When I arrived in Canterbury in 2003, I thought, “I’ll give it five years.”

I inherited a much-loved Festival whose director, Mark Deller, had been in post for the past eighteen.

“Who on earth stays at one festival all that time?”

There was a job to be done. The Board of Trustees wanted a broader-based programme, building on the Festival’s strong musical heritage to attract a wider, younger audience. I was interested in Canterbury as a destination for cultural tourism, excited by the Cathedral with its long history of concerts and plays, and wildly impressed that everyone I met seemed to sing in a choir, play an instrument, write short stories, or paint watercolours. It was “all change” from Belfast!

Twenty years have passed in a flash. From Promised Land – the community opera – to Dallas Sweetman (Cathedral play) via the Fawlty Towers Dining Experience to Drive By theatre in Dreamland’s carpark – the range of events we have hosted or produced has been amazing. International visitors – the Albanian National Orchestra, Trondheim Soloists, the Soweto Gospel Choir – have shared stages with the best of British performers – Van, Bryn, and Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppets. From the deeply weird (names have been redacted to avoid causing offence) to the universally popular, from the melodic to the mind-boggling – I think we’ve managed to please at least some of the people most of the time. And when we’ve got it wrong – our loyal audience has let us know!

It has been my absolute pleasure to work with so many fun, creative and dedicated people – the small staff team, the volunteers, the Trustees – who have all pulled together in good times and in Covid to keep the good ship Canterbury Festival sailing on. To the funders, sponsors, Friends, and donors who have helped to finance our activities – a huge “thank you” – and please keep giving!

Finally – to our audience – who brave the autumn squalls, the chilly halls, the draughty but enchanting Spiegeltent, the hard seats, the trek up the hill, the queue at the door, the parking charges, the fact that the two shows you most want to see are on at the same time …… thank you for your indulgence, your loyalty and your sheer determination to enjoy yourselves. And paying for it too!

My “revels now are ended” but the Festival marches on seeking new artistic adventures.

Please enjoy them.

Rosie x