Looking for new sponsors for 2013
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- Published on Monday, 22 April 2013 13:49
- Written by Kev Adams
A huge thankyou to our 2012 sponsors Riverside Wines, Bridgnorth Windows, The Harp, Picklelily Circus, Marstons, The George, Gabrielle's Wine Bar, Bingham Builders, Bridgnorth Journal Walk Committee, Bridgnorth Town Council and Bridgnorth Rugby Club. Also not forgetting our 40+ sponsors in our programme, we couldn't have run all of our events last year without that extra support.
Following cuts to arts funding across the board it seems harder to attract funding than ever in 2013. We're now looking for new sponsors so please get in touch? We have programme or website ads from £50 and stage side banner ads from £300.
Banner sponsors also go here on our website http://bridgnorthfestival.org.uk/index.php#sponsors or web ads are available from £50.
Please share to help spread the word, cuts to arts funding mean that we rely on sponsorship support now more than ever, many thanks.
Chosen Charities Announced for 2013
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- Published on Monday, 22 April 2013 13:02
- Written by Lois Downes
Each year the Bridgnorth Music and Arts Festival committee elect two charities to support; one local and one national.
In 2012 we supported local fund raisers Gemma and Ashley Brown with their charity "Cameron's Fund", which raises funds for Asthma UK, and national charity The Mental Health Foundation. Gemma Brown kindly came along to our last meeting with a letter of thanks from Asthma UK.
Spokesperson Lois Downes said, “We are proud to announce that 2013’s festival shall be supporting the local charity The Bridgnorth Lions Club and their PSA Testing campaign for Prostate Cancer detection.
The Bridgnorth Lions Club established the prostate cancer PSA Testing campaign in 2009.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer affecting men within the UK; with over 40,000 men diagnosed every year and currently over 250,000 men living with the disease. The majority of prostate cancer cases are found to be within men over the age of 50 with the risk of development increasing with age. The average age of prostate cancer diagnosis is between 70 and 74 years. Males under the age of 50 are at significantly low risk of development. However although rare, younger men can still develop prostate cancer.
Since The Bridgnorth Lions PSA testing campaign’s establishment over 1800 tests have been conducted and in this time more than fifty local Bridgnorth men have been diagnosed with prostate cancer due to having the PSA test. Prior to testing these men had no outward symptoms and the majority are now receiving medical treatment.
The Bridgnorth Lions PSA testing event is carried out annually throughout the months of October and November. It is vital that all local men over the age of 50 receive this test.”
Furthermore spokesperson Lois Downes also said “We are also delighted to announce that The Bridgnorth Music and Arts Festival’s chosen national beneficiary of 2013’s fundraising efforts shall be The Multiple Sclerosis Society. Being the largest UK charity devoted to supporting both individuals with MS and their families, The Multiple Sclerosis Society provides specialist information and funding for crucial MS research projects. Deemed one of the most common disabling neurological diseases affecting the central nervous system, Multiple Sclerosis affects over 100,000 people within the UK today, with an estimated 500 suffers residing in Shropshire and my mother being one of them.
Review of our High Street and Quayside Stage 2012
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- Published on Thursday, 20 September 2012 16:21
- Written by Kev Adams
We had a blast at our 7th Festival in 2012. Loads of fantastic events all around the town and we're knocked out at the support that we've had from the venues, performers, sponsors, helpers and especially the audiences. A fantastic programme of music, arts, literary, animation, film, comedy and family events and we were lucky with the weather for most of the 10 days too.
Our High Street main event shared the Town Centre with the brilliant Children's Festival and Food Fayre again, plenty to do, see, listen to, eat or drink for all ages. Every single band that played in the High Street blew us away too, from young acoustic newcomers "Don't Touch the Walls", well known Shropshire rockers Guns for Girls, past favourites Flat Stanley, the Misers brilliantly showcasing their new album, Warrington based "The Selfish Lovers" and then an amazing climax to the days entertainment from haunting, ethereal Liverpool band Bird. Also back for 2012 at the other end of the marquee we had another great line up of acoustic acts, Linda Tilley, Pandora's Puppet's, Aaron Alvey, Elliott Wray and Jonathan Day, a fantastic afternoon of music from start to finish. Photo of our High Street headline act Bird, used by kind permission of official Festival photographer Chris Rollason.
The following day, bank holiday Monday down on the Quayside we had the wetest day of the Festival, water running beneath the equipment meant that we had to find another venue and luckily for us Gabrielle Corns was happy to host our performers for the afternoon right across the road at Gabrielle's Wine Bar, many thanks to her and her brilliant staff. The music was superb again from start to finish, a mix of fantastic local talent, Rhi Moore, Moonshine Runners, Midset Buka, The Hair Thieves, new local band Num Nums, Thomson Oldeman, plus ex-Bridgnorthian Matt Barker and his band, Wolverhampton singer Claire Diamond, ToyPOP who include local Shifty Sarah alongside friends from Wales and Liverpool and Walsall's brilliant "The State of Things". Another great afternoons entertainment.
All in all we had a brilliant 10 days of music, arts, poetry, comedy and more.
We're volunteer run and appreciate all the help that we can get so if anyone wants to get involved for 2013 please keep checking back here on our website or our Facebook page www.facebook.com/bridgnorthmusicandartsfestival for updates as we plan for our 8th event in 2013!
ForwardFor Animation Festival
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- Published on Monday, 10 September 2012 10:25
- Written by Westley Bone
This years ForwardFor / Bridgnorth music and arts festival animation event at the Majestic cinema went down a storm with more submissions for the coveted audience vote trophy than ever.
It started with an engaging talk from the writer James Clarke about how to write scripts and the importance of sound in animation. This was accompanied by the first ever UK Festival screening of his film 'Chasing Cotards'.
The event included an introduction to music in animation from Westley Bone (Director of ForwardFor) and a screening of one of their new funny educational animations which had been part produced by their young apprentices.
The open animation competition included 9 independent animated shorts for up and coming filmmakers from across the West Midlands. While the votes were counted the audience was treated to the 3rd UK screening of internationally award winning short 'The Monster of Nix' from Studio Rosto featuring Terry Gilliam and Tom Waits.
When all the votes were in Westley Bone (ForwardFor) along with James Frizzell (Majestic Cinema) and Jennifer Bone (Bridgnorth Festival) had the pleasure of presenting the first prize trophy to Toni Sian Williams for her animated film 'Earth', a stop motion feature which told the story of an alien crash landing to Earth.
Read more about 'Earth' at http://tonisianwilliams.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/earth-is-finished.html and watch the full animation at - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efapcVQ-s-k
"We are really happy with this years event which raises the profile of independent animation in the region and are so happy that once again the Majestic Cinema were so supportive. We are looking forward to growing the event as part of next years Bridgnorth Festival" said Westley Bone, Director of event sponsors ForwardFor.
