Kathryn McDowell City of London Festival Director Greetings from the City of London

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