The city's thousands of students have emerged as one of the keys to the survival of the Chichester Festivities.
Festivities director Amanda Sharp confirmed: "What we are trying to do is to really engage with the student community in a way that we have not done before, both in terms of participating in the festival and attending the festival.
"There are thou
sands of students and a lot of them live locally.
"We are wanting to build new audiences and build a new profile. We have had some really good meetings with Chichester College. We are talking about dance, drama and music.
"What we are hoping to do is to concentrate on the middle weekend of the Festivities and really concentrate on student performances."
LossesThe move comes as the Festivities try to rebuild for the future after two years of losses – £56,000 in 2008 and £31,000 last year.
Festivities chairman Ian Farman has already spelt out the stark truth: similar losses this July will spell the end of Chichester's annual two-week summer arts festival.
"We are also talking to the university", Miss Sharp said.
"We would certainly hope that there will be performances in the Showroom there."
Student inputThe Festivities are talking of the student input as a community programme.
Miss Sharp resists the term fringe: "We would see this as having its own separate branding and possibly its own separate leaflet.
"It is all about engaging with the students and exploring the possibilities. Until we can see the shape of it, it is difficult to give it a specific name."
She is keen for any student bands or dancers or performers to get in touch on
info@chifest.org.ukShe is also keen to hear from anyone wanting to sponsor the student section.
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