Rye Arts Festival isa financial success

The news was revealed when the festival committee held its AGM last week.

Festival spokesman Andy Stuart said: “Last year’s Festival, which had been budgeted to make a small loss having invested in an online ticket booking system for the first time, a new website and branding, actually turned in an amazing £4,000 profit.

“There were more events in the packed fortnight’s programme in 2014 and more tickets were sold.

“The growth in the audience was balanced by increased valuable and very welcome sponsorship from generous local businesses and private individuals, plus grants from Rye Town Council and Rother District Council which were also up year-on-year.”

Festival chairman Ian Graham-Bryce said: “As well as presenting an ambitious programme of high quality events, which the Rye Arts Festival’s loyal and critical audience has come to expect over the last 43 years, in 2014 there was strong focus on innovation.”

Work on the 2015 Festival is well under way. It will start on Friday September 11 with a free contemporary music gig. There will be an opera from Euphonia who provided last year’s triumphant La Traviata and there will be a packed programme of events that run daily until Sunday September 27. More information on the 2015 Festival will appear on www.ryartsfetival.co.uk and the Festival can be followed on Twitter @ryearts.