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WEST END FESTIVAL LAUNCHES EXTENDED PROGRAMME, 28th April, 2014

The 19th West End Festival programme was revealed today, (Monday, 28 April), extending the dates from Sunday, 1 – Sunday, 29 June and confirmation the not-to-miss Byres Road parade will go ahead on Sunday, 8 June.

The local favourite, Gibson Street Gala, which was founded by the West End Festival 10 years ago and is now coordinated by local residents and businesses is sponsored by Ikea Glasgow, will kick off the festival on Sunday, 1 June. Last year around 5,000 people attended.

The Cottier Chamber ProjectThe Cottier, which has been running since 2011, takes place from 6 – 20 June this year and includes threads of literature, theatre and visual art, and this year a new project has been added to the bill, The Cottier Dance Project, Glasgow’s only professional dance festival, running from 23 – 27 June.

The festival is only possible with the voluntary support from local residents, businesses and generous support from Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Life and Creative Scotland.

Bailie Liz Cameron, Executive Member for Jobs and the Economy at Glasgow City Council, said: “The West End Festival is of course a long-established and well-loved fixture in Glasgow’s cultural calendar.  The festival programme is even more interesting this year with the Cottier Dance Project  bringing professional dance to the west end.  Like so many Glaswegians and visitors to the city, I can’t wait for the festival to start!”

Liz Scobie, chair of the West End Festival board added: “It just takes some music and dance, some street food and a little bit of sunshine to make Parade Day one of the happiest days of the year.  The atmosphere is always relaxed and good natured as the whole community spills out onto Byres Road meeting friends, filling the parks and playing with their children.  You can see why top planners and architects voted the west end the Best Neighbourhood in Europe.  This year is extra special because of the Commonwealth Games and the Mardi Gras Parade Day Party provides the perfect start to an unforgettable summer.”

The Festival programme includes over 400 events in some 80 venues across the greater west end of Glasgow, with events ranging from music and theatre, to walks, talks and community galas – many events are free to attend. The parade is the biggest highlight of the festival, last year seeing 80,000 people turn out to see the procession with over 300 participants.

Leonie Bell, Director of Arts & Engagement at Creative Scotland commented: “We are delighted to be supporting the West End Festival again in 2014. The Festival brings to life over an entire month all the vibrancy and diversity of Glasgow’s west end and draws people from the immediate community and beyond.  There is a real sense of ambition in the Festival’s curated programme ranging from professional dance and theatre to Literary Lates and the excellent and ever-expanding Cottier Chamber Project.”

The West End Festival is a celebration of culture, and one that has brought colour and entertainment to the streets of the west end since 1996.  It continues to be a key part of Glasgow’s events calendar, attracting visitors from across the city and beyond, as well as including internationally renowned musicians and artists such as Pavel Haas Quartet, Brass Jaw and the premier screening of World War Z last year.

This section: Events, Fairs, Festivals and Fundraisers, West End Festival 2014