At a ceremony held this week in the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television, Bradford, Harrogate International Festivals won the Arts & Business Sustainability Award, Yorkshire for Theakstons sponsorship of the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival. 

Heading off strong competition from West Yorkshire Playhouse & Provident Financial and Northern Ballet Theatre & Accenture, the Award recognises partnerships which have been sustained over a minimum of three years, enabling the partnership to develop long term goals with incremental benefits on both sides.

The Award, a glass sculpture by Gina B Clarke, was collected by Simon Theakston and by Sharon Canavar, Operations Director for Harrogate International Festivals.

William Culver Dodds, Chief Executive of Harrogate International Festivals today said:  ‘We are thrilled to have won this award, which recognises this important strategic partnership.  The crime writing festival is a major cultural event in Yorkshire and I particularly want to acknowledge Sharon Canavar who is responsible for taking the Crime Festival on to even greater national and international success.’ 

Simon Theakston, Executive Director of T&R Theakston  today said:  ‘We have been working with Harrogate International Festival on the crime writing festival for a few years now and are delighted to have recently signed up for a further 5 year sponsorship.  We are thrilled to receive this award, as it recognises how successful a partnership can be when there is a clear synergy between the two brands.’

As regional winners the Festival and Theakstons are now entered for the Arts & Business National Awards, which occur later next year.

In an evening that demonstrated the growing impact Harrogate International Festival has regionally, it was also shortlisted for the Arts & Business Community Award sponsored by Yorkshire Forward for its partnership with Leeds Metropolitan University on the Green Space Festival, Yorkshires only Street Theatre Festival.