Arts festival boosts Cumbrian economy
KENDAL’S Mintfest International Street Arts Festival boost the South Lakes economy by £1.6m – £100,000 more than last year’s event, it emerged today.
Thousands of people from across the country visited the Cumbrian town to see the artists, comedians, acrobats, dancers and musicians performing at the event in August.
Provisional figures show that Mintfest accounted for about £1.6 million of extra spending in and around the town – a £100,000 increase on last year.
This data is revealed in the initial results of a study by the ESRC Centre for Research on Socio-Cultural Change (CRESC) at Manchester University into the impact of the Lakes Alive events in Cumbria.
Dr Andrew Miles from CRESC says: “These figures show that Mintfest makes a very important contribution to the local economy. In simple cost-benefit terms, the extra spending generated by this year’s event represents a staggering 500% return on investment.
“And of course this doesn’t take into consideration other types of value – associated, for example, with the way the festival lifts people’s spirits, brings the community together or promotes the image of Kendal – which are undoubtedly substantial but difficult to reduce to ‘pounds and pence’.”
Mintfest is organised by Kendal Arts International and is part of Lakes Alive, a four-year programme of events being held in Cumbria to celebrate the Olympics coming to the UK.
CRESC found that about 45% of people at Mintfest had come from outside Kendal and more than 25% came from outside Cumbria.
A short film, giving a flavour of this year’s events can now be seen on the Lakes Alive website www.lakesalive.org.
