Member Article

Chase Park Festival on hold until next year

Organisers of one of the most accessible music festivals in the UK have announced that this year’s Chase Park Festival will not being going ahead due to a lack of grant funding needed to stage the event.

The not-for-profit music event, which attracted over 3500 music fans to Chase Park last summer and saw The Futureheads headline, is being ‘put on hold’ until next year.

Run by neuro, stroke and spinal rehabilitation and care specialists, Keiro, their business relationships director Alistair McDonald stressed that the break does not mark the end of the festival which is aimed at including people of all abilities and breaking down cultural barriers often faced with people with disabilities.

Alistair explains: “It is unfortunate that there just hasn’t been the grant funding available this year on which we rely on to be able to make our annual music festival accessible to people with disabilities. This doesn’t mean that there will be no more, it just means given the timescales, we can concentrate on organising and raising funds to create a bigger and better one next year and really come back with a bang.

“The festival has been great not only in providing an accessible event for everyone but having musical talent of all abilities playing to a diverse crowd, alongside some popular chart-topping bands, without breaking the bank.”

Chase Park Festival which was previously free for people with disability, has run successfully for the past four consecutive years, and last year was awarded a Silver accreditation by national charity Attitude is Everything. Keiro is in the running to receive its Gold level accreditation later this year - the only two other festivals to hold this accolade being Glastonbury and Liberty.

Alistair added: “We realise this will be disappointing news for the thousands of people across the region who have enjoyed the event over the years, however, we will be working hard to look at alternative options and partners to bring this event back to Whickham next year.

“All is not lost however for festival goers. We have been fortunate enough to be working in partnership with several local businesses around Middlehaven in Middlesbrough, which is where our newly opened neuro, stroke and spinal injury rehabilitation centre The Gateway is based. This means that we are able to provide a similar festival on the Dockside this summer and can promise a stellar line up over two stages for people of all abilities.”

The line-up will be announced by the end of the month.

For all event breaking news follow: www.facebook.com/middlehavenfestival Twitter: @Middlehavenfest

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