Festivals urged to work together

Published on Wednesday 23 March 2005 11:53

FESTIVAL organisers were today warned they may have to work more closely together in future to secure much-needed funding.

And they may have to share extra resources allocated by the city council in years to come.

Council leader Donald Anderson said he expects more co-operation on promotional and marketing initiatives, sponsorship fundraising, administration and box office operations between events like the International Festival, the Fringe and the Film Festival.

Although the festivals co-operate more now than they have ever done, they share little of the public funds they receive and all are run independently.

It is thought council officials are keen to secure assurances for the future as a condition of any new funding arrangements which may emerge from a study being carried out into the threat Edinburgh’s festivals are facing from rival cities around the UK and further afield.

Due in the autumn, the Thundering Hooves study is expected to recommend major new investment from the Scottish Executive and its agencies, as well as from bodies like the council and Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian.

But Councillor Anderson, who was furious at a late approach from the Edinburgh International Festival to resolve a funding crisis, declared the council will not simply cough up more cash for each festival.

He said:

"We’re very much aware that this Thundering Hooves survey is on the horizon and of the growing competition Edinburgh is facing from cities like Manchester and Liverpool.

"However it’s not just going to be a case of the council having to find extra funding for each festival. The festivals should be doing more to work together and they may well have to share extra resources that the council comes up with.

"The kind of things they could be working on are things like administration, marketing, box offices - things where the co-operation is not as it could be just now.

"One of the big strengths the city has in the summer is that all the festivals are run at the same time of year and we need to take advantage of that more."

Cllr Anderson spoke out in the wake of news of a looming cash crisis for the Edinburgh International Film Festival, which has issued cash pleas to both the council and the Scottish Executive.

Film festival chiefs have warned repeatedly in recent years that they are struggling to compete financially with rival events, particularly when it comes to luring big-name movies and stars to Edinburgh.

The council, which currently ploughs more than 1.8 million into the main summer festivals and events, is coming under mounting pressure to increase funding.

It has already been forced to give the International Festival 300,000 after organisers warned they faced having to scale down their programme because of a 600,000 deficit. The Executive provided the rest of the cash.

The Edinburgh Mela, Scotland’s largest multicultural festival, is also thought to be facing a major cash and staffing crisis, after key figures involved in planning the event walked out. It is thought the council will be asked to bail out the event, which already receives 73,738 funding.

Last month it emerged the council was forced to find an extra 225,000 to pay for the city’s winter festivals because around 10,000 passes for the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay membership club went unsold.

The Film Festival is thought to be seeking additional funding of 150,000 after failing to secure a major sponsor for this year’s event. The council and the Executive, through Scottish Screen, currently give it 160,000.

Artistic director Ginnie Atkinson said the failure to find a sponsor has left the festival "in a very vulnerable position".

Cllr Anderson added: "There is definitely an issue over this year’s Film Festival, which we’re trying to address and I’m very keen that happens. The Film Festival has a very proud tradition and track record we don’t want to lose anything of that at all."