11:40am Tuesday 6th October 2009
By Alex Cameron
GLASTONBURY Festival plays a key role in attracting people to live and work in Somerset, it was claimed this week.
Tickets for Europe’s largest music festival went on sale on October 4.
Every year, many of the 180,000 festival-goers have such a great time that they look to move to Somerset permanently to live and work, according to Inward investment body Into Somerset Interim chief executive Rupert Cox said: “The festival is the catalyst for many of Somerset’s creative businesses.
“Musicians, artists, actors, designers and many more creatives enjoy Glastonbury so much, that they move here to start their own businesses and capture that unique creative spirit every day of the year.
“Somerset’s creative sector is one of its key industries and its fastest-growing sector. It employs around 6,500 people – up 85% over the last few years.”
The sector is dominated by small businesses – 98% are single-site, owner-managed companies, including web designers, artists, craftspeople, musicians, film-makers and more.
The industry is boosted by Somerset’s broadband network, which has the best take-up in the West and one of the highest in the UK.
The sector is supported by groups such as Somerset ArtWorks, which runs the annual Somerset Arts Week, a co-ordinated countywide annual exhibition that generated £750,000 in direct sales in just two weeks for 750 artists in 2006.
Courses in creative arts and performing art courses are available through BAPA, Somerset College, Richard Huish College, Yeovil College, Strode College and Frome College, which has specialist Media Arts status.
More than 20,000 people relocate to Somerset each year – most from London and the South East.
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