insideKENT Magazine Issue 76 - July 2018 | Page 164

CHARITY Kent Charity Profile: CANTERBURY FESTIVAL CANTERBURY FESTIVAL IS THE LARGEST FESTIVAL OF ARTS AND CULTURE IN THE REGION. IT IS A CHARITY WHICH EXISTS TO PROVIDE POSITIVE CREATIVE EXPERIENCES FOR THE LOCAL AND WIDER COMMUNITY, ATTRACTING 65,000 VISITORS EACH YEAR. THE FESTIVAL BRINGS A RICH MIXTURE OF MUSIC, CIRCUS, THEATRE, COMEDY, CABARET AND MUCH MORE, FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO SURPRISE AND DELIGHT AUDIENCES. THIS YEAR, THE SHIRES, SIR BRYN TERFEL, SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR AND ACROBATIC CIRCUS COMPANY, BARELY METHODICAL TROUPE ARE AMONG THOSE SET TO WOW AUDIENCES BETWEEN 20 OCTOBER AND 3 NOVEMBER. Canterbury Festival’s year-round activity includes work with young people, schools, community groups and audiences, encouraging engagement with the arts for people of all ages and backgrounds. As an organisation, we celebrate the brilliant creativity of young people in the region through our Made in Kent strand, placement schemes and schools’ poetry competition. Wëreldbänd 164 THE FESTIVAL AIMS: • to inspire artists to create and perform • to champion emerging talent and support those seeking careers in the cultural industries by providing opportunities for work experience, training and professional performance • to contribute to the wellbeing of citizens of Canterbury and East Kent. Hansel and Gretel ‘probably the most important weeks of my life as I’m now 100% sure this is what I want to do as a career’ Jack Brown, Assistant Stage Management placement ‘it makes a huge difference to the development of my confidence as a young performer to have such excellent experiences to perform given to us by the Canterbury Festival’ Joseph Morris, participant in the Schools’ Lunchtime Concerts