Reaching communities, children and young people

Lost In Translation – The Garden Party Photo: JMA Photography

Cover: The People’s Tower Photo: Chris Taylor

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Norfolk & Norwich Festival brings an unrivalled programme of world class classical and contemporary music, visual arts, literature, circus, theatre, dance and outdoor arts to our city and region.

A celebration of art and culture, people and place, we pride ourselves on our contribution to making Norfolk a world class cultural destination and enhancing the cultural value for those living and working in its communities. Our main community and engagement programmes are reliant on funding from private sources and corporate sponsorship and this is ever more important given the growing pressures on public funding of the arts.

Your support will enable us to continue this work to ensure more people living in Norfolk and Norwich, and especially those in harder to reach communities, are able to access and experience the very best of the Festival.

A snapshot of our success in 20141,451 participants took part in a Festival community or education project

70,000 total audience numbers

46,000 free audience numbers (estimated)

24,304 tickets sold

253 performances and events

585 artists and 480 school children took part in Norfolk & Norwich Open Studios

114 volunteers

“ Norwich City Council is proud to support the Festival… it brings enjoyment to the thousands of residents and visitors who take part each year. This year we have lent our special support to make sure there are free events so that as many residents as possible can have an opportunity to take part in the Festival.”Cllr Brenda Arthur, Leader, Norwich City Council

suppoRTING OUR coMMuNitY WOrK

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FRee, outdoOr And fOr all

Norfolk & Norwich Festival’s immensely popular programme of free outdoor performances sits at the heart of the Festival with over half of our total audience attending free events. In 2014 Lafarge Tarmac’s sponsorship of the free outdoor programme enabled us to continue with our ambitious free programme using Norwich’s open spaces and investment from South Norfolk District Council made it possible to extend this programme of free work to Diss.

Over 46,000 people enjoyed more than 50 free performances and events. The popular two day Garden Party in Norwich’s Chapelfield Gardens and Outside The Forum saw a weekend full of extraordinary performances and entertainment. Your support will enable us to continue to delight audiences of all ages, regardless of their background or budget.

“ Bringing thousands of people together, the Norfolk & Norwich Festival’s exciting free outdoor programme is one of the highlights of the event.” Eastern Daily Press

“ The entertainment was brilliant and so was the atmosphere.”2014 Audience survey

Paka Johnson – The Garden Party Photo: JMA Photography

The Garden Party Photo: JMA Photography

The Garden Party Photo: JMA Photography

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“ Stunning, amazing that it’s free!”

“ The free performances at Chapelfield and Outside the Forum were brilliant”2014 Audience survey

“ It really is my favourite time of the year and helps to make Norfolk & Norwich the vibrant and varied place that it is”Facebook comment

93% agreed Norfolk & Norwich Festival adds to the cultural life of the region.2014 Audience survey

Frantic – The Garden Party Photo: JMA Photography

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sChooLs, cHIlDRen And YOUnG People

A Day at the Festival is Norfolk & Norwich Festival’s specially designed programme of performances and workshops for schools, children’s centres and colleges across Norfolk; each year we take inspiration from the main Festival programme to create a bespoke line-up of engagement opportunities.

The Festival takes workshops and performances direct to schools and children’s centres, removing barriers to children experiencing the arts first hand. In 2014 for the first time we were also able to offer a schools transport fund to access performances at venues, thanks to support from East of England Co-op.

In 2014 we extended our offer to cover all key stages, from 0–18 years and created a bespoke offer for Special Educational Needs schools. A Day at the Festival received a hugely positive response from schools and children’s centres across the county:

* 96% of children said they loved or liked having the Festival at their school

* 100% of teachers and parents would recommend A Day at the Festival

* 56% of children said it was the first time they had ever experienced the arts and culture in this way

Your support will help to ensure that more children and young people are able to benefit from our schools programme, particularly those who have not previously had opportunities to engage with the arts.

“ It was great because it was fun to have something to do and something to be proud of.”Day at the Festival Participant, Bignold Primary School

“ The workshop appealed to all the children, regardless of ability. It was something totally different to things they usually experience in school.”Teacher, Catton Grove School

A Day at the Festival 2014: Not Now, Bernard at Scole CEVC Primary School Photo: Paul Harrison

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in 201416 schools and children’s centres took part in Day at the Festival activities

850 children and young people took part in educational projects

30 workshops took place across Norfolk

43 children completed their Arts Award Discover at The Garden Party

16 schools took part in Norfolk & Norwich Open Studios

“ It’s fun to use your imagination.” Day at the Festival Participant, Bure Valley Primary School

All of our schools programme activities can contribute to an Arts Award. In 2014 we offered children the opportunity to gain an Arts Award Discover by taking part in Discover The Garden Party during the Festival.

Discover The Garden Party Photo: JMA Photography

A Day at the Festival 2014: Breakin’ Convention at The Clare School Photo: Paul Harrison

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TAKe pARt pROJecTs

Local communities are integral to Norfolk & Norwich Festival, not just as audiences but as participants who take part in Festival activities.

The Take Part projects we provide enable people to experience great art, learn new skills, build self-confidence and experience a sense of pride and place for the city and county in which they live. These projects aim to encourage participation from those with few opportunities to engage with and benefit from the arts.

The People’s Tower featured in the free outdoor programme and was also central to our participation and engagement programme in 2014. 129 participants helped to construct the cardboard boxes in the lead up to the Festival, with over 10,000 people supporting the final build and knock down of the tower. People of all ages worked together to construct the impressive tower, a magnificent replica of St Peter Mancroft church in Norwich city centre.

Your support will enable us to offer more Take Part opportunities, which can reach more people and have a positive impact on our communities.

“ Fantastic! The more it goes up the more anxious we get – which adds to the excitement!” The People’s Tower participant

“ For eight hours volunteer builders worked to create the monument, and hundreds gathered to watch the grand finale when the giant tower was pulled to the ground and everyone rushed to jump up and down on the collapsed cardboard creation that aimed to inspire people of all ages to discover their inner child”Eastern Daily Press

The People’s Tower Photo: Chris Taylor

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Working with Age UK in 2014, Norfolk & Norwich Festival hosted an Afternoon Social full of activities which took place in the unique Adnams Spiegeltent. The Festival welcomed local members of the community to meet new friends and spend an enjoyable afternoon participating in arts and crafts.

2014 saw the launch of It’s Your Festival which offered performers the opportunity to perform on the last day of the Festival at a variety of locations across the city. 454 individuals representing 40 groups took part with an estimated audience of over 4,500 showing their support and enjoying the diverse range of performances.

Norfolk & Norwich Studios Open Studios celebrated its twentieth anniversary in 2014 with 585 local artists and 480 school children taking part, making it one of the largest and most successful open studio schemes in the UK.

“ It’s good that there’s so much going on and a good way of getting the community together”2014 It’s Your Festival audience survey

“ Very well organised – the children loved having lanyards with ‘Performer’ on it – made them feel really special!”2014 It’s Your Festival participant

NORCA’s Sistema Orchestra – It’s your Festival Photo: Chris Taylor

Afternoon Social Photo: Paul Harrison

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VoLUnteeRinG

Our successful Volunteer Programme is one of the best demonstrations of how Norfolk & Norwich Festival brings different communities together. Each year we recruit a team of over 100 volunteers from different walks of life and of all ages, who work together to make the Festival happen. Without them there would be no Festival!

2014’s volunteer programme was sponsored by East of England Co-op which shares our values of teamwork, helping others and engaging communities. In return for their time and dedication, volunteers can gain new skills, enhance job prospects, make new friends and have the satisfaction of a job well done.

“ It was an absolute blast. From doing NNF I have found occasional work with the council events team, signed up for Heritage Open Days and most excitingly I have an interview to volunteer the full 2 weeks at Cheltenham Literary Festival in October!” 2014 Festival volunteer100% of Volunteers said

they would volunteer with the Festival again.

2014 Festival volunteer Photo: Beth Moseley

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Your sUPpoRt CaN MAKe A ReAL DIFfereNce

We are proud of our ambitious community programmes and the diverse opportunities which these create for children, young people and adults across the city and county. Norfolk & Norwich Festival wants to continue to put participation at its heart with excellent artistic projects which are deeply rooted in a sense of place, community and culture.

In order to continue to deliver and expand the reach of our community engagement programmes, we rely on additional private sector and individual support and that is why your contribution is so important to us.

If you would like to hear more about our work and how you or your company could support the Festival, please contact Katie Ellis, Development Manager on 01603 877763 or katie@nnfestival.org.uk

“ We are very proud to continue supporting this exciting, diverse and energetic Festival which benefits the Norfolk Community in its entirety”Jackie & Richard Higham, Norfolk & Norwich Festival Supporters

78% said Norfolk & Norwich Festival encourages greater participation in community life and events2014 Audience survey

The People’s Tower Photo: JMA Photograph

dAtes FoR Your diARYNorfolk & Norwich Festival 8 – 24 May 2015

To download a copy of this document visit: nnfestival.org.uk/support_us

The Garden Party Photo: JMA Photography