An Urgent Appeal on behalf of Sydenham Arts Festival

[safdirector]

You may know that we currently planning our sixth annual arts festival in Sydenham - as always providing a fantastic, wide-ranging programme of arts events and activities for the whole community, more than half of which are free (see link below)

http://sydenhamartsfestival.co.uk/

Having received some very generous grants from National Lottery and Lewisham Council, not to mention support from local businesses, this has become our most ambitious programme ever, meaning July will see several, very high-profile, large-scale events come to Sydenham and Forest Hill.

With events on this scale, there has been a much larger than unexpected increase in costs – in particular for technical infrastructure, security personnel and health & safety provision. Despite strenuous efforts to meet this shortfall in our budget, we need additional funds. We are therefore making an urgent appeal to local residents, festival goers, business owners, stakeholders and supporters, to help us meet this gap.

Become a Friend of Sydenham Arts Festival

In our own 'crowd-funding' bid, we are looking to raise additional funds from private donations. You may donate any amount, but those contributing £50 or more will be listed as a Friend of Sydenham Arts Festival on our website, and can also claim two free tickets (subject to availability) to one of the following events:

HEGLEY & KAY or IAN SIEGAL: 21ST CENTURY FOLK & BLUES

OR 1 family ticket (2 adults, 2 children) to JEREMY STRONG (children's author)

OR 2 adult & 2 child tickets to TOY SYMPHONY (concert & workshop)

PLUS an invite to our pre-festival ‘warm up’ in June.

NB: Tickets may be claimed up until Mon 23 June 2014.

Friends will be listed on our site in four categories:

Platinum - £500 +
Gold - £250 +
Silver - £100 +
Bronze - £50 +

How to donate to Sydenham Arts Festival Ltd (a not-for-profit organisation):

Cheques (made payable to Sydenham Arts Festival Ltd): drop in or post to Sydenham Arts Festival, Kirkdale Bookshop, 272 Kirkdale, Sydenham SE26 4RS

Cash: please leave envelopes at Kirkdale Bookshop, marked Sydenham Arts Festival Friends (receipts will be provided).

Bank transfer: Barclays account number 43366650, sort code 20-05-57. Please use reference Friend of SAF

Please also email financeofficer@sydenhamartsfestival.co.uk with subject line Sydenham Arts Festival Friends Appeal, to claim your free tickets and be named as a Friend on our site.

Thank You!

The SAF team

[leenewham]

We are backing this and will put some funds in.

We hope others do too. The arts festival is a fantastic local asset and well worth investing in.

[safdirector]

Thanks Lee - we really appreciate your support!

Thanks also to those who have already generously made donations.

We do understand there may be some people who assume that we are very well funded and don't need extra support from the community - but staging free events is expensive, and our costs have escalated this year. Despite several successful funding bids, ongoing support from Lewisham Council and very generous support from local businesses, we are still rather short of our overall target.

We'd especially like to hear from any corporate businesses or business owners we haven't already approached, if they're able to help us financially. We are very open to sponsorship deals and there are lots of opportunities for businesses to associate their brands with us.

Please email director@sydenhamartsfestival.co.uk or financeofficer@sydenhamartsfestival.co.uk if you can help

thanks
Jonathan Kaufman
(festival director)

[leenewham]

I'm bumping this, it's important.

Come on Sydenham, get behind this.

[Pat Trembath]

Totally agree, Lee. I've put a donation in the SAF pot - hope others follow suit.

As Lee says "Come on Sydenham - get behind this......."

[leenewham]

How many people have their arts festival brochure?

What events are people going to?

I'm looking forward to the street celebration, arts in the park, toy symphony and 'till the boys come home' and 'the lady and the tramp' at trattoria (which is a lovely idea including meatballs).

I dropped off a donation at the bookshop this morning, which was buzzing as usual.

[biscuitman1978]

I've just made a small contribution too.

As others have said earlier in this thread, let's get behind the festival!

[elamundy]

Wonderful event that deserves our support. It is a real privilege to have a choice of so many inspiring events on our door steps for two weeks in a year. I participated in quite a few and probably the most memorable being last year's Space Adventures at St Bart's church. Attended the concert with our three sons (then 10, 8 &7) and was not sure of how much they are going to enjoy it. "Mum, that was EPIC!!!" they all exclaimed when we left the church and it was truly memorable evening. I am sure there are many similar treats lined up for us this year and hope none will have to be cancelled. I am sure there is still time to give the SAF team a helping hand...

[Maria]

Yeap - we too left our contribution at Kirkdale bookshop - but the difficult bit now is to choose. Of course the street and park events won't be missed but... I'm sitting here and cannot be sure yet, there's just so much to choose from! Oh, with one exception: I will absolutely definitely go on the 202 bus - sounds hilarious!
Yet another fantastic Festival year in Sydenham - thank you.