Shrewsbury street festival is axed after funds cut
Shrewsbury's International Street Theatre Festival has been axed after seven years – because its director can no longer afford to organise it.
About 25,000 people flocked to Shrewsbury for the three-day event in August, which featured street performers, dancers and acrobats from around the world, including America's Got Talent finalist Snap Boogie.
Festival director Bill Ferguson, 57, today said he could not longer afford to stage the event.
The Canadian, who lives in Frankwell, owns the rights to the street festival and has spent eight and a half years promoting it.
But in recent years, the festival has been forced to scale back after both the Arts Council and Shropshire Council withdrew funding.
Mr Ferguson, a street performer who regularly headlines the outdoor stage at Glastonbury Festival, said: "I require £12,000 a year to do this job and run this event which brings in 30,000 people to the town centre."
"It is a crying shame but it is time for me to move on with my own life."
