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Lichfield Festival Ltd
Lichfield Festival Limited (Charity no. 512201) is one of the leading cultural organisations in the West Midlands. Under the leadership of Director Fiona Stuart, the organisation is run by a team of 8 members of staff and governed by a board of trustees. Formed as a registered charity in 1981 the organisation promotes:
- The Lichfield Festival, an annual multi arts festival lasting for 10 days in July.
- Lichfield Literature, an annual 9 day literary event in October
- Aspire, our Learning & Participation programme of education and community activities leading up to and culminating at each Festival.
The Lichfield Festival
The Lichfield Festival brings the best national and international artists and performers to the West Midlands each year for a summer celebration of classical music, dance, drama, film, jazz, literature, poetry, visual arts and world music. Lichfield Festival holds a unique role not only in the city but within Staffordshire and the surrounding area, and has in only a short time become an integral part of the region’s cultural fabric – a focal point for exciting and challenging artistic presentations of an international calibre, and a showcase for Lichfield’s own wealth of heritage, culture and creativity.
The programme is wide and varied with an outdoor cinema adding to the range of concerts, gigs and talks plus a large number of free events including the Festival Fringe, Arts Market, Sundown Jazz and visual arts exhibitions. Past performers and artists have included Nigel Kennedy, The Halle, Soweto Gospel Choir, The Brodsky Quartet, Oscar Peterson, Simon Rattle, Georgie Fame, Maggie Hambling, Carol Ann Duffy, Christopher LeBrun, Djivan Gasparyan, Jon Lord, Clement Freud, The Hairy Bikers and the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain.
Lichfield Festival showcases the best of Lichfield’s historic and contemporary architecture and beautiful outdoor spaces by holding events in Lichfield Cathedral, Lichfield Garrick Theatre and a range of smaller venues including Swinfen Hall Hotel, St Michael’s and St Chad’s Churches and Lichfield Guildhall plus Beacon Park, Market Square and the Cathedral Close.
The Lichfield Festival receives over 50,000 visitors annually who come from a c.30 mile radius of Lichfield. The Festival is also fortunate to have 120 dedicated volunteers, 25% of whom are under the age of 26.
Lichfield Literature
Since 2006 The Lichfield Festival has presented an Autumn Literature Festival to compliment the summer programme. The Festival, like its summer cousin, brings the best literary talent to Lichfield for a series of one-hour talks hosted primarily in partnership with the George Hotel.
Originally taking place over a single weekend, Lichfield Literature has now expanded into a 9-day Festival comprising over 45 events. Many of Britain’s leading literary figures, including Sir John Mortimer, Rabbi Lionel Blue, Julia Neuberger, Kate Adie, Tony Benn, John Carey, Barry Unsworth, Alison Weir, Prof Ian Stewart, David Aaronovitch, Jo Brand, Roy Hattersley and Martin Bell, have delighted our audiences over the years.
Since it began, the Festival has also incorporated the Lichfield Literary Dinner. A highlight of the city’s cultural year featuring a high-profile after-dinner speaker. In 2011 we were delighted to welcome Colin Dexter, creator of Inspector Morse and raconteur of high renown.
Staff
Festival Director Fiona Stuart
fiona.stuart@lichfieldfestival.org
Festival Manager Peter Bacon
peter.bacon@lichfieldfestival.org
Administrator Richard Bateman
richard.bateman@lichfieldfestival.org
Development Manager Vicki Stanley; Katie Scott
vicki.stanley@lichfieldfestival.org katie.scott@lichfieldfestival.org
Finance Administrator Judy Grew
judy.grew@lichfieldfestival.org
Learning & Participation Manager Jennifer Smith
jennifer.smith@lichfieldfestival.org
Learning & Participation Officer Pam Easto
education@lichfieldfestival.org
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Board of Directors, Lichfield Festival Ltd
Mr Nick Sedgwick, Chairman Nick Sedgwick has been a board member since 1987, Company Secretary from 1988 to 2001 and Chairman from 2001 to date. His professional career has been in house building and he is currently semi-retired. In addition to being involved with the Lichfield Festival he has been a past Sheriff of Lichfield and past Chairman of Lichfield District Council where he served for 18 years. He is also a Trustee of Michael Lowe Charity where he is Vice Chairman and is Chairman of Municipal Charities. He was made a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Smiths in 2009. He lives in Lichfield.
Mr Rob Tyler, Finance Director Rob Tyler is an accountant, and has lived in the Lichfield area for over 30 years. He spent 26 years as a director with a National house builder – and is now semi-retired. In addition to various other interests, directorships of two small businesses and membership of a local Lord Chancellor’s Advisory Committee continue to keep him fully occupied. A keen supporter of Lichfield Festival, he joined the Board in 2004.
Colin Ablitt Member of Lichfield District Council for some ten years including time as Cabinet member for culture during which time responsible for commissioning Lichfield Garrick Theatre, the Burntwood Leisure Centre and chairing and reshaping the Lichfield Arts Partnership. Council member of the Arts Council (West Midlands) for some eight years. Currently Deputy Chairman of Staffordshire Scouting. Currently Member and past Chairman of the Conduit Lands Trust. Currently Governor of Whittington Primary School and Chairman of the finance sub committee. Currently member of the Guild of Smiths and Freeman of Lichfield. Colin and his wife Helen are Millennium Members of the LFA.
Sue Arnold Director of Haselour House Media Ltd, a full-service advertising agency with a client list that includes blue-chip companies Rentokil/Initial and the Pertemps Group. Sue Arnold has pursued a career in publishing for over 25 years. She is chair of SucceSS, the business and professional cluster group in South Staffordshire, immediate past President of Southern Staffordshire Chamber, previous director of British Chambers of Commerce (London), and immediate past Chair of Business Link Staffordshire.
Tony Bateman Tony Bateman is Managing Director of Pegasus Planning Group Limited, a large national multi disciplinary planning and environmental consultancy, with its regional office based at Canwell. The company has actively supported the Lichfield Festival over a number of years prior to Tony joining the board. He is a chartered surveyor, a chartered town planner and a member of the Institute of Directors. He lives close to the centre of Lichfield with his wife, Marian.
Sue Beardsmore Sue worked on daily news for BBC television in the Midlands for over 25 years, as a reporter and presenter. She has extensive production, writing and coaching experience in both television and radio. She regularly hosts awards ceremonies and conferences in the Midlands. She works with a wide range of clients – television presenters and journalists, corporate clients and students. Sue has a BA in English and Politics, and an MA in Mass Communications. She’s carried out broadcast training assignments for the Thomson Foundation, CIRCOM regional, IREX Europe and T-Media, working in Qatar, Serbia, Germany and Slovenia. In personal presentation and media skills she has worked with managers, press officers and individuals from public service and commercial organisations, arts organisations and charities across the UK.
The Right Revd David Bentley David Bentley has spent his working life as an ordained minister in the Church of England, the first 25 years in various parishes, then bishop of Lynn in the diocese of Norwich for 7 years and 10 years as bishop of the diocese of Gloucester from 1993 to 2003. He and his wife Clarice moved to Lichfield on his retirement. He is chairman of the Lichfield Festival Association.
The Very Revd Adrian Dorber Adrian Dorber has been Dean of Lichfield since September 2005; ordained as a priest in 1980 he began his ministry in the Oxford Diocese. He followed this as Chaplain and Lecturer at Portsmouth University and then as Director of Ministries and Training in the Durham Diocese. He is a member of the Oversight Group for the Churches’ Regional Training Partnership, he chairs the Lichfield Diocesan Local Ministry Scheme, is joint patron of Fair Trade Lichfield, Chair of Governors of the Cathedral School and a Governor of King Edward VI School, Lichfield. His academic interests are in Systematic Theology and Social Ethics.
David Frost Chairman of the Studio Schools Trust and the National network of Local Enterprise Partnerships. He is also Chairman of the National Centre for Entrepreneurship in Education and a trustee of the Ufi Charitable Trust. Prior to this he was Director-General of the British Chambers of Commerce, where based in Westminster, his role was to represent the interests of 100,000 businesses. He has also been Chief Executive of East Mercia Chamber of Commerce, covering Walsall and southern Staffordshire. David lives in Sutton Coldfield.
Pauline Round Pauline Round has been closely involved with the Festival since its earliest days, as her late husband John Round was its first Finance Director. In 1985 she moved to Kent where she obtained an Hons. Degree in Eng . and American Lit. at the University of Kent , followed later by a Post Grad. Cert. in Theology. She returned to Lichfield in 2002 and joined the Festival Board. She is also a member of Lichfield Cathedral Council, a member of the Executive Committee of the Friends of the Cathedral, Abbotsholme Arts Society Committee and is involved in the selection of art for exhibition in the Cathedral.
Lesley Smith Lesley Smith is Curator of Tutbury Castle in Staffordshire and essentially an English Reformationist Medical Historian. She is currently writing up her PhD in obstetrics and gynaecology in early modern Britain, supervised by Birmingham University and The British Museum. She is also a member of the Association of Medical Writers. Lesley has lectured across the world including the Royal Society in Edinburgh for The Scottish Parliament, The Royal Society of Medicine, The Royal College in London and Cambridge University Medical School. Lesley also studies the reproduction and gynaecological lives of women. This is a challenging field as the study of women is fragmented and also much of the research is about the private lives and examines often forbidden knowledge at a time when women were very largely uneducated. She has 18 academic publications in her name. Lesley has appeared in over 100 television programmes in the last 5 years.
2010 Accounts
Download a Pdf of the 2010 Festival Accounts here
Millennium Members
The Lichfield Festival acknowledges the following people who supported the Festival’s Millennium Membership campaign in 2000:
Mrs Sheila M Abel, Mr & Mrs Colin P Ablitt, Miss M E Allen, Mr & Mrs John R Alsop, Mr & Mrs David G Arthur, Mr Philip E Baldwin, Mrs Sylvia Barnes, Mr & Mrs John M Baron, Mr W Alan Bateman, Mrs Nest Bateman, Dr & Mrs J B J Berrow, Mrs Jean M Blank, Dr R A & A R Bond, Dr Mollie A Brown, Mr Peter Brown, Mrs Ann Burdett, Miss J Rhona Clarke, Lady Hilda Clarke, Mr & Mrs David T Cliffe, Mrs Susan J Clough, Mr & Mrs David N Cooke, Mr & Mrs Aubrey J Craig, Mr & Mrs Philip W M Davies, Mrs Margaret W Davies, Mrs Polly De Hamel, Mr & Mrs Derrick Duval, Mr & Mrs Philip W Elliott, Dr James I Ellis, Mr & Mrs Don Evans, Mr & Mrs Mark H L Farrant, Dr & Mrs Bryan J Fehilly, Mr Nick Fisher, Mr & Mrs William D Friel, The Hon H M T Gibson, Mrs M Roana B Giffard, Mr & Mrs M G Gilbert, Mr & Mrs P R K Glover, Mr & Mrs Edward Green, Mr & Mrs Robert D M Grew, Mr & Mrs Douglas Grew, Mrs & Ms Anne & Louise Hall, Mr & Mrs Rod W Hannam, Mrs Constance G Harford, Mr & Mrs J Martin Harrison, Dr & Mrs W F Hassell, Mr & Mrs James A Hawley, Mr Kenneth L Hayward, Revd & Mrs Peter L Holliday, Miss Celia J Holmes, Mrs M M Horler, Mr & Mrs C E Hubbold, Mr & Mrs G S Hudson, Mrs Grizel Inge-Innes-Lillingston, Mr & Mrs Ken & Catherine Jackson, Mr & Mrs Simon R James, Miss V Kay Johnson, Mr & Mrs Allen J Juxon, Mrs Morfudd Lamb, Mr John E Lane & Miss Ishbel M Curr, Dr & Mrs John H Lang, Lady M Ann Lightbown, Mr & Mrs A C Lindop, Dr & Mrs Chris M Lockwood, Mr & Mrs H W Lukeman, Mr & Mrs G Neil Mainwaring, Mr & Mrs R P Marchant, Mr & Mrs Paddy N Martin, Mr David R Mayes O.B.E., Mrs P F M McGauley, Mr David McQueen, Mrs Diana R McQueen, Mr & Mrs H I Mitchell, Mr & Mrs C H Mitchell, Mr R C Newby, Miss J Lavinia Newell, Miss Jean M Paddock, Mr & Mrs M M Palmer, Mr & Mrs P E M Parsons, Mr & Mrs I W Paterson, Mr J A Paulson, Mrs Ann Penrose, Mr & Mrs Bryan S Ramsell, Mrs Jill Robinson, Mrs Pauline E Round, Mrs Joan E Round, Mr & Mrs John D Rushton, Mr & Mrs Denis B Rust, Miss C M Salt, Mrs Barbara Samson, Mr & Mrs Alan H Seddon, Mr & Mrs N G Sedgwick, Miss P M Shelley, Dr & Mrs Peter J Sheridan, Mr & Mrs R M Simons, Mr & Mrs Jonathan M W Smith, Mr & Mrs Martin F P Smith, Miss Margaret A Spooner, Mr & Mrs Gordon Statham, Mr & Mrs D Nigel Steeley, Mr & Mrs David H & Lyn Stephenson, Dr & Mrs I H Stevenson, Mrs Betty Stewart, Mr & Mrs Peter M B Stone, Mr & Mrs Mike A Swallow, Mr & Mrs Peter W & Laura Tanter, Mr A T N Teague, Mr & Mrs Christopher Teed, Mr Stuart C Tetley, Mr & Mrs Richard J Tetley, Mrs Connie F Thomas, Mr & Mrs Andrew W Tipper, Mr & Mrs Alan Toplis, Mrs K Brenda Towlson, Mrs Arleen Trickett, Mr & Mrs Rob Tyler, Mrs Annette Veitch, Dr Ishbel Villiers, Mr & Mrs Mervyn A Walker, Mr & Mrs David E Wallington, Mr Arnold G Ward, Mrs E A Weatherhogg, Mr & Mrs Michael Webb, Dr & Mrs Stephen Whitmore, Dr & Mrs F L Whittaker, Mr & Mrs David Wood.
Founder Members
The Lichfield Festival acknowledges the following people whose support founded the Lichfield Festival in 1982:
Mrs Joan V Allen, Mr & Mrs A E Aldridge
Sir Anthony and Lady Bamford, Major M K Beedle, Dr R A & A R Bond, Mr Godfrey Bostock, Mr & Mrs C Brown, Mr Peter Brown, Sir Adrian & Lady Cadbury, Lady Hilda Clarke, Mrs Winifred Clayton-Smith, Mr & Mrs David T Cliffe, Mr & Mrs J N Coley Shaw, Mrs B Cutler, Mrs Polly De Hamel, Dr & Mrs Jeremy R Duncan Brown, Mr & Mrs Derrick Duval, Mr & Mrs Richard B K Dyott, Mr & Mrs Michael Elsom, Mr & Mrs Mark H L Farrant, Mr & Mrs Robert K Fleeman, Mr & Mrs Ian Foster, Mr & Mrs Rodney T Gausden, The Hon H M T and Mrs Gibson, Mrs M Roana B Giffard, Mr & Mrs M H Gilbert, Mrs & Ms Anne & Louise Hall, Mrs Margaret E Hassall, Mr & Mrs James A Hawley, Dr & Mrs J R Heron, Mrs Grizel Inge-Innes-Lillingston, Mr & Mrs Ken & Catherine Jackson, Mr J O Keir, Dr & Mrs John H Lang, Mrs Myra Leavesley, Lady M Ann Lightbown, Dr & Mrs Chris M Lockwood, Mr & Mrs H W Lukeman, Mrs Jeanine Maclaine, Mrs E J Morrison, The Venerable Richard B Ninis, Mr & Mrs John E Rackham, Mrs Pauline E Round, Mr & Mrs J M S Salloway, Mrs M E Sargeant, Mr & Mrs R M Simons, Mr & Mrs Hugh W Skemp, Mr Paul Spicer, Dr & Mrs I H Stevenson, Miss Gwen W Taylor, Mr A T N Teague, Mr & Mrs Richard J Tetley, Mr & Mrs Andrew W Tipper, Mr & Mrs Simon Tonking, Mr Arnold G Ward, Mr & Mrs D J Watkins, Mrs Sheila White, Mrs Jeane Whitney, Mr & Mrs N J Wilford.
