Image: Festival of Europe

"Imagine building a musical bridge between the UK and our friends, allies and neighbours across the English Channel and the Irish Sea. Something joyous, indestructible and heartfelt: The Festival of Europe is that bridge."
Howard Goodall CBE Composer, broadcaster, writer and patron of Festival of Europe

Here, the Director of the Festival of Europe, Tamsin Shasha writes for Run-Riot about this 5-year project designed to celebrate what unites us all and ultimately to deepen our appreciation for one-another's cultures as a way of making steps to counter the failings of Brexit.

We’ve heard a lot lately about ‘Global Britain’ and ‘Building Back Better’, but let’s pause for a moment and look at the recent rhetoric around Europe. Everything about the UK’s future relationship with the continent, from finance to border control, education (Turing versus Erasmus Plus) to the Northern Ireland Protocol, has been about division and chaos, competition and aggression, lies and disrespect.

The Festival of Europe is an explicit opportunity to build bridges, to restore trust and integrity with our continental friends and neighbours at a time when we need to more than ever. It’s a place to bring people and communities together. I see the festival as a repository of connection, friendship and collaboration. A place to (as Howard says) ‘build bridges’, make lifelong connections that work toward a happier future built on integrity and mutual respect.

Our aim is to inspire and reconnect and make that journey of connection a truly memorable and long lasting one. We invite you to join us and be part of this mission.

What We Need and How You can Help
We are seeking some high level support in the following key areas:
* Programme or project manager
* Fundraiser (s) to complete grant applications to Trusts & Foundations and other income generating activity including writing corporate sponsorship bids, Crowdfunding
campaigns
* PR
* Copywriter
* Social media & conventional media professionals to manage and devise content for our Twitter/Facebook/ Instagram/ Tiktok accounts in an integrated manner; and to devise mail-shots and press releases
* Graphic designer
* Web designer with Wordpress skills
* Summer of Europe co-ordinator (s) and regional reps
* Community engagement officer
* Administrative support
* Accountant (external)
* Finance officer/book keeper (internal)
* Facilities/Commercial/Procurement.
More info: festivalofeurope.uk/get-involved
Or email Tamsin directly, tamsin@festivalofeurope.uk Please note Tamsin is currently working on a voluntary basis.

Here's a summary of the festival
The Festival of Europe is a five-year project, with 2022 being the foundation year. It is built on the simple idea that the UK is European geographically and historically and that, despite the fact that it has recently left the European Union as a political entity, there is more that unites the peoples of the UK with those on the European continent than divides them. The guiding concept of the Festival of Europe is a celebration of culture in its widest sense, reflecting the diversity of all those for whom Europe is home. Conceived in the UK, the Festival seeks to maintain, develop and sustain two-way relationships with our European partners, creating cultural bridges between all parts of the UK and across Europe.

The principal objective is to curate a series of events, initially primarily in the UK, around a set of broad themes, for example, music, theatre, dance, history, literature, art, food and drink, all underpinned by sustainability, which aim to provide both a framework and an inspiration for those involved. These events will be brought together under the banner of the Summer of Europe (May-September 2022) culminating in a Festival Finale in September 2022. Together, this Summer of Europe and the Finale, provide the foundation of the establishment of an annual event with a view to a future pan-European Festival.

One of the highlights of our Summer of Europe will be a 10 date tour to major UK cities by the United Strings of Europe. We're more than delighted to say that the inimitable Howard Goodall will be composing a new piece of music to celebrate our relationship with the rest of Europe, to be premiered at our festival. We’re hoping that tune will be played throughout the UK and the rest of Europe, in bars, in restaurants, in cafes, in corner shops, in playgrounds from Land's End to John o' Groats, and from the North Sea to the Mediterranean. A message of inspiration and partnership.

Some of our events will be specially organised for the Summer/Festival of Europe, some will be co-badged or co-created by people and organisations who share its values and some will be smaller events organised at a community level by local people and organisations who want to be part of the celebration. Above all, these will be grassroots events, created with by and for all peoples across the UK and Europe. In so doing, we will build a Festival of Europe community and a brand founded on our vision and our values, which centre on equality, inclusion, integrity, justice and sustainability.

Join us
If you run an event and would like to align it with us OR you have ideas for new projects, run individually or as part of your local grassroots group, then do please contact us and get involved!

Crowdfunder
Please help us realise our ambition and achieve our goals by making a donation to our Crowdfunder. Thank you for supporting us!

For further information about any of these roles and how you can join our festival team please email: tamsin@festivalofeurope.uk and visit festivalofeurope.uk