Royston Arts Festival organisers look to public to make 2015 event bigger and better

The organisers behind this year’s Royston Arts Festival are looking to the public to make the 2015 event even bigger and better.

The curtain came down on the nine-day festival on Sunday with the traditional Last Night of the Proms-style Festival Finale Concert at Royston Parish Church, with performances from schools and the Royston Youth Choir.

This included a sing-along section of First World War songs from It’s a Long Way to Tipperary to Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty.

A day earlier trumpeter Alison Balsom, who has performed as a soloist at the Last Night of the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, gave a question and answer session at Royston’s Greneway School.

In conversation she told the audience about the start of her career as a six-year-old when she picked up a trumpet at Tannery Drift School, and later developed her playing under the encouragement of teachers at Greneway and Meridian schools, as well as the Royston Town Band.

Corvus Amateur Drama Society also played their part, hosting a production of comedy The Fosdyke Saga at Meridian School on Friday.

A historic tile trail depicting Royston’s heroes and villains was among the highlights of the festival, in a creation by school pupils who worked on original designs by artist Liz Beardwell.

Creative Royston chairman Graham Palmer said: “The views of the public are extremely important to us and will help shape whatever we do next year and in the years to come. They will help us secure funding for the future.

“From the comments over the past weekend we believe this year’s festival was a success, but obviously we are always looking for improvements and realistic and constructive suggestions. Every year we attempt to provide a variety of events and, I believe, this year was no exception.”

Festival-goers are encouraged to complete an online feedback form at www.creativeroyston.org.