Structure and Governance

Bewdley Festival was formed after a public meeting in 1987 at which it was decided that the town would hold an annual festival of the arts. The first festival was organised by a committee and took place in October 1988.

You can see more about the 33 year history of Bewdley Festival by visiting the Past Festivals section of this site.‍

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Bewdley Festival Limited is a company limited by guarantee and was incorporated on the 24^th May 1989 (Company Registration No. 02388535). It is a registered charity (Charity Registration No. 701629). We continue to hold arts and cultural events each year for the benefit of our local community.

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Our purposes are exclusively charitable and all the funds raised are for the charity’s benefit and used solely in carrying out its objectives as set out in our Memorandum of Association:

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• Advance the education of the public, particularly in the neighbourhood of Bewdley, by the production and promotion of all forms of art including drama, dancing, singing, spoken word and music.
• Provide facilities in the interest of social welfare for recreation and other leisure time occupations, particularly in the neighbourhood of Bewdley for the benefit of the community.

“To bring the best into Bewdley and to bring the best out of Bewdley”.

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‍Thanks to the continued support and encouragement of the many Friends of Bewdley Festival, patrons, private donors and business supporters, Bewdley Festival has developed and expanded over the years to become an eagerly awaited part of the local calendar and has held an arts festival in the town of Bewdley every year since 1988.

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We aim to bring events to Bewdley which would not otherwise take place. Any surplus generated by our activities is either retained to ensure the financial sustainability of the charity or is re-invested in the arts.

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Bewdley Festival Structure and Governance

The organisation and governance of the Festival has developed over time and now has a two-tier structure: The Council of Management (Charity Trustees) and The Festival Society Committee (Elected by Festival Members at the Annual AGM).

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Council of Management: this consists of up to 11 directors/trustees who hold the overall responsibility of ensuring that festival activities and finances are correctly delivered. They ensure we comply with the statutory requirements laid down by the Charity Commission and Companies House. This includes safeguarding the festival’s aims, objectives and overall artistic integrity. Ensuring use of the charity’s resources is properly planned and managed. Exercising sound judgement and as far as possible managing risks by putting safeguards in place.

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Membership includes the Festival Society Chairman, members of Festival Society Committee, local people appointed for their particular expertise and the Festival Treasurer and Company Secretary. Trustees give freely of their time and do not receive any remuneration.

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Festival Society Committee: the day to day running of festival activities is the responsibility of the Festival Society committee which is made up of 15 elected members (see below). Responsibilities include planning, organising and delivering events; marketing; tickets sales and working with partners and local venues.

The committee raises money for the festival through the membership fees received from Friends of Bewdley Festival, tickets sales, grants, sponsorship and donations. It also runs a 100 Club and organises events, including the annual ‘Eat Bewdley’ raffle which serves to highlight the wealth of good restaurants, cafes, food outlets, growers and chefs in the area.

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