We're in the news again! At the beginning of the year, the Reigate community was saddened to hear that the fantastic festival, in which many pupils from the Reigate School of Ballet and Commercial Dance danced in the park for many years, was threatening closure.
That was back in early January. Our presence in the paper this week comes under a more positive cloud!! This week, the Surrey Mirror published an article saying that the festival may now be saved. And in true style, our lovely pupils dressed the picture column in the newspaper (picture above) to announce the good news.
The Reigate Festival became an annual event held in the summer in Priory Park, and attracted over 5000 people. The event grew each year and soon became too big a job for the (literally) handful of volunteers that organised the event. As a result, they felt they could do no more due to the size of the event.
However, a major change in the organisation will now mean that different events on the day will be the responsibility of different groups, therefore sharing the load. The event is now propsed for July 2nd starting from 10.30am right through to 10.30pm, The festival's eighth incarnation will have a Shakespearean theme to mark 400 years since The Bard's death.
The Reigate School of Ballet and Commercial Dance has been involved in the festival since the beginning, providing much dance and performing arts entertainment to all the public. The schools (along with RSB Dance) have always performed in these local events as they provide a vital performing avenue for the children. Along with the Reigate Christmas Festival and various other events in both Priory Park Reigate and Redhill Memorial Park, our pupils receive much performance experience. Others include theatrical events at the Harlequin Theatre Redhill (the largest dance show in the area), Dorking Halls and the Royal Albert Hall.
We are so happy for this event to go ahead, as it has become one of the key yearly events in the year for the community.