The annual Isle of Arts event held in Ventnor has been scrapped by organisers for financial reasons.
Organisers say that the artistic success of the event has not been matched by a financial one, with organisers having to make good a substantial shortfall each year.
Several requests for support from the Arts Council have proved unsuccessful for the festival and, in the current economic climate, commercial sponsorship is ever harder to secure. The decision has been made by the team to not plan for 2016’s event or beyond.
In a statement issued today, Isle of Arts have said:
“We have greatly enjoyed putting on the Festival these last five years, watching it grow and be enthusiastically received by our audiences.
“We would also like to acknowledge the invaluable support of our sponsors, advertisers, Festival Friends, local businesses and individuals and of course our wonderful volunteers”.
One supporter has said:
“It was great event bringing international stars and lots of other talented acts to Ventnor, really putting the place on the map for a good reason”.
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