Think Marketing Comment On Leith Festival Back From Brink With Full Ten-Day Programme

May 25, 2012 - PRLog -- Think Marketing were pleased to hear today that Leith Festival has beaten off funding fears to return, against the odds, with a full ten-day programme of events this summer. Event organisers called an emergency general meeting in December to try to save the Festival after it lost thousands of pounds in funding.

Board member Rowan Campbell told the Evening News at the time that the 2012 festival may have to be restricted to its traditional Gala Day, but now organisers have unveiled a jam-packed programme of activities. Last year’s festival attracted 25,000 visitors from across Scotland and beyond and organisers pointed out this year’s programme was as big as before, despite harder times.

Our source at Think Marketing, an Edinburgh-based sales and marketing company said, “I’m really glad to see that the festival is going ahead now. It’s always a really fun day in the calendar, and it would have been a great shame if it had to be cut down because of funding.”

The programme, which runs from June 8-17, will feature 170 free or low-cost events around Leith, including art, music, local theatre and dance groups. The Gala Day will take place on Saturday, June 9. And due to popular demand the Pageant will return to its traditional route down Leith Walk. It is expected to draw a crowd of up to 10,000.

Other highlights of the Festival include free breakdance lessons for youngsters, tours of Easter Road stadium and Who Killed the Pop Star?, a 1980s murder mystery with “big hair”.

“There’s always something fun going on for the whole family,” said our source at Think Marketing, “The festival has got a real variety of entertainment, so there will be something for everyone.”

Despite losing funding from Forth Ports, Leith Neighbourhood Partnership and Big Lottery Fund in recent years, the Festival has survived thanks partly to donations from within the community itself.
Festival chair Councillor Gordon Munro said: “We put a call out to the community, and the community answered that call. As well as local people, we had the Queen’s former yacht itself sailing in to save us.”

Ms Toscani said “We’re grateful for the support of The Royal Yacht Britannia, Scotmid, and 98.8 Castle FM. The passion from people to keep this thing alive has been amazing.”