Sounds From The Other City Festival has launched a funding campaign after taking the step of cancelling the 2021 event.
Having already cancelled SFTOC in 2020, they have effectively been left without revenue for two years, relying on emergency funding and grants only.
In a statement, Sounds From The Other City confirmed the news that many feared for 2021:
“With a heavy heart, we have taken the painful decision to cancel Sounds from the Other City 2021 – and we need your support to make sure we’re back in 2022.
Around this time of year is when we would be working with our promoters to confirm their final acts, our artists would be deep in preparation, and the spaces of Chapel Street would be gearing up to greet us all: the ever changing landscape of life at the moment, teamed with there being no guarantee that we’d be able to hold any kind of event that reflects the spirit and values of the festival by May, means there’s little other option than to skip 2021.
In 2020, we asked buyers to roll over their tickets to next year and were eternally thankful to those that did. To put that burden back on people again wouldn’t feel right: those who bought through Skiddle will be automatically refunded, and we will be emailing everyone who got tickets via our Crowdfunder appeal.
Due to receiving no income from ticket sales for 2020 and 2021, Sounds is now wholly dependent on grants and funding, so in response to requests from its dedicated community, we’re today launching the SFTOC Lifeline appeal. Amazingly, many of our ticket buyers have told us that they would be keen to donate the value of their ticket to help us survive if necessary – and, sadly, we’ve never needed it more. As it stands, the festival’s future is uncertain: with your help we will be able to make sure that Sounds from the Other City returns. You can donate here
We’re working hard on finding ways to create revenue for SFTOC in this new world, building partnerships, developing our online presence and strengthening relationships with our family of promoters, artists and audiences – any and all funding will go towards trying to make sure that we can all head back to Chapel Street for ‘Salford Christmas’ as soon as it is safe to do so, bigger and better than ever.
To keep in touch, and as a creative outlet whilst we develop the Festival’s future, SFTOC is launching a brand-new newsletter. The SoundsTown Gazette builds off the back of our in-house newspaper from the 2018 festival, and will feature interviews, listings, plus more from artists, promoters and partners. You can sign up below and get yourself an exclusive 10% off with friends of the festival Seven Bro7hers and the first edition of our every-once-in-a-while gazette will be out in February.”
Sounds from the Other City – image courtesy Jody Hartley
