This project is a partnership project funded by Somerset County Council and Somerset Rural Renaissance.
Events, Carnivals and Festivals form a major contributor to culture within Somerset. The county hosts some of the most memorable and unique activities seen anywhere in the UK, many of which can trace their heritage back over a hundred years.
Our illuminated carnivals are recognised the world over as being some of the biggest of their kind, attracting over half a million spectators in 2008. Our festivals, agricultural shows, exhibitions and events also attract many hundreds of thousands of people into Somerset each year.
One of the counties strengths sits with the many hundreds of community led activities, with May Festivals, Arts and Creative events, Sporting fixtures, outdoor celebratory activities, Folk and live music all bringing people together to celebrate and enjoy Somerset's hidden treasure.
Such activities don't just provide entertainment for people of all ages, but also contribute to the economic growth of the county, with many businesses benefiting from the range of opportunities to be found at our events, carnivals and festivals.
With this in mind - and following a call for support during the consultations on the new Somerset Cultural Strategy during the Summer of 2008 - Somerset County Council and Somerset Rural Renaissance have come together to commission the development of the Somerset Event Planner. We hope you find this service useful, and welcome any comments on how this site could develop.
The Somerset Event Planner has been designed with the support of the six authorities and many other partners, community groups and organisers. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support during the development of this project.
Steering Group Partner organisations include:
West Somerset District Council
South Somerset District Council
Team Somerset
Other partner organisations include:
British Arts Festivals Association (BAFA)
Arts Council England, South West
Author of the Event Planner:
Tiina Taatila, Tiihee Event Management & Marketing
Tel. 07880 642 894. E-mail: tiinataatila(@)hotmail.com
CREDITS
Some of the content on this Somerset Event Planner website refers to external websites, guidance sheets, publications and other information sources produced and written by external organisations. The authors of the Somerset Event Planner website felt that these sources provided excellent and comprehensive existing guidance and therefore in order to avoid duplication some of the content has been reproduced (with permission) or reference has been made to these sources of information.
The key sources of information (amongst other very useful websites) include:
- Welsh Assembly 'Timeline for Events' www.timelineforevents.co.uk/
- Arts Derbyshire Festivals Toolkit (written by Tiina Taatila & Chris Maughan for Derbyshire County Council) http://www.artsderbyshire.org.uk/advice/festivals/toolkit/
- Tourism North East 'Festivals and Events Toolkit' http://www.tourismnortheast.co.uk/pages/home
- Voluntary Arts Network http://www.voluntaryarts.org/
- Business Link http://www.businesslink.gov.uk
- Independent Street Arts Network http://www.streetartsnetwork.org.uk/
- The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/
- Volunteering England http://www.volunteering.org.uk/
- British Arts Festivals Association http://www.artsfestivals.co.uk/
- Arts Council England www.artscouncil.org.uk
- Carnival Arts
http://www.carnivalarts.org.uk/
Thank you to all these organisations!
EVENTS LISTINGS FOR SOMERSET
There are a number of on-line events listings for activities within Somerset. An internet search for 'events in Somerset' could assist you, but the main points of reference you may find useful include:
The Somerset Arts website http://www.somersetarts.com/
Visit Somerset
http://www.visitsomerset.co.uk/site/whats-on
Each distinct council also has details of local events on their websites, or alternatively call into your local Tourist Information Centre
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