Supported by a new £1,000 donation from Durham City Freemen’s Charitable Trust and £2,500 from EMG Solicitors, the festival team is working in partnership with the charity Durham Area Youth and local youth projects which are part of the Durham Youth Print network, to reach children and young people who live in local villages and areas on the outskirts of the city centre.
The community engagement project has involved pre-festival taster performances, including rising star Ben Donaghy at Pittington Village Hall and North East Culture Awards Winner, Isabel Maria, at the Sir Thomas Allan Assembly Rooms in the city. Young people visiting the Assembly Rooms also had a “behind-the-scenes” tour backstage and heard from various staff members about their routes into careers in the arts.
Analysis of a survey carried out in the wake of last year’s event, confirmed an audience satisfaction rate of over 93 per cent and also identified “the potential to deliver the magic and buzz of a festival experience” to young people from culturally deprived areas close to the city.
Festival director Stephen Cronin said: “Previous Durham Fringe Festivals in the city have proved the appetite and demand for a festival of this sort in an area which has one of the smallest arts and culture sectors in the country. We are constantly looking to grow and diversify our audience and the generous support of both the freemen and EMG will be transformational and a key part of helping us to do that.
“This community engagement project with Durham Area Youth and Durham Youth Print is a logical next step for us and builds on partnership work in previous years. We were delighted when Durham Youth Print approached us with the idea for a joint project as we’ve always wanted to do more to reach children and young people who live so close to where the festival takes place.
“We are very aware of the cost of living crisis for families and the support from the freemen and EMG will mean we can offer tickets and support with transport for young people involved in the project. They will also have the chance to take part in supported volunteering. We’ve got some fantastic shows for younger audiences this year, so the timing of the project is perfect.”
Eric Bulmer, chairman of the freemen’s charitable trustees said: “We are delighted once again to support the Durham Fringe, particularly its project to engage with young people in our communities.”
Claire Hewitt, head of business development at EMG added: “Supporting our local communities is at the very heart of what we do and we are excited to be supporting this opportunity for so many young people who are interested in the arts.”
Durham Area Youth’s chief executive Emily Burns said: “It’s a brilliant opportunity for young people from across the outskirts of the city to engage with the festival and have an experience they might not ordinarily have access to. It promotes collaboration and partnership working across sectors, all for the benefit of improving opportunities for young people.”
The festival runs from the 23rd to the 27th of July.
