Derbyshire Festival Development: Shaping the Future of Britain’s Festival County – hosted by Arts Derbyshire

With over 100 arts, cultural, and heritage festivals throughout the year, Derbyshire has rightfully earned its reputation as “Britain’s Festival County.” But what makes a festival truly thrive, and how can we maximize its impact?

Join us at Arts Derbyshire  for the next New Horizons meeting  in Ashbourne on the subject of Derbyshire Festival Development, a dynamic exploration of the challenges and opportunities in festival planning. From boosting local economies to curating quality programming, incentivizing volunteers, securing funding, and understanding audience engagement—this event will bring together industry experts, festival organizers, and creatives to exchange insights and strategies.

Whether you’re looking to refine your festival model or explore new funding avenues, this event is your gateway to ensuring Derbyshire remains a beacon for arts and culture. Let’s celebrate, innovate, and collaborate to make our festivals even more successful!

Panel:

Stephen Munn (Chair)               Director Arts Derbyshire

Emily Bowman                             CEO Junction Arts

Ralph Kennedy                             CEO Without Walls

Sarah Sheed                                   Relationship Manager Arts Council England

Tim Challans                                 Director Ashbourne Festival

When: 16 May, from 10am to 1pm

Cost: Free but registration is essential

Venue: Courtney Gallery, 50 St. John Street, Ashbourne DE6 1GH

How to reserve a place: Book a ticket right here

Please remember to:

• Book at ticket to help with seating arrangements
• Bring along a image or object which describes your work for the pop up exhibition
• Please let us know at booking if you have access requirements, and we will endeavour to meet them. The museum has taken every measure to ensure that they are as open and accessible to as many people as possible. The Museum is fully wheelchair-accessible and assistance may be provided if required. Please do contact Arts Derbyshire or the venue if you need any more access information.