Veteran politician Tony Benn and Miles at last year's York Literature Festival York writer and musician Miles Salter, who organises the city’s successful literature festival, says the event needs more support
York Literature Festival need Arts Council support to help us grow and develop. We have asked for £6,236. Here are ten reasons why the festival should receive the funding.
1. Since it began in 2007, the festival has NEVER had Arts Council funding
2. Stephen May, Arts Council officer for literature in Yorkshire, says: “We think York should have a literature festival.” John Yeomans, former chairman of Visit York, met with a manager at Hodder and Stoughton who said: “York is the perfect place for a literature festival.”
4. City of York Council currently give in kind support, but no financial assistance, citing budget cuts. We have had no local authority money since March 2009.
5. The festival has run five times since 2007 with writers and speakers such as Carol Ann Duffy, Tracy Chevalier, Tony Benn, Kate Atkinson, Gervase Phinn, Ian McMillan, Paul Torday and more appearing.
6. Total ticket sales in 2012 were £5000 for the first time.
7. York is one of the UK’s top visitor destinations, with an estimated seven million visitors a year.
8. York has an easily navigable town centre with great venues including York Theatre Royal, Grand Opera House, City Screen Cinema, Duchess Music Venue, Guildhall, National Centre for Early Music, Barbican Centre and more.
9. In 2012, visitors to York Literature Festival came from Edinburgh, Newcastle, Sheffield and Hull.
10. The festival mobilises a volunteer team of more than 20 people each year to make the event happen, and has been delivered entirely voluntarily since 2010. We deliver fantastic value for money.
How readers can help
The festival cannot grow and develop if it does not receive assistance. Please help us, and give us a fighting chance.
Send supportive messages to Antonia Byatt, the UK head of literature at the Arts Council. Click here to email Antonia.
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