An ambitious and exciting cultural programme to re-establish a centuries-old festival on the North Yorkshire coast has taken a major step forward.
North Yorkshire Council has appointed Julian Caddy to the role of director of The Scarborough Fair. He will start in June when he leaves his current position as the CEO of Brighton Fringe, England’s largest annual cultural festival.
Mr Caddy will lead on the delivery of a pioneering creative programme for The Scarborough Fair, which will span three years until 2026.
The fair is one of the projects funded from the £20.2 million awarded to Scarborough under the Government’s Towns Fund.
As part of his role, Mr Caddy will work with local artists, communities, businesses, visiting companies and established seasons to co-design and produce the festival.
Established under Royal Charter in 1253, the original Scarborough Fair drew merchants from far and wide to ‘sell goods of true worth’ to hundreds of visitors each August and September until 1788.
The Scarborough Fair is now returning as a year-round programme of arts, heritage, culinary and sporting events at venues throughout the town under Mr Caddy’s stewardship.
He has worked as an organiser of arts festivals and events for more than 25 years and since 2011 he has been leading Brighton Fringe.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for open to business, Cllr Derek Bastiman, said: “I’m delighted that we have been able to secure someone of Julian’s calibre to be the director of The Scarborough Fair.
“The festival is unique because it will provide a huge number of fantastic opportunities for residents, local businesses and visitors.
“The fair will attract people from across Britain and beyond not only to Scarborough but also North Yorkshire and will cement our reputation as one of the country’s top cultural destinations.”
Prior to Brighton, Mr Caddy worked as a venue producer at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as co-founder and director of Sweet Venues, where he programmed or produced more than 700 shows with further co-productions at Adelaide, Avignon and Montreal fringe festivals, as well as seasons in London and tours around the UK.
He has deep connections with North Yorkshire, with close family across the county, including his mother, who lives in Filey.
Mr Caddy said: “The Scarborough Fair is a ground-breaking new venture for both the town and the wider region, providing work opportunities for the creative community and bringing in significant numbers of visitors and positive economic impact for local businesses, too.
“I am both delighted and extremely privileged to be able to help make it happen and can’t wait to get started.”
Last year, David Edmunds of the Arches Festivals in Worcester was named as director of the festival, but he dropped out for personal reasons before he was due to take up the role.
Paul Robinson, the chairman of The Scarborough Fair Advisory Group and the revamped Scarborough Fair’s founder, added: “Julian Caddy is the ideal person to bring together all elements of the programme – as someone who can draw the big acts to Scarborough as well as a genuine interest in getting all our communities involved.”
Made possible with investment from the Towns Fund, The Scarborough Fair is a project of the council, working in partnership with the public and private sectors and initiated following extensive consultation with local residents, businesses and community organisations.
