Performing Arts Festival Encourages Children and Young People to Build on Success

Organisers of a successful arts festival, planning their fifth successive annual event in Durham City, are focusing attention on children and young people in the surrounding communities to help build on dramatic rises in audience numbers.

Last summer the five-day Durham Fringe Festival sold 7,500 tickets – an increase of forty per cent – to performing arts audiences attending productions embracing music, dance, theatre, magic, stand-up comedy, cabaret and children’s shows.

Supported by a new £1,000 donation from Durham City Freemen’s Charitable Trust and £2,500 from EMG Solicitors, the festival team are working in partnership with youth work charity, Durham Area Youth, and local youth projects that are part of the Durham Youth Print network, to reach children and young people who live in local villages and areas on the outskirts of Durham City Centre.

The community engagement project has involved pre-festival taster performances, including rising star Ben Donaghy at Pittington Village Hall, and North East Culture Awards Winner Isabel Maria at the Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Room in the City. Young people visiting the Assembly Rooms also had a ‘behind the scenes’ tour backstage, and heard from various staff members about their routes into careers in the arts.

Analysis of a survey carried out in the wake of last year’s event confirmed an audience satisfaction rate of just over 93 per cent also and identified “the potential to deliver the magic and buzz of a festival experience” to young people from culturally deprived areas close to the city.

Festival Director, Stephen Cronin, said: “Previous Durham Fringe Festivals in the city have proved the appetite and demand for a festival of this sort in an area which has one of the smallest arts and culture sectors in the country. We are constantly looking to grow and diversify our audience, and the generous support of both the Freemen and EMG Solicitors will be transformational, and a key part of helping us to do that.

“This community engagement project with Durham Area Youth and Durham Youth Print is a logical next step for us, and builds on partnership work in previous years. We were delighted when Durham Youth Print approached us with the idea for a joint project, as we’ve always wanted to do more to reach children and young people who live so close to where the Festival takes place.

“We are very aware of the cost of living crisis for families, and the support from the Freemen and EMG will mean that we can offer tickets and support with transport for young people involved in the project. Young people will also have the chance to take part in supported volunteering. We’ve got some fantastic shows for younger audiences this year, so the timing of the project is perfect.”

Eric Bulmer, Chairman of the Freemen’s Charitable Trustees added: “We are delighted once again to support the Durham Fringe, particularly its project to engage with young people in our communities.”

Claire Hewitt, Head of Business Development at EMG Solicitors, added: “Supporting our local communities is at the very heart of what we do at EMG and we’re excited to be supporting this opportunity for so many young people who are interested in the arts.”

Emily Burns, Chief Executive at Durham Area Youth, said: “It’s a brilliant opportunity for young people from across the outskirts of the city to engage with the Festival and have an experience they might not ordinally access. It promotes collaboration and partnership working across sectors, all for the benefit of improving opportunities for young people.” Visit the Durham Fringe website to see the full lineup and book tickets. Browse shows by date, genre and venue: durhamfringe.co.uk/events