Organisers of the annual Birmingham Jazz & Blues Festival have launched an urgent crowdfunding appeal to ensure that the 40th anniversary of the event survives city council spending cuts.
A GoFundMe campaign has begun aimed at raising £20,000 towards the cost of staging the prestige music festival, which continues to be supported by Westside BID, between 19 and 28 July this year.
The new move follows Birmingham City Council’s decision to slash funding for the arts as it seeks to overcome a £300 million budget shortfall over the next two years.
The total annual running costs for the jazz & blues festival is £120,000, with last year’s event supported by £35,900 core funding from the city council, who contributed £15,000, Westside BID, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, and The Musician’s Union.
Festival organiser Jim Simpson said: “I am not going to put in 40 years work on this to end up with a sub-standard event.
“We have had top performers from around the world play at the festival, such as Miles Davis, BB King and Buddy Guy. People don’t seem to realise the enormity of the event, and what a terrific tourist attraction it is, bringing people into the city and elsewhere.”
Last year’s 39th annual festival produced 182 performances, around a third of them on Westside, with all but six of them free. More than 75,000 music fans were attracted to the almost 100 venues involved in making the festival a success.
Jim added: “The festival has been a beacon of music, entertainment and culture, bringing together musicians and audiences from across the UK, Europe, and beyond. However, this year, we face an unprecedented challenge that threatens the very existence of this significant event.
“Birmingham City Council, currently grappling with financial difficulties, has announced drastic cuts to its budget for arts and culture and is unable to give any support whatsoever to the Jazz & Blues Festival.”
Although the city council had previously supported the festival for 39 years, it was only ever on a year-by-year basis.
But their decision to now withdraw all funding “puts the festival in an incredibly precarious position”, Mr Simpson aid. “Without this support, our ability to organise and present a festival of the quality we have all come to expect hangs in the balance.
“We refuse to let this unique, vibrant and inclusive celebration of jazz and blues just fade away. That’s why we’re turning to you, our loyal supporters and those who value great and entertaining music for help.”
Jim said contributions to the GoFundMe campaign will go directly towards covering essential costs such as artist fees and travel, running costs, equipment rentals, and marketing. They will also ensure that the vast majority of performances remain free.
“This year marks our 40th anniversary, and we refuse to let financial setbacks dampen the celebrations. With people’s help, we can ensure that this milestone is properly celebrated in style, showcasing the rich history and bright future of jazz and blues in Birmingham.
We understand that times are tough for many, but we believe that together, we can overcome this challenge and ensure that the festival continues to inspire, entertain, and unite us for years to come.”
A spokseperson for Birmingham City Council said: “Budget challenges across the council mean that many of our past funding programmes have had to be either cut back or discontinued.
“However, we continue to explore new ways to make cultural offerings available to all citizens across the city. This involves offering or seeking funding to ensure that every citizen, whether they are artists, participants, or audiences, feels they are a valued part of the creative life of our city.”
You can support the jazz festival appeal here.
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