Lancaster Music Festival crowdfunding to expand programme

Lancaster Music Festival will return this October and plans for more people to get involved in exciting musical activities are already underway.

This year’s festival will take place from October 12-15 and even before the first note is performed, organisers want to expand their programme of free music-related activities for all ages and abilities and are calling on the public to back their plans.

A Crowdfunding campaign has been launched as part of Lancashire County Council’s Crowdfund Lancashire Culture and Sport Fund, and potential supporters have until May 2 to pledge their donations, small or large, to help reach the target of just over £11,500.

With this funding, the festival can increase the number of family-friendly activities it offers, take more musicians into more primary schools before the festival, as well as provide live music in healthcare environments so that patients and care home residents can be part of the festival.

The 2022 festival saw more than 1,100 people take part in almost 60 activities  including 46 music-related workshops and 13 public participation events. There were also 525 performances at more than sixty venues across Lancaster.

The four-day event covered a wide range of music genres with 85% of acts being local.

This year, festival organisers also want to increase mentoring of local young talent and in May will launch their LMF Academy, previously known as Search For A Star, where young acts will learn about song writing, stagecraft, performance technique and repertoire development from local Sony International recording artists, Lowes, culminating in performances at the festival.

Festival director, Stuart Marshall, said: “We just need one final push to get our Crowdfunding campaign over the line. We have big plans to provide more opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to take part in music activities before and during this year’s festival but with Crowdfunding, it’s all or nothing so these events can only happen with the public’s support.”

Donations from as little as £2 can be made at https://www.spacehive.com/be-part-of-lancaster-music-festival-2023.

Lancaster Music Festival is run by a not-for profit community organisation and last year’s event was partly funded by Arts Council England and Lancaster BID, along with other sponsors and funding organisations.