AccessMyLibrary provides FREE access to over 30 million articles from top publications available through your library.
Create a link to this page
Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:
IN AN AGE WHEN AGENTS AND PROMOTERS are constantly challenged by artists to come up with interesting new venues for tours, few would put money on a government department being at the cutting edge of live promotion.
But, unusually one is - and it is running one of the most successful outdoor circuits in the country. The Forestry Commission has been operating its forest tours since 2001 and uses the profits for a variety of woodlands-based environmental and social projects.
"The whole idea behind putting on gigs was to try to introduce younger and new audiences to our forests," recalls David Barrow, whose company DB Event Services is tasked with the artist programming, production, licensing and concert management for the annual shows.
"The great thing is that it doesn't cost the taxpayer a penny, which must be fairly unique for a government department - and that's without any sponsorship or branding."
This summer saw the Forestry Commission team promote 23 shows across seven woodland venues - Thetford in Suffolk, Bedgebury Pinetum in Kent, Delamere in Cheshire, Sherwood in Nottinghamshire, Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire, ...