Festival set to be an annual event

Buy photos» 2012 will see a Water and Music Festival similar to the one which marked the reopening of Droitwich’s canals this summer. (s)

Rob George

27 October. Updated: 04 November 11:35

PLANS to make the Water and Music Festival an annual fixture in Droitwich’s festival calender have moved a step closer.

The ‘Droitwich Spa Summer Festival’, which would combine the long-running music and arts festival with a celebration of the town’s canal network, would take place in the last week of June and the first week of July.

And it is hoped that the new-look festival will stand alongside the popular St Richard’s Festival and Salt Day events and be a shot in the arm to the town’s economy.

A partnership is now being formed to help organise the event. The move comes after plans to also incorporate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in next year’s debut festival were thrown out by councillors.

The decision sparked fury among residents but the council defended the decision and stressed the importance of a seperate event so the Droitwich Spa Summer Festival could become established and form its own identity.

Town groups For Droitwich Spa and Droitwich Waterways (Pamela May) Trust have started the organisation process and are now speaking with arts groups and the Droitwich Area Partnership to get others involved.

Pam Davey, chairman of Droitwich Waterways (Pamela May) Trust, who is helping to get the new festival added to the annual events calendar, said: “We believe that by spacing these events out we can maximise the benefit both to traders and residents.

“We shall also be encouraging other such events to fit in with this pattern.

“Both For Droitwich Spa and the waterways trust will also be supporting the town council’s jubilee festival to ensure that

a full programme of events takes place, particularly around the canal in Vines Park and the Lido in Lido Park,” she added.

* A forum for groups and individuals who want to be involved in the planning and running of an event to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee will be held on Wednesday (November 2).
The event will be held at the Community Hall on Heritage Way from 7pm and will see a number of topics discussed.
It is proposed that a workshop session be organised where ideas and proposals for events can be formulated into an outline plan for the festival.
For further information please contact the Town Clerk’s office on 01905 774258