Hopes of 'best ever' festival despite funding cut

A city festival is to go ahead amid hopes of the "best ever" event despite a funding cut.

Worcester City Council has said it will reduce the amount it gives Worcester Festival from £18,000 to £10,000, but event director Chris Jaeger describes the sum as still being "hugely appreciated".

He said he had feared getting no funding at all, which would have been "disastrous" for the event.

The arts festival is due to take place at a range of venues around the city during 11 days in August.

Jaeger, who founded the festival in 2003, thanked the council for the funding it had made available and said he understood the pressures on the authority's budget.

"It's hugely appreciated and we will try to give the city the best festival ever," he said.

Last year the festival lasted 17 days and featured 1,175 events, making it "one of the largest in the Midlands", he said.

Jaeger said it was run by just four people, two of them currently working for free, and it was "very hard to raise money to run the festival".

"Sponsorship has always been difficult in Worcester and grant-giving trusts are coming under increasing pressure, many of them swamped by applications," he added.

The city council is also proposing to reduce the amount it gives Worcester Run by £4,000, its contribution to Worcester Mela by £3,750 and its funding of Worcester Communities Grants by £9,000.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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