About Lichfield Arts
Established half a century ago, Lichfield Arts stands as an independent registered charity (Charity Number 1156217), centrally located in the heart of Lichfield. Our organisation thrives on the dedication of volunteers who play a pivotal role in its operation and support. Annually, Lichfield Arts orchestrates approximately 30 concerts that span a diverse range of music genres, hosted in various venues.
In addition to our concert series, we proudly curate three prominent festivals each year. Among them is our flagship Fuse festival in July, recognised as one of the Midlands’ largest and most beloved free community celebrations. Preceding this, in June, we present the Lichfield Jazz & Blues Festival, and in October, the Lichfield Festival of Folk.
Beyond our events, Lichfield Arts extends its reach through innovative outreach projects, fostering arts education and encouraging community participation. We also provide developmental opportunities for our dedicated team of volunteers.
With five decades of experience, Lichfield Arts boasts a rich and diverse history. Yet, we are not merely anchored in the past; rather, we are a dynamic and forward-thinking organisation, eagerly anticipating a vibrant future of uniting the local community through a shared passion for the arts.
At Lichfield Arts, we offer an exciting haven for forging new friendships, discovering diverse musical expressions, and engaging in fulfilling activities—whether as a valued volunteer or an enthusiastic event attendee. Our inclusive and friendly atmosphere extends an invitation to all. We provide the community with opportunities for exploration, creating enduring memories of our distinctive events that celebrate and promote the arts in a dynamic and exhilarating manner.
The secret of our success is our cohesiondiversityteamtenacitycommunityexperienceintegritypassioneventsvalues
We have a reputation for delivering well respected events with authentic, professional artists as well as providing a platform for up and coming performers with the best sound and lighting possible. We have events all year round that entertain and encourage, with opportunities for everyone and friendly, helpful volunteers and staff. Our events support the local economy by encouraging tourism, bringing large numbers of people to the city of Lichfield, many of which are making their first visit to the city specifically to enjoy our events.
The annual Fuse Festival, for example, consistently draws in 16,000 visitors over the course of its three-day event. A substantial number of attendees engage with local amenities, explore other nearby arts and heritage sites, significantly contribute to businesses based in Lichfield, and immerse themselves in the broader offerings of our vibrant city.
Lichfield Arts extends beyond the realm of live music; it encompasses a rich tapestry of initiatives. Our notable achievements include a robust commitment to community outreach projects, where we actively support, nurture, and create opportunities for local young people, as well as those in disadvantaged and underrepresented segments of society. These endeavours stand as a source of pride for us, highlighting our dedication to fostering inclusivity and making a positive impact on diverse communities.
We are deeply invested in the success of our events, driven by a strong conviction that every participant—be it a performer, team member, visitor, sponsor, or funding partner—should derive tangible benefits from their involvement. Our commitment is to ensure that everyone engaged with our offerings leaves with a profound sense of the value we bring, recognising the worthiness of our events. Through these experiences, we aim not only to showcase the excellence of our remarkable city and its vibrant community but also to provide exceptional value to all who contribute and engage with us.
Our amazing team
Without the fantastic support of our diverse and enthusiastic volunteer team, Lichfield Arts would not be able to run the important community events that means so much to our visitors and supporters.
The dedicated team of trustees, all of whom are volunteers, bear the collective responsibility for the overall management of Lichfield Arts. They work diligently to ensure that the organisation and its events are conducted in an innovative, community-focused manner while upholding standards of safety, legality, ethics, and fairness.
Our paid staff support the trustees and volunteers while having specialist roles to perform within Lichfield Arts.
At the heart of what we do collectively is a desire for cohesion, teamwork, respect, diversity, honesty and fairness. Many of our volunteers and trustees have been involved in Lichfield Arts for many years, some since the earliest days of the organisation.
Being involved with Lichfield Arts as a volunteer, trustee or staff member is hugely rewarding and we welcome enthusiastic people from across the social spectrum to join us in our exciting journey into an even more successful future.
Lichfield Arts is active throughout the year either running, planning or evaluating our festivals, or creating exciting and dynamic concerts and outreach projects.
Lichfield Arts extends its sincere thank to all of our volunteers, trustees and staff for their fantastic work and support.
Our events
Our exciting events are a platform for up and coming artists, particularly younger performers who would otherwise lack the opportunity to perform in front of a live audience and learn to craft their performance skills.
Fuse is our biggest and most popular festival and in 2023 drew a collective audience of over 15,000 participants from across the district and wider Staffordshire area, who enjoyed a wide range of artistic and engaging opportunities for participation, education and fun!
Our Jazz & Blue Festival is a multi-venue event having earned an important place on the calendar for fans not only of the genres of jazz and blues, but high quality, entertaining musicianship.
With fringe events and several days of performance, the Jazz & Blues Festival is as popular as ever.
The Lichfield Festival of Folk is a popular, vibrant and entertaining event which offers a mix of ticketed and free activities.
These include the popular arts and heritage parade involving over thirty dance sides, in magnificent costume, leading a vibrant procession from Lichfield Cathedral to the centre of the city, where dancing entertains the enthusiastic audience.
With a dynamic and varied line up of artists from across the folk spectrum, and opportunities to partake in workshops and outreach projects, The Lichfield Festival of Folk has established itself as an important late season treat for fans of folk and indeed live performance.
Our values
Lichfield Arts is an inclusive and supportive organisation where fairness, respect and integrity are important organisational values.
Lichfield Arts is committed to promoting equality, diversity and celebrating difference in everything we do.
We extend a warm welcome to staff, volunteers, and trustees from all backgrounds. Actively pursuing avenues to enhance diversity, we are committed to fostering an even more inclusive and robust team.
We encourage and support our volunteers and staff and believe that teamwork, empowerment and positive feedback is vital to everything we do as an organisation.
Our events feature artists and performers that celebrate diversity and offer opportunities for under represented members of the community, while embracing equality and respect.
To the best of our ability, we prioritise venues with accessibility for disabled customers. Each of our events is meticulously organised, taking into consideration the diverse needs of our community.
We believe that promoting community cohesion, working closely with local schools and colleges on outreach projects which are specific to the curriculum and offering opportunities whenever possible, while listening to the needs of our customers and participants is extremely important.
Lichfield Arts is committed to being an equal opportunities employer.
