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Status
Received: on time
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Income
£106.4K
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Spending
£106.2K
Public benefits
The benefits flowing from these purposes are enhanced appreciation of, and attendance at, the arts in general and street arts in particular Greater tolerance and understanding of different cultures Establishment of shared public space and shared cultural experiences. Greater community cohesion. How is this demonstrated? The Festival of Fools has
commissioned an independent evaluation for five out of the past seven years which has involved extensive surveying of more than 1500 members of the public and interviews conducted with more than 100 people into attitudes and experiences in relation to the events staged by the Festival of Fools. These evaluations have consistently demonstrated that more than 90% of people attending the event believe that it makes a positive contribution to making Belfast a better place and to creating shared experience across socio-economic divides. The main event has received support from the EU Peace Funding in recognition of the role it plays in bringing people together from all backgrounds for positive shared cultural experiences. The work in promoting artists from different nationalities and exploring notions of identity through street theatre have received the backing of the Community Relations Council. Is any harm or possibility of harm outweighed by the benefit? There is minimal risk of harm to any member of the public due to thorough risk assessments and event management plans being in place. The benefits to the public in terms of education and enjoyment of the arts far outweigh the potential for harm. Who is benefit for? The events benefit the general population of Northern Ireland and some visitors to the country too. Extensive surveying of audiences has revealed that the number of audience members attending who live in the most deprived areas of Belfast is around 12.5% which makes the event highly successful in attracting non-traditional arts attenders. The event has a high proportion of children and young people attending with family members. Is there any private benefit? The only people paid directly by the Festival of Fools are the artists and the technical crew along with a 4 month employment of a coordinator. The majority of work is carried out by volunteers.
... [more] [less]What your organisation does
Festival of Fools stages and annual international street theatre festival in Belfast City Centre over a three or four day period. This Festival delivers around 100 performances from artists from around the world on the streets and public squares of the city free of charge to the public who attend. The event is extensively promoted to a wide
general public and attracts large audiences each year. Festival of Fools gives a platform for local artists and young people engaged in circus and street theatre to take part in an international festival. The Festival also offers to create and curate street festivals for other locations in Northern Ireland although to date this service has not been taken up.
... [more] [less]The charity’s classifications
- The advancement of the arts, culture, heritage or science
Who the charity helps
- Children (5-13 year olds)
- General public
- Learning disabilities
- Parents
- Physical disabilities
- Youth (14-25 year olds)
How the charity works
- Arts
- Cultural
