Organisers of the Stirling Photography Festival have launched a Crowdfunder in a bid to raise funds for the city’s second event this August.
The move follows last summer’s successful inaugural festival championed by entrepreneur Janie Meikle Bland from Picture the Possible.
The 2019 Festival is being led by the young creative team who ran the first event – Lauren Gunning, a fifth-year student at Dunblane High School, University of Stirling students Nadia Schneider and Brett Landles plus Rab Fyfe, a photographer and young executive from tech business CitNow.
Last year’s photography festival ran in celebration of Scotland’s Year of Young People 2018 and was generously supported by a small grant from the European Championship Cultural Fund and Stirling Council along with the goodwill and efforts of more than 30 contributors and volunteers.
The festival ran over nine days and included 14 free-to-access talks, workshops and photo walks including food photography, portraiture, sports, music, architectural and street photography.
It attracted more than 250 people from across the UK.
The close of the festival saw the launch of an exhibition under the theme of Our Place, with 49 pieces curated from several hundred submitted by the public.
The exhibition ran from August until October and formed a city-wide trail in ten venues including at the Smith Art Gallery and Museum, Loving Food, Nettl of Stirling, the Friars’ Wynd Hotel, Made in Stirling and the Tolbooth.
Stirling Photography Festival is now looking for support to run this year’s Festival– and they have another fabulous programme of events lined up.
Janie said: ‘We are appealing for public backing to fund this year’s event and launching a Crowdfunder brimming with great rewards.
‘The response we received to last year’s festival was overwhelming and we were spurred on to develop the festival as an annual event for Stirling.
‘The festival team are also passionate to see their event supporting local and emerging talent.’
The team set out to run a community event, which showcases Stirling to a national audience, whilst offering a range of free events run by talent from Scottish photography.
Janie added: ‘Supporting sustainable creative practice in Stirling is at the heart of our plans for the festival.
‘This means securing sponsorship and funding so we can work with local creatives in all aspects of promoting and delivering the festival and that’s where the Crowdfunder comes in.’
Allan Gunning, from Nettl of Stirling, is a partner and great supporter of the Festival.
He said: ‘From the moment I heard Janie talking about the Festival I wanted to help in any way I could.
‘Inspiring young people and bringing creative arts to Stirling is massive, so it was great to see events and talks of all different themes attended by people of all ages.
‘Bringing people together, promoting and driving creativity for Stirling was all delivered by the fantastic Photo Festival creative team – hats off, it was amazing what they achieved! Can’t wait for #SPF19 – I’m buzzing to be involved again.’
Allan supported last year’s event – taking over the printing of many of the exhibition pieces and providing creative and professional guidance to the team.
This year he was in charge of creating the website and continues to support the team and festival in any way he can.
Meanwhile, the Festival team have the generous support of a range of other partners who are offering exclusive Rewards for the Crowdfunder appeal.
These include coffee and cake at some of Stirling’s great cafes; exclusive photo tours behind the scenes at the Macrobert Arts Centre, Historic Environment Scotland and the University of Stirling Art Collection; personalised and specially commissioned prints by local artists; personal photo shoots plus a range of exclusive photography workshops.
For more details and to make a pledge visit the Crowdfunder page HERE.
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