Third-year Birmingham City University Media Studies students are to live stream an online arts festival this Friday, April 30.
The Forgotten Arts Festival is about showcasing ‘amazing performers with an array of talent.’
The festival idea was inspired by friends Holly Payne, Ollie Hambrook and Sam Phillips.
Ollie Hambrook, co-founder of the festival said: “We could see how heavily impacted the arts industry had been through the pandemic and how neglected and underfunded the whole industry was.
“We were all so passionate about the arts with it being a big factor in all of our lives.”
The Forgotten Arts festival was then set up for their final year project to ‘make something that brought together the industry and acted as a platform to educate’.
During the pandemic the UK’s arts and entertainment sector has been one of the areas most affected.
The entertainment industry saw a 44.5% reduction in monthly gross domestic product output in the three months up until June 2020, compared to the previous quarter.
The festival is about showcasing ‘rich and diverse culture of the craft in the UK; from musicians, traditional artists and even burlesque dancers.’
Any money made from the festival will also be donated back to the charity ‘For The Arts’ which will then go into the arts industry.
There is no charge to watch the show but donations to the charity are welcomed.
Faye Merralls, Administrator at the charity said: “We were delighted to be approached by the festival to be a beneficiary, and are in full admiration of what they are doing to foreground freelance artists who give so much.”
The live show will be available to watch back on a stream.
The five hour show will begin at 4pm, on YouTube.
One of the acts for the festival, DJ Comast said: “The reason I wanted to get involved with the festival is because it’s shining light onto a cause i care about and who are appreciating the arts culture.
“The arts culture is an integral part of our society which is constantly ignored.”