| AdminHistory | Spitalfields Festival Ltd. began as a classical music venture, following a concert in 1976 which marked the start of a campaign to save Christ Church in Spitalfields from the threat of demolition. The Festival's principal theatre was, and remains Christ Church, which has its roots in the Fifty New Churches Act of 1711. The Friends of Christ Church was launched to oversee the campaign as the reputation of the Festival expanded into a range of venues which showcased early and new music.
The history of the Festival boasts many landmarks. In 1989, Spitalfields Festival Ltd became an independent charity and inherited responsibility for running the Festival from the Friends of Christ Church. Then came the launch of the Educational and Community Programme, which became an integral part of the Festival. Its initial objective was to work with local schools and clients of Christ Church's drop-in centre for the homeless. This remit extended to facilitating wider audience participation and creative sessions for other local client groups and organisations, some of whom might not otherwise enjoy access to the arts. The Festival also involves music practitioners in its project delivery. Such practicalities form the backbone of the Festival's Learning and Participation Programme, in its promotion of cross-cultural communication.
The Festival's achievements reflect a varied programme and a talent for attracting performers of the highest calibre. In 2001, the Festival launched 25 different premieres, including music of Irish, Bangladeshi and Somalian origin. While Christ Church was undergoing refurbishment in 2003, performances were staged at other locations, including Wilton's, the Brady Arts Centre and Toynbee Hall. Christ Church came back into use for festival performances following completion of major restoration in 2004 and the redeveloped crypt opened in 2015.
The Spitalfields Festival creates music experiences for over 30,000 people a year, as it draws on the spirit of people living in the area, and local and global influences. In 2017, it relaunched in order to focus on one Winter Festival a year, staged in December. After a break in 2019, the Festival was scheduled to return to its original summer incarnation in June 2020. Given the pandemic, organisers decided to stage a digital day event in December 2020.
Sources of information:
spitalfieldsmusic.org
ccspits.org
music.britishcouncil.org |