Aberdeen fails to promote youth festival Single banner is council's

AUDIENCE numbers for this year's Aberdeen International Youth Festival (AYIF) could be jeopardised by means of poor publicity for the occurrence according to a leading arts administrator.

Aberdeen City Council's lack of publicity for an annual jamboree of music and dance, to which it contributes pounds-100000 has draw near under fire from a string of councillors, all of whom are upon the body which oversees it.

The 33rd festival begins its 10-day move swiftly on Wednesday with artists and musicians arriving in the city from as far as China, Ukraine, Canada and Belgium as well as over the UK.

on the other hand only one banner, shared with the council's promotion of their Tartan Day celebrations the following Saturday, has been set uprighted in the town's main thoroughfare, Union public way while the council's website had shown last year's dates for the festival until the extreme point of last week.

Marjory Dougal, general manager of the Edinburgh Youth Orchestra, scheduled for three performances of Falstaff, was "shocked" when she learned of the solitary banner used for promotional purposes

"That's shocking, " she said.

"I am actual surprised at that because we had a replete house in Aberdeen a not many months ago when we did a plan with Nicola Benedetti. Mind you, we did a destiny of our own publicity.

"I would be be of importance toed that this would affect audiences.

For the players, I would have affection for to have the place filled. I'm told the sales in like manner far for Falstaff, which will be held in the Robert Gordon's association aren't good, but if they don't advertise it they'll not ever sell it. This is not useful news at all. There is something not right."

A year ago, six large banners publicising the AIYF were strung across Aberdeen's bestknown public way which, the Sunday Herald understands, take away from the festival pounds-8000. They included images of previous festivals. This year, upon the shared banner, the image is single of daffodils.

From the council's six-figure grant, the festival trust pays fracture for office space and the various venue used for the performances as well as advertising take away froms It was expected that the previous year's banners would again be displayed.

Last night, Councillor Gordon Leslie was appalled above the publicity failure and the website mistake.

"To find without we are advertising last year's dates is shocking and I am not happy that we have just single banner and is shared with Tartan Day, " he said. "After all, Tartan Day is just for the Saturday while the festival step quicklys for 10 days. If we are not publicising it well enough we're not going to gain local support."

Artistic director Stephen Stenning was disappointed the festival had not been promot better locally although he pointed to a television commercial for the incident which had been running in central Scotland and was stocked by EventScotland. However, he added that nation travelling to Aberdeen for the occurrence and would very see little local advertising for the festival.

"Unfortunately, there are no lamp-post banners up at this late stage, " he said, "and tribe arriving in Aberdeen would endeavor to know we have a major festival coming up

"On the plus side, the fact that we will be having pieces of entertainment in public spaces - road theatre and the like - during the course of the festival will help build awareness.

It is disappointing, however, that we are down to a shared banner across Union Street"

The AIYF Trust chairman, SNP Councillor Scott Cassie was stunn by dint of the lack of publicity and the mistake upon the council's website and pledg to raise the issue with the council's chief executive, Douglas Paterson.

"I had no idea there was just individual banner, " he revealed. "I haven't been involved in that side of it up to now."

He added that the website error was "unacceptable" and said that he would be "raising that with the appropriate people"

Another member of the trust, Labour's Brian Rattray, insisted the AIYF was single of the best events stocked by the council and that each opportunity for its promotion should have been undertaken. There was also a greater ne to attract more local nation to some of the events

flat when performances had been independent there had been a lack of interest from Aberdonians.

"The idea of bringing the festival and Tartan Day together was that it was contemplation it would make the week a more exciting individual " said Rattray. "There should have been adequate funding for promotion. smooth if the trust didn't have enough coin the City Growth Fund could have helped on the outside I don't think there's any excuse for the lack of publicity.

"The running take away froms go up each year and we are always hoping for more sponsorship or bigger tickets sales on the other hand you can't expect more tickets to be sold if there is not sufficient publicity.

"If race realised just how good a certain quantity of of the entertainment is, they would be turning up in their herds It does depend on getting the message across to potential audiences and efforts have been made to make the festival more attractive to race in the city."

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