21/08/2024

 

Dear Reader,

It is with a deep and heavy heart that we, the Festival of Senses Officers, announce that this years Festival will not be able to take place.

It is no secret that the current economic climate is not a kind one. Our costs have increased, yet our financial support is dwindling. Following an audit of our accounts, we were presented with the fact that to run the Festival this year would not be financially viable.

The event requires multiple layers of infrastructure, resulting in an expenditure of approximately £31,000. Through fundraising, stallholder contribution we were estimated an income of around £20,000. The shortfall is clear, upsetting, and unrecoverable. We feel we have exhausted every avenue in regard to external funding, stakeholders and pledge support.

The event is currently being organised by a tiny team of volunteers, none of whom receive any financial benefit for their involvement or contribution, and all of whom have their own work and personal commitments. The Festival is a major operation – includes huge infrastructure investment, administrative and compliance efforts beyond the imagination, and unfortunately limited support. It is estimated that the time contribution by the small cohort of incredible people is over 4,000 hours, but without further voluntary support, we are not sure how to progress.

We want to send a heartfelt apology to our stallholders, we appreciate this must be a huge blow at what should be such a prosperous time of year. Please believe that if we could make this happen for you, we would. We will work as quickly and as swiftly as possible to ensure that your stall fees are refunded in full.

To those who want the Festival to happen, we need help. We need people to support us, to help us raise funds, and to help us make 2025 a viable year for the return of the Festival of Senses. From the depth of our soul we simply want this to be a fallow year, where we can take a moment to gather, breathe and plan, but without financial investment and more hands on deck we fear 2023 may have been the last. We will continue with our planned fundraising events, and will do our best to galvanise and push forward.

If you are able to sponsor any elements of the festival, or are interested in volunteering to make 2025 happen, please get in touch.

Please let us end by thanking all of those who have supported us, the volunteers brave enough to try and take on such a mammoth task; the suppliers who have been a joy to work with; the stallholders who have diligently supported us for years; and the individuals who have given time and money.

We’re sorry,

The Festival of Senses officers,

Holly, Christoph, Mered & Andrew.