Kathryn McDowellCity of London Festival Director

Greetings from

the City of London

London in England

Greater London

The City of London

City of LondonDeveloped in Roman times

City = Commerce

City of London is governed by the Corporation of London

• 250,000 people work in the City

• 5,000 live in the City of London

• 7 million people live in Greater London

Festival founded in 1962 to:

• To increase the profile of the City

• Benefit City workers

• Raise awareness of arts and culture

Development of the Festival

• Initially every second year

• Then annually

Unique features

• Venues

• Culture of change against the

historical background

Unique selling points

• Matching artistic programmes to venues

• Reflecting change and development in the arts:new artistic work against the backdrop of the old

Other London festivals

• Local

• Artform specific

• Arts centre celebrations

Growth of festivals in the UK

In many cultures:

Festival = Celebration

Growth in festivals’ demands

• Distinctiveness

• Relevance

• Communication

Addressed through:

• Programming

• Marketing

Artistic programming

• Content - what?

• Venue - where?

• Approach - how?

Angel series

• 12 music programmes

• 12 poems

• 12 paintings

• 12 Wren churches

• 12 BBC broadcasts

Angel education programme

• Angel artist

• Wren church studio

• Projections onto St. Paul’s Cathedral

Individual events

• Fishmongers’ Hall

• Fish songs

• Sir Thomas Allen

Outdoor Programme

• Street Theatre

• Dance

• Commuter Jazz

Multi-media installation:Cityscapes

Marketing

• Brand reflects programme

• Festive atmosphere

• Know the audience

• Plan to reach new audience

• Use media partnerships

Results

• Existing audience small• New audience found• Media campaign strong• Press comment good• Festive atmosphere created• Allocate more to each

programme strand

Funding

• Corporation recognise the benefit of investment the arts

• City expects value for money

Economic and social impact: Sponsors’ feedback:

• Client entertainment• Branding and visibility• Giving back• Supporting local regeneration

Funding challenges

• Finding

• Keeping

• Challenging

Festival funding = Corporation and business sector

Turnover = £900,000(NT$48m)

• One third corporation

• One third business

• One third earned

Requirements

• Value for money

• Quality and ideas

• Service

Approach

• Listen

• Present ideas

• Build confidence

Thank you for listening