Ashford Borough Council to continue supporting cultural events and festivals
Published: 13/12/2024
The updated Ashford Festival and Events Framework 2025-2028 was agreed by Cabinet on Thursday 12 December and is now subject to Full Council approval. The framework will be used as the direction for the council’s continued support and delivery for festivals and events in Ashford Town Centre and across the borough.
The council has been testing and piloting a range of festivals and activity over the past three years following the adoption of the original framework in 2021 (Festival and Events Framework 2021-2024).
Many successes have been achieved from the first framework and the new one reflects these as well as including new opportunities to help ensure the borough continues to have a broad, diverse and attractive programme of events.
Ashford residents can expect to see a continuation of core events like Carnival of the Baubles, Create Music Village and Ashford Food and Drink Festival. Alongside those, it will also see a calendar of important civic and historical dates to be promoted or commemorated including the upcoming 80th anniversary of VE Day and 85th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.
Local event organisers will be encouraged to apply for funding support towards their events and festivals through the Community Event Grant Scheme. Previous events to receive this funding include Ashford Pride, Tenterden Folk Festival, Eid celebrations organised by Indians in Ashford, World in a Tent and the literary arts and environment focused Wealden Festival.
The framework helps stimulate a vibrant town centre events programme for residents, visitors and businesses through large participative carnivals, stunning murals, family art trails, grassroots music gigs and food festivals.
It is also integral to having a programme that supports our community celebrating their heritage and diversity and gives the opportunity to participate locally in shared moments and increases the skills, productivity and job opportunities for local creatives in the borough.
Some feedback from the events in the past two years includes:
Audience member said: “I was totally blown away by the amount of people and buzz in the air - what a wonderful community spirit it was and so much hard work must have gone into it!”
Audience member said: “It’s amazing having free events to bring the children to.”
Cllr Noel Ovenden, Leader of Ashford Borough Council, said: "I’m fully behind this refreshed and updated framework. Seeing first-hand the impact our events and festivals have on our people, venues, town centres, and communities has been truly inspiring."
The council’s support to the local cultural industry is also evidenced by the council agreeing last month to continue to support, through funding, Revelation in Ashford. Revelation, at St Mary’s Church is a pop-up arts venue which welcomes international musicians, legendary art performers and experiences for the local community.
