KILKENNY ARTS FESTIVAL 2009 - "MOST SUCCESSFUL FESTIVAL YET"On the last day of the 2009 the Kilkenny Arts Festival, the number of tickets sold for in 2009 was up + 25% versus 2008, with the final day's sales still to be included. All children's events sold out thanks to the "children go free" sponsorship initiative by taxback.com http://taxback.com where 2000 children got to attend the festival for free. Children's events account for 20% of all ticket sales. There was also significant increases in footfall to the visual art and craft exhibitions. Commenting on the sales figures, Damian Downes Kilkenny Arts Festival CEO said: "This has been the most successful festival yet despite the economic climate and is both a testament to the quality of the work we present and fitting reward for all the hard work that has gone into putting on the festival despite the toughest of conditions this year. Over the long history of the festival, we have developed a reputation for putting on high quality work and this reputation has been further bolstered this year. We were delighted to welcome back Noble laureate Seamus Heaney, who appeared as a relatively unknown young poet at the very first Kilkenny Arts Festival in 1974. Seamus is just one example of what makes the Kilkenny Arts Festival stand out as exceptional in its field; and that is its ability to identify rising stars ahead of the pack and show case them. Central to this is our unique curatorial model, which means that each strand is programmed by a specialist in their respective field, the likes of Colm Toibin (Literature), Aisling Prior (Visual Art), Susan Proud (Classical Music), Tom Creed (Theatre/Dance), Matthew Nolan (Wired), Gerry Godley (Music), Joe Brennan (Children's) and Angela O'Kelly (Craft). This proves that Kilkenny continues to be the jewel in crown of Irish arts festivals. It is critical for the future of the festival we continue to receive the investment in what we do to allow us to grow and develop." Commenting on the success of the festival, Kilkenny City Mayor Malcolm Noonan said:
"Looking at the increase in ticket sales and talking to artists this week it would now appear that Kilkenny Arts Festival is recession proof. This is an incredible testament to the board, the festival team and the volunteers, and places Kilkenny firmly on the map as the arts capital of Ireland. Any proposed cuts in funding would be totally unwarrranted given the economic and cultural benefit of this great festival."
Kilkenny Arts Festival,
9/10, Abbey Business Centre,
Abbey Street
Kilkenny City
Republic of Ireland
Main office: +353 (0) 56 7763663
Box office: +353 (0) 56 7752175
Fax: +353 (0) 56 7751704 www.kilkennyarts.ie Images from the 2008 Festival
Havana Son
Helios ll
Sculpture
Spiritualised
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