The summer festival season in Kilkenny has been tempered this year by the news that the city’s annual Cat Laughs Comedy Festival has lost its sponsor.
However, festival organisers have said they are in discussions with other organisations about taking over the main sponsorship role and they are hopeful of attracting an equally prominent name.
And they said continued support from local sponsors was imperative in order to keep the festival alive in the future.
The festival, which celebrated its 16th year this year, provides a major economic boost to the city annually with an estimated €8 million invested in the local economy in 2010 and attracting in the region of 30,000 visitors to Kilkenny.
Diageo Ireland this week confirmed that Carlsberg would no longer be a title sponsor for the popular comedy festival from next year. They were main sponsors for the festival in 2010 for the second year running.
“Diageo Ireland can confirm that 2010 was Carlsberg’s final year as title sponsor of the Cats Laughs Comedy Festival in Kilkenny,” a statement from the company read this week.
“Following two successful years as title sponsor coupled with the completion of a strategic review of Carlsberg’s marketing activities, it has been decided that we will now focus on a range of consumer initiatives as alternatives to comedy.”
CEO of the comedy festival Jane Russell also confirmed that Carlsberg would not be returning as sponsor after their ‘successful two year partnership’.
“The festival is confident of securing an equivalent level of sponsorship support for 2011 and is currently in dialogue with a number of interested parties,” she told the Advertiser in a statement this week.
“The festival would like to thank its valued local sponsors for their ongoing support. This essential local support will continue to play a crucial role in ensuring the Cat Laughs existence into the future.”
Meanwhile another of Kilkenny’s notable festivals, the Rhythm and Roots festival, has been overlooked for funding from the Arts Council for next year but festival director John Cleere has moved to qualm fears that the decision could have an effect on next year’s festival.
Mr Cleere told the Kilkenny Advertiser that the Arts Council had given the annual local festival no discernible funding in previous years and confirmed next year’s Rhythm and Roots would be unaffected.
He said the Art Council’s previous support had amounted to little more than a few subsidised flights and the only consequence would be more time spent on YouTube researching acts.
