Lincoln Inspired Launches 2014 Fundraiser
by Sue North.
Date: 19 September 2013
FUNDRAISING to pay for the costs of staging the next Lincoln Inspired arts festival in May 2014 officially gets under way today (Thursday September 19).
The team behind the festival, which is largely run by volunteers, has set itself a tough target of raising up to £14,000 by November 1 this year.
“It may sound a lot but judging by the positive response we had when we launched Lincoln Inspired last year and the reaction to the first festival in May we are really hoping we can make it,” said festival director Sara Bullimore.
Lincoln Inspired Focus
Lincoln Inspired focuses on books, comedy, theatre, arts, music, conversation, children’s events and more. It is run by a not-for-profit company and relies largely on donations from individuals plus cash and in-kind sponsorship from local businesses and organisations to meet its running costs.
“More than 5,000 people attended events across the five days of the festival in 2013 and we’re determined to make 2014 better,” said Sara.
“We’ve got lots of great fundraising ideas, such as a new Friends of the Festival scheme and a programme of Lincoln Inspired Presents events, which will be running throughout the year.
“We are going to run another Crowdfunding campaign, which raised £1,000 last time, some more quiz nights, raffles and tombolas and anything else we can think of – and look out for our donation jars at venues around the city for loose change and for our profile page on the online donation site ploink.co.uk
“It may sound like we’ve given ourselves a big target to reach but there are a lot of hidden costs that the audience don’t see associated with running a festival, like printing the brochure, running the website, artists’ fees and travel expenses and things like hiring sound equipment.”
Sara said that the organising team had been overwhelmed by the generosity of people in Lincoln for the first festival, especially those who gave sums as small as £5.
“We firmly believe that if everybody gives a little we can achieve a lot and that will be our philosophy for 2014,” she added.
4 Membership Levels
The new Friends scheme has four levels of membership which cost from £15 upwards. Friends get benefits such as priority booking for tickets and invitations to exclusive events, depending on the package chosen.
Supporters and sponsors who have already signed up again for Lincoln Inspired 2014, which runs from May 6-11, include Lincoln Drill Hall, the Lincolnshire Echo, Waterstones, Ultimate Print, the University of Lincoln, Siren FM, ImpDesign and Dale and Co Solicitors.
Several of the festival’s patrons, who include authors Margaret Dickinson and Karen Maitland, astronomer Paul Money, former Lincolnshire Poet Laureate Joel Stickley and musicians Elliott Morris and Liz Lenten, have also agreed to take part again next year.
Full details of the scheme, together with information about sponsorship packages, are available at the festival website lincolninspired.co.uk
The festival is marking its first ‘official’ birthday on November 1 with a Birthday Bash at the Drill Hall featuring folk duo David Gibb and Elly Lucas and local guitar hero Elliott Morris which is part of the Lincoln Inspired Presents series.
Tickets, priced £8, are on sale via lincolndrillhall.com or from the box office on (01522) 873894.
