Lack of backers could sink Bristol kite festival
Bristol’s international kite festival could be scrapped in the next month if new backers do not come forward.
Organisers of the festival, which is due to take place at Ashton Court, on September 12 and 13, have launched an impassioned plea for sponsorship to secure the future of the event.
Although exhibitors and traders have been confirmed and invitations issued to top kite performers, £10,000 is needed for the event to go ahead and to fund essential on site infrastructure.
Festival organiser Avril Baker said: “This year is proving really tough for everyone and businesses and organisations are just not spending in the same way on marketing or sponsoring events.
“We are fortunate in having strong local, national and international support for the Kite Festival and hope that by offering these unusual and enterprising opportunities for businesses and individuals we can raise much needed funds and at the same time they can enjoy and benefit from being a part of our festival.
“We have given ourselves a month to see if we can secure some support.
“If there isn’t a realistic chance of covering our costs or underwriting the event in some way, we will have to make the difficult decision to cancel this year’s festival in which case we would of course refund any pledges made.
“We are determined to do everything we can to go ahead this year and also to make it to 2010 which will not only mark our 25th year but also give us the chance to join in the exciting celebrations for the Bristol Year of Flight.”
The event pulls in crowds of over 30,000 people who not only enjoy the spectacular flying displays but also appreciate the relaxed community feel to the event which offers features such as free kite-making workshops for children and have a go flying areas.
For the 2009 Bristol International Festival of Kites and Air Creations, organisers hope local businesses and organisations will promote their products and services through the festival to sustain the Bristol attraction.
Comments (1)
Grace Palmer
August 11th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
The Kite Festival is going ahead this year –
Following a fundraising campaign to bridge a £10K funding gap organisers have decided to go ahead with this year’s Bristol Kite festival after receiving pledges of more than three quarters of the required funding. Last month a campaign was launched inviting individuals and businesses to become Friends of the Festival to help secure its future after no sponsorship had been forthcoming.
The Bristol International Festival of Kites & Air Creations will take place on 12 & 13 September in Ashton Court, Bristol with Marie Curie Cancer Care as its nominated charity. On show will be an action packed aerial extravaganza featuring spectacular flying displays, kite fighting battles, breathtaking synchronised routines flown to music and awesome power kites as well as colourful ground-based inflatables and air sculptures of all shapes and sizes. International kite guests will be winging their way from across the world to join flyers and enthusiasts from the UK and Europe. This year the festival will also be celebrating the 21st anniversary of festival co-founder Martin Lester’s iconic jogging legs kite and the 20th anniversary of local club Avon Kite Flyers.
Over the past few weeks small donations have been coming in from individuals locally, flyers from around the world and from online auctions of custom kites but the turning point came with a generous offer from the Al Farsi family of Kuwait, owners of the world’s largest kite.
Their colossal kite, in the shape of a 3D Kuwaiti flag, made its public debut at Bristol & Portsmouth Kite festivals in 2004 and went on to set the official World Record the following year. The Al Farsi’s kite team has since displayed their striking big kite, equivalent in size to an Olympic swimming pool, at events and festival around the world including returning to Bristol in 2005 and 2006.
Abdulraman Al Farsi will make a special visit to Bristol on Monday 20 July to officially meet the Lord Mayor and be thanked by the festival team.
Avril Baker, festival organiser said: “I am so pleased that we can finally confirm that the Festival is going ahead. The past few weeks have been a real emotional roller coaster as we just didn’t know if we could secure the funds to go ahead and I was dreading the prospect of cancelling and letting down so many people. Since we launched our appeal we have been amazed by the many wonderful messages of good will but this donation by the Al Farsi family has really been the deciding factor and we are really very grateful to them for their generosity. We do still need to raise the last few thousand pounds but I am confident now that we will make our target and can put on a really good festival as planned.”
Abdulraman Al Farsi said: “I have never forgotten the warm welcome we received when we first brought the big kite to Bristol five years ago. Bristol is a wonderful festival and an important event in the international kite calendar and I am delighted to be able to help secure its future.”
For more information visit http://www.kite-festival.org.uk.
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