The Festival directors report that, despite the challenges presented in essentially creating a new event, the reaction has been extraordinary – an overwhelming success. “Obviously, people missed the human interaction, but they hugely appreciated the ability to watch events in their own time over a six-week period, allowing them to see more than they ever would at the physical Festival” says CEO Jacqui Scott. “The digital platform provided access to people who couldn’t normally come to Kendal, and also allowed us to programme a wider range of content, particularly regarding the environment, outdoor culture and diversity. We were delighted that these sessions were watched in huge numbers, which meant we were reaching and influencing new audiences.”
“We are indebted to our sponsorship partners for stepping up in this most difficult of years, allowing us to deliver such a varied programme of events”, adds co-director Clive Allen. “The benefit was visibility to a significantly increased online audience both in the UK and internationally; the Festival was viewed in over 80 countries worldwide, with 50,000 hours of films and events consumed, and online content receiving over 340,000 views. Our sponsors’ involvement also allowed us to build on our outreach initiatives; over 70 schools participated in our Kendal For Schools programme, helping inspire future generations.”
Asked about plans for 2021, co-director Steve Scott says, “The answer will become clearer as the year progresses with regard to the physical Festival, but we can say with absolute certainty that we will be delivering an online Festival this November, while obviously hoping that we can also get together and share our experiences. We are also working on the launch this Spring of our year-round platform Kendal Mountain – Online, and our UK Tour will go live later this year. We have certainly bucked the trend and are seeing increased engagement with our brands and with our audience through our various channels, which is very positive news indeed.”
