Au Revoir...
The final Feast! picnic by the lake took place in Manchester 5th-7th June.
As many of you will know, this year we not only present the final Feast but also the Last M.I.A and Streets Ahead event in Manchester
for the foreseeable future.
Over the past 21 years, we have been bringing outstanding events to the city - from our early days exploring world music, through legendary festivals such as Ona Catalana, Streets Ahead and the Garden of Delights and special events such as Bells in the Sky, Legs on the Wall, the Farm in Albert Square and the Fire Garden here in Platt Fields. We hope we’ve presented work that will live on in your memories.
Our aim has always been to bring some of the words top artists to Manchester whilst also working extensively with locally based acts and finding ways to involve community groups and individuals in what’s going on and create events that are welcoming to all.
Throughout our history, M.I.A. has always been under-funded and we have only kept going because of the hard work and dedication of our small team - usually numbering only two or three people - and by putting most of the money we have raised directly into the artistic programme.
Two years ago, Anne Tucker who co-founded and directed M.I.A. stepped down, to focus her energies on planning centenary celebrations in Platt Fields Park in 2010.
This led us to consider how we could keep presenting events on a sustainable long-term basis. We knew it would have required increased support, and for the past 18 months we have been discussing this with our principal funders. Although Arts Council England have been broadly supportive, Manchester City Council are not willing to increase their investment in us and have made it clear that their priorities for increased spending on cultural activities lie elsewhere. This is both disappointing and sad, there’s so much more work we wanted to share with you (and of course Anne had great hopes of a centenary Feast! next year in Platt Fields). We shall greatly miss working for and with the many different Manchester communities and our huge, warm and appreciative audiences here.
However, we continue to present to present our special style of events elsewhere in the North West, especially in Cumbria, where we have just successfully launched LAKES ALIVE (gaining a 4**** review in the Guardian). Many are within easy traveling distance so we hope you join us on our new adventures.
You can keep up to date by registering for free email bulletins at www.streetsahead.org.uk
Jeremy
A few piccies from this years Feast......
Photos by Sharon Tait
