FESTIVAL LAUNCHES
Homestead will be aimed at over 25s
Found Festival
Arts Council grant it just meant that we could get ourselves out of deep water and into a place where it felt it was feasible to launch something new .”
Hodson says that should demand warrant it , Found ’ s organisers will consider expanding the festival from its initial 2,000 capacity , but with the focus on creating a comfortable boutique festival environment , the ceiling will be around 5,000 .
“ Among the things we are really proud of is our heritage . Found isn ’ t going to be Towersey II but we are going to take a lot of elements from it that we ’ ve loved and our audience has loved , and pull that into a new environment with Found . One of those things is the community feel , the friendliness and the welcoming nature of the festivals that we run . So keeping it at a 2,000 capacity is a strategic move in terms of finance , making targets realistic , and the environment we are looking to create for festivalgoers .”
Found ’ s lineup will include a blend of americana , folk , country , roots , blues and world music , along with spoken word , comedy , circus and arts , with audience interaction “ a crucial element of the festival ”.
Hodson says that while she expects and wants Towersey attendees to attend Found , the focus is on appealing to newcomers : “ We definitely want to
“ IT IS THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF LAUNCHES WE HAVE SEEN SINCE 2019 .”
– AIF CEO JOHN ROSTRON
attract a new audience , and launching a completely new festival is an opportunity to do that . There will still be a huge and eclectic mix of things to do and see . We haven ’ t announced any acts yet , but what we ’ re saying is to expect head turners rather than headliners . What we really want people to do is come to Found and discover new music , new skills , hidden talents , and discover themselves again .”
A new age approach Homestead , a new independent festival open exclusively to people aged over 25 , is scheduled to debut on 20 July at Fernhill Farm in the Mendips .
The event concept is certainly unusual , if not unique , with it not only differentiated by the age restriction but also the decision to maintain its capacity at 1,500 , and what ’ s included in the ticket price . Organisers promise that attendees will get far more for the £ 300 ticket price than just entry to the site . The ‘ all-inclusive ’ ticket will include breakfast and Bloody Marys , camping , access to all entertainment , talks and workshops , access to VIP areas , and parking or campervan passes .
Located 30 minutes outside of Bristol and Bath , Homestead will provide a mix of comedy , DJs and live music from a wide range of genres . The lineup includes comedians Paul Smith and Troy Hawke along with bands such as Warmduscher and Fat Dog .
The event is the brainchild of Shindig Productions director Will Lardner and his wife Jess who registered the festival name five years ago . Will and Jess were part of the team responsible for Shindig Festival , a 10,000-capacity independent Somerset-based event that ran for a decade before being closed this year . Jess is currently operations manager at Team Love , which produces events including the Forwards and Love Saves The Day festivals .
“ We may look at doing another weekend or doing a version overseas but the capacity will remain 1,500 ,” says Will . “ We could see the market is changing and what people want out of festivals is slightly different now , and something that caters for a smaller crowd but with the levels of production and the calibre of acts that you get at large events , just wasn ’ t there . The uniqueness of what we ’ re trying to create is based around limiting it to 1500 people – we think that ’ s the sweet spot .”
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