The promoter at a standard concert hall, opera house, theatre or dance venue is restricted in many ways by the physical layout of the space within which they have to operate, writes Michael MacLeod.
They are also limited in a sense by tradition, where usually the performance begins at a standard time (7.30pm or 8.30pm for example) and is of a set duration. On the other hand, a festival like the City of London Festival has the flexibility to promote a much wider variety of event in a much greater range of venues, at different times throughout the day and not necessarily of that standard duration.
In promoting events at the City of London Festival, the only restriction we have is to work within the geographic confines of London?s Square Mile. With a wealth of venues available within this area of the nation?s capital, the choice is very diverse. We are able to pick a venue to suit an event ? the Old Bailey for a musical oblique dramatic recreation of a trial; the original Middle Temple Hall (where Shakespeare himself acted and where the first performance of Twelfth Night took place) for a literary evening; an intimate Wren church for a quartet recital; the laid-back cosiness of the Spitz for alternative music; the vastness of St Paul?s Cathedral for a grand choral concert; or a local café for presenting an exhibition ? rather than finding ourselves limited in the selection of events and artists to suit the conventional venue.
In escaping the straightjacket traditions of a standard concert hall, a festival, particularly one based in a thriving commercial setting like the City of London Festival, is also able to offer such diverse choices as exhibitions at breakfast time, lunchtime events, rush-hour concerts and late evening events starting at 9.00pm, thereby offering the public the luxury of choice by allowing them to attend events at times that suit them. 50- minute events at lunchtime in unusual venues offer people an interesting alternative to the hurried sandwich at lunchtime. Rush-hour concerts (between 45 and 60 minutes of music) are ideally timed so that people can avoid the crush of the underground and have their spirits elevated in order to make their journey home in a much happier mood and on a less crowded train. And, by promoting events at 9.00pm, (lasting from 60 to 90 minutes) the Festival offers people the chance to have a relaxed dinner before the performance.
The strength of the festival promoter?s hand is undoubtedly the opportunity to marry an unusual art form with a remarkable venue and at a variety of audience-friendly times.
Michael MacLeod is Director of the City of London Festival t: 020 7377 0540