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Published:
July 24, 2008
Burnham
FolkFest organisers dealt a blow as grant bid is rejected
 Disappointed
organisers of this year's Burnham-On-Sea FolkFest have been dealt
with a financial blow after they being turned by the Arts Council
for a £5,000 grant.
The
costs of running the popular autumn music festival in the centre
of Burnham have reached a whopping £14,500 and organisers
had hoped the grant funding would help them fund the event, which
starts next month.
"We
have been turned down by the Arts Council for a £5,000 grant
which has come as a blow," said organiser Graham Cook to
Burnham-On-Sea.com at the latest Burnham Chamber of Trade meeting.
He
confirmed that the costs of running the third FolkFest, which
will take place between 29th and 31st August, have increased compared
to previous years.
 "It's
great to feel we have an event that gets bigger and better each
year," he said. "It's a guaranteed way of bringing new
visitors into the town and generating money for local businesses."
"However,
the overal cost of running the event has reached £14,500
this year. We get some income from entry fees at the opening performance
on the Friday night, which is the only pay event at the FolkFest,
but the rest of our income comes from donations and fundraising.
We've received National Lottery funding in the past, but have
been turned down for a £5,000 grant by the Arts Council
this year."
Next
month's event will include 100 hours of live music, with some
groups coming from as far afield as Ireland and Scotland. Graham
added: "We have spent over £5,000 on quality acts even
though many groups peform for free or at a very low cost."
"There
are several ways people can help us. They can put up posters,
donate to us by becoming a friend of the FolkFest, or by advertising
in our programme."
Pictured
are several of the groups performing during last year's Burnham-On-Sea
FolkFest
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