Artsculture have come up with ideas to generate income for the festival such as using Ebay to find a Festival sponsor, resulting in fantastic support from Carl Throgmorton of Westward Developments (Totnes) Ltd.
‘The Festival would have a very uncertain future if it relied on grants alone, we have successfully started generating income through sponsorship and advertising which means this hugely popular event stands a chance of becoming a permanent fixture’ said Mark Barton-Donald Communications Officer for Devon Artsculture.
If you are interested in taking part in this year’s Festival or want to go on the mailing list then visit www.totnesfestival.com for more information.
[what's this?]
The Dartington Hall Trust is a registered charity no. 279756. Company no. 1485560. Registered Office: The Elmhirst Centre, Dartington Hall, Totnes, Devon TQ9 6EL United Kingdom. Telephone 01803 847000; Fax 01803 847007;