Swaledale Festival is delighted that it is one of just sixteen UK festivals to have been awarded recognition by Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe (EFFE) for 21015-16 as one of Europe’s finest festivals.
The international jury examined applications from 896 festivals across Europe and assessed their applications for their compliance with the three EFFE Label criteria: artistic commitment, community involvement and international and global outlook.
The EFFE scheme has been set up by the European Festivals Association, supported by the European Parliament as a new international platform to connect festivals that are deeply committed to the arts, their communities and European values. The platform will give festivals who have been accepted for its award increased visibility across the international community, networking opportunities within the broader festivals sector and enable them to be part of an international cultural programme backed by the EU. The award of the EFE label is an assurance of the high artistic quality achieved by the recipient festival.
Swaledale Festival has long had a strong commitment to the EFFE criteria and has already received four awards especially for its community work and involvement including in 2014, the prime Minister’s Big Society Award.
Malcolm Creese, Artistic Director of the Swaledale Festival, said, “I am delighted that Swaledale Festival has been recognised by this prestigious international jury for its contribution to arts in the local community and its commitment to European values. Each summer we bring top international musicians and artists to the remote and beautiful Yorkshire Dales, and at the same time we provide a platform for talented performers from our local community. We also bring in visitors from around the world who make a significant contribution to the local economy. We look forward to being part of this wider community of European festivals which share our passion for all things artistic.”