People who experienced the outdoor and immersive arts and culture that Basingstoke Festival brought to the streets of the borough this year are being asked to help shape the future of the event.

Over three weekends each summer, thousands of residents and visitors watch and take part in the free acts and the opening parade in Basingstoke town centre, along with the Out and About programme that sees performances pop up across the borough.

This year, over 500 people attended the parade and more than 15,000 people attended a performance or took part in one of 15 workshops. 10 primary schools, four secondary schools and over 20 community groups were also involved in bringing the festival to life, while 15 young people benefitted from work experience opportunities during the events.

Audiences and participants are now being asked for their feedback on the shows, experiences and workshops they participated in. This feedback will then be used to make future festivals and arts programming across the borough even better.

The survey should take around five minutes to complete and can be accessed at www.basingstokefestival.co.uk/ShareYourThoughts.

Those filling in the survey can choose to be entered into a draw for the chance to win a family ticket to this winter’s Anvil Arts pantomime, Beauty and the Beast.

Cabinet Member for Sports, Leisure and Culture Councillor Kerry Morrow said: “Basingstoke Festival is just one part of what makes this such a vibrant place for arts and culture so it should be no surprise that nearly a 10^th of our economy comes from creative industries.

“We want the festival and our programme of arts and culture to give people of all ages new experiences while spending quality family time together. Your feedback will help us make future festivals brighter, better and more exciting than ever and we look forward to welcoming you back to future festivals.”

More information about Basingstoke Festival can be found on the festival website at www.BasingstokeFestival.co.uk. More information about the council’s arts and culture programme can be found on the council’s website at www.basingstoke.gov.uk/arts-and-culture.