ONE of the biggest events on the Shipley calendar will still go ahead this year, despite losing its main source of funding.

But this year’s Shipley Street Arts Festival will be smaller, with events held on one day, rather than spread out over three days.

The festival began in 2014, and for the last four years has seen Shipley town centre transformed into a stage for street performers and artists, with interactive installations including a life sized inflatable whale attracting thousands of people. Top acts, including acrobats and musicians, from around the world have performed at the event.

Earlier this week it appeared that the festival, organised by Q20 Arts, would not return. Since its inception its main source of funding has been a grant from the Arts Council, but the group recently found that they had been unsuccessful in finding funding for this year’s event.

However, Bradford Council has now stepped in, and has provided enough money from its Visitor Promotion Fund to allow the festival to go ahead this year, although on a reduced scale. The reduced budget will mean that it will be cut from three days to a single day event, on Saturday June 30. Q20 Events are seeking ways in which this can be expanded.

This year the festival will have a circus theme, tying in with the national celebrations to mark 250 years of the British circus.

Charlotte Vipond-Clarke, Festival Director, said “While we were disappointed not to be awarded funding from the Arts Council for 2018 we would like to thank them for all the support they have shown over the last four years. Without the Arts Council we would never have been able to put on those wonderful weekends of free entertainment. People came from all over Yorkshire and beyond to enjoy our festivals and we are immensely proud of what we have achieved. There are so many brilliant and worthwhile projects all around the country, and only so much funding. This time we were not successful in our bid, but we will try again next year, and hopefully have more luck.”

On the council funding she said: “When we announced that the festival would have to be cancelled for 2018 we got so many messages on Facebook and comments from people saying that it was such a shame and that the festival would be greatly missed. So now, with the council’s help, to be able to bring the circus to Shipley is hugely exciting. We feel like a phoenix flying over the big top. We want to bring nothing but the best to Yorkshire. We are so proud of what we have achieved in Shipley and so excited about what the future holds. Shipley Street Arts Festival is going ahead in 2018 and we are looking at ways of making it as big and exciting as possible. If there are any local business who would like to get involved, to sponsor the festival, or even an act, we would love to hear from you. We’d also like to hear from local groups and community centres on how we can work together.”

Businesses, groups or individuals who would like to get involved can email info@q20theatre.co.uk.

On a sunny weekend in June the streets of Shipley will come to life in a celebration of the best of UK street theatre, and 250 years of Circus!

The Shipley Street Arts Festival, which first ran in 2014, has grown from a showcase of local artists and companies to an internationally recognised street theatre festival.

However, this year it seemed like the festival might not go ahead after local theatre company and festival producers Q20 Events were unsuccessful in securing the necessary funding from Arts Council England.

Charlotte Vipond-Clarke, the Festival Director, said “While obviously we were disappointed not to be awarded funding from the Arts Council for 2018 we would like to thank them for all the support they have shown the Shipley Street Arts Festival over the last 4 years. Without the Arts Council we would never have been able to put on those wonderful weekends of free entertainment. People came from all over Yorkshire and beyond to enjoy our festivals and we are immensely proud of what we have achieved. Last year, bringing an international act like Boom! to Yorkshire for the first time was something I will never forget. The whole town was buzzing with excitement and fun. There are so many brilliant and worthwhile projects all around the country, and only so much funding. This time we were not successful in our bid, but we will try again next year, and hopefully have more luck.”

For 2018 the Shipley Street Arts Festival was hoping to join in the national celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the birth of Circus. “There are events happening up and down the country showing the best of British circus, looking at its history, present and future. We were hoping to bring the Big Top feeling to Shipley this summer as part of a nationwide party.”

Just when it seemed that plans for Shipley would have to be put on hold until 2019, Bradford Council swung in on their trapeze and have saved the festival. Using funding from their Visitor Promotion Fund the council have pledged enough money to allow the festival to go ahead. “We are so delighted. When we announced that the festival would have to be cancelled for 2018 we got so many messages on Facebook and comments from people saying that it was such a shame and that the festival would be greatly missed. So now, with the council’s help, to be able to bring the circus to Shipley is hugely exciting. We feel like a phoenix flying over the big top.”

While the festival is set to go ahead the reduced budget will mean that it will have to be cut from three days to a single day event, on Saturday 30th June. Q20 Events are currently seeking ways in which this can be expanded.

“We want to bring nothing but the best to Yorkshire. We are so proud of what we have achieved in Shipley and so excited about what the future holds. Shipley Street Arts Festival is going ahead in 2018 and we are looking at ways of making it as big and exciting as possible. If there are any local business who would like to get involved, to sponsor the festival, or even an act, we would love to hear from you.

We’d also like to hear from local groups and community centres on how we can work together. We have always had a strong connection to local schools and community groups and it would be great to build on this to make the festival as wonderful as we know it can be.”

“We are already looking to the future. We want to make this summer’s event a huge success and hopefully next year we will be able to work with the Arts Council again and keep bringing the best street theatre to Shipley.”

If you are a local business who would like to get involved and support this fantastic summer festival, please get in touch at info@q20theatre.co.uk.