Horsham Community Festival 2007

Preparations will commence for the 2007 Horsham Community Festival in May. The festival will be a two day event in 2007 on Saturday 1st September and Sunday 2nd September. If you would like to help with the organisation of the Horsham Community Festival this year then please contact us.

Horsham Music Week - Saturday 23rd June

As a little taster to the 2007 Horsham Community Festival the Blue Flash Music Trust will be running a stage on the Forum as part of Horsham Music Week. The date will be Saturday 23rd June 2007, so watch this space for details

2006 Horsham Community Festival

The Horsham Community festival took place on Sunday 3rd September 2006. It was a free, funpacked festival with loads of musicians plus a selection of dancers, street performers and exhibitions.

The festival took over Horsham for the day with music and events at the Town Hall, Market Square, Bandstand (Carfax) and Forum.

Thanks to everyone who helped make this festival a huge success.

About The Horsham Community Festival
by Martin Jeremiah

Hello, and welcome to the very first Horsham Community Festival.

I went to an agricultural festival in Seddlescombe a couple of months ago and marvelled at how a tiny village in Sussex could be hosting an event on such a scale. It occurred to me that it must have all started with an idea. Somebody simply woke up one day in the village and said to themselves: "Let's organise a festival".

Just one month ago, a group of people in Horsham had a similar, but crazy idea to organise and stage a festival within a month! As we discussed the possibilities more widely, people rightly pointed out that organising such an event would normally take a year and to do it in a month would probably be a world record. They could well be right!

However, Horsham is probably one of the few towns in the world where resident's artistic talent combines with a sense of community in a way that makes such a spectacular challenge possible. And it is thanks to this community, with everyone pulling and working together, giving their time and energy without hesitation, that this has been possible.

In this respect, there are far too many volunteers to thank, but suffice to say, they are all heroes. Similarly, it would not have been possible to stage such an event without the support of official bodies such as the emergency services and Horsham District Council, assisting with things like publicity, licensing and selling tickets through the Tourist Information Centre. In that essential mix, we also have a first rate community based local newspaper in the West Sussex County Times. And last, but by no means least, there is you - the local traders and residents that reward everybody's efforts by supporting the event on the big day itself. Everyone's a winner!

On behalf of the Trust, I wish you all a very, very enjoyable day!

Martin Jeremiah
Festival Project Manager - Horsham Community Festival

F or and on behalf of the Blue Flash Music Trust
Registered charity no. 1102732

P.S. Plans for next year's festival are already in discussion and with more time to organise, even more acts and variety is intended. If you would like to get involved in staging the festival next year, please get in touch with us, or speak to one of our officials at the Blue Flash Music Trust stand on the day.

About the Blue Flash Music Trust

In 1923, Captain R.C.G. Middleton, MC, and officers of the Royal Sussex Regiment formed the Blue Flash Association, which gave rise to the Blue Flash Company and the Blue Flash Cinemas. The regiment took the name Blue Flash from the blue shoulder flash on the uniform. In 2002, the name was resurrected when the Blue Flash Music Trust was formed, having gained permission from the regiment for the use of the name. Blue Flash has always had musical and charitable connections and this is how the story goes…..

The Blue Flash Association built two theatres to provide work for unemployed musicians after the First World War, one of which was the Capitol Theatre in Horsham, the other, a theatre in Shoreham. Before its demolition in 1983, the Capitol Theatre projected films from the rear of the screen which gave room for a large orchestra pit so the bandsmen could accompany stage performances or silent films. The work of the Blue Flash Association spread right across the Sussex area until commercial forces took over. For a short time however, the Blue Flash Association did great work, though sadly, for the most part, it has been forgotten.

In 2002, The Blue Flash Music Trust was formed by a group of Horsham residents to restore those musical, artistic and charitable connections to the area. The Trust was delighted to welcome Julian Lloyd Webber as its patron in 2004 and since then, has gone from strength to strength, culminating in the staging of this first Horsham Community Festival in 2006.

Your Support

As with all charities, fund-raising is of significant importance and staging events such as this festival requires a great deal of funding. We are extremely grateful to those who have already supported this event either by sponsorship, advertising, donating or just simply volunteering their time and energy free of charge. However, we do need more and there are lots of ways you can do this. Make a donation on the day in one of our collection boxes/buckets at the venues or visit the Trust's stand to gift aid your donation. Make a purchase from the Trust's stand (all money raised from sales will be given to the charity). Speak to one of our officials about supporting the festival next year with offers of help, sponsorship or advertising.