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Three of Wigan Borough’s most celebrated
cultural festivals have been given the green light to enthral audiences
again this summer.
Thanks to the Wigan Borough Partnership, around £50,000 worth of funding
has been secured to ensure that the Wigan One World Festival (WOW),
Haigh Music Festival and the Leigh Multicultural Festival will continue
in 2008.
The three festivals are organised by Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust as
part of the borough’s Festival Fever programme. In 2007 the programme
attracted a combined audience of over 20,000 people.
The future of the programme had been placed in doubt due to the
Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF) coming to a close in March 2008. The
NRF had been vital in helping to finance the borough’s programme of
festivals for the last five years.
Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust Arts and Festivals Manager Chris Wyatt
said: “The borough is resident to so many highly creative people, so we
are delighted that the Partnership has offered to support these hugely
important festivals that help to showcase those talents. The Partnership
and Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust are committed to supporting
diversity. It is therefore vital that we can bring people together to
share each others cultures, skills and traditions and are able to
celebrate them as part of these events.”
“We are very proud of the Festival Fever programme and are looking
forward to working with our various partners again. Wigan Borough is
becoming renowned across Greater Manchester as a hub for strong and
established home-grown public arts based events. Haigh, WOW and the
Leigh Festival give thousands of local people a unique opportunity they
may have to enjoy free artistic entertainment on their doorstep. These
events are now part of our borough’s cultural make up and it is
essential that they continue to be successful.”
Haigh Festival will take place on Sunday 6th July at Haigh Country park.
Haigh brings together an eclectic mix of local indie, rock and pop bands
playing original music. The festival attracted an audience of 7,000 in
2007 and is organised by the Trust in partnership with Wigan Music
Collective.
Leigh Multicultural Festival will take place on Sunday 26th July at
Leigh Civic Square. The event celebrates the borough’s diverse cultures
and includes community showcases of dance, music performance and song.
The main event is preceded by entertainment at Leigh’s civic square
every lunch time from Wednesday 23rd July through to the Saturday. This
event is in partnership with Wigan Council’s Leigh Neighbour’s Project.
Wigan One World Festival is scheduled for Sunday 3rd August at Mesnes
Park Wigan. The festival celebrates diversity and features dance, music
and arts activities from around the globe. In 2007 the event was
attended by over 9,000 people.
All of these events are free to attend. For further information visit
www.wlct.org/festivalfever or contact Chris Wyatt on 01942 486929.
-ends-
NOTES TO EDITORS: For further information on this press release please
Contact Media and Public Relations on 01942 486937.
Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust: Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust is a
charitable trust working on behalf of Wigan Council to manage and
support leisure and cultural facilities, initiatives and events for over
300,000 residents in the Wigan Borough. See
www.wlct.org
Getting Wigan Active and Improving People’s Lives: is Wigan Leisure and
Culture Trust’s vision to get people across Wigan Borough more
physically, mentally and creatively active. The Trust also aims to have
a positive impact on people’s lives through the wide range of services
it provides.
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Backstage with The Maladies of Bellafontaine at the 2007 Haigh Music
Festival
2007 WOW Festival |