Festivals Forum

BAFA hosts festivals forums throughout the year, allowing the opportunity for festivals across the UK to network with each other and feedback to BAFA on how they wish to see the sector develop

BAFA Scottish Festivals Forum: Monday 5 October 2020 11am – 12.30pm
Re-mapping the future

British Arts Festivals Association’s Scottish Festivals Forum event brought together Scottish festivals to share experiences of presenting events in new ways, discuss what the future may hold and ways in which we can work together to better navigate the future.  The session was chaired by Dr Jane Ali-Knight of Edinburgh Napier University, and speakers included Alan Morrison of Creative Scotland, Ben Torrie of Aberdeen Performing Arts, Adrian Turpin of Wigtown Book Festival and James Waters of Lammermuir Festival. 

To watch the video of this event, click here.


Our English Festivals Forum took place at the Manchester Metropolitan Business School on Wednesday 5 February 2020 from 3pm to 6pm, held in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University. We were joined by Alison Clark, Director of Combined Arts and Manchester for Arts Council England, Holly Clarke and Nikki Harrison-Davis, ACE Combined Arts Relationship Managers, Steve Millington of the Institute of Place Management and Jocelyne Underwood from Manchester International Festival.






Our Welsh Festivals Forum 2019 was held on Thursday 10th October 1pm to 4pm at Taliesin Create, University of Swansea. The forum was focused on Future Funding and Directions and included speakers from Arts Council Wales, Tŷ Cerdd, University of Swansea and Presteigne Festival.

The full programme for the day can be found here