...about the Festival

The FREEART FESTIVAL was intended as a celebration of community spirit, an opportunity for local culture to express itself. Over the years, the city centre has become consumed with consumerism: more and more, the only "normal" activity is shopping. A wide variety of performers, artists and musicians expressed an interest in appearing at the festival, where they would have provided free entertainment and participatory activities. In order to be close to the living heart of Portsmouth, the first proposed venue was the Tricorn Centre, since this was next to the market. The courtyard, originally intended as a community space, has long been a public right of way.

about what happened to it

The festival was initially supported by the City Arts Council, and later gained the support of Portsmouth City Council. However, the company which now owns the Tricorn (Taylor Woodrow, also responsible for it's construction) had paid for all rights of way through the Tricorn to be removed, and though they claimed to support the idea of an arts festival, they forbade it to take place on what was now their exclusive private property. The FREEART COLLECTIVE attempted to find alternative sites to the festival, but all were refused, including Charlotte Street and the supposedly public green space around St Agatha's Church. The police have advised that anyone who tries to participate in the festival may face arrest for "causing an obstruction", and that the organisers could be arrested up to 48 hours in advance. In protest at this reaction, Laura Heath has resigned from her organisational capacity in the FREEART COLLECTIVE.

...about the FREEART COLLECTIVE

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