Kathryn McDowell City of London Festival Director Greetings from the City of London
Dec 20, 2015
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