About
Taking place in Guildford Town Centre, the festival aims to rejuvenate the local art scene by showcasing independent shops, arts venues and creative spaces in a collaborative, community-focused way. It provides residents and visitors a unique opportunity to interact with artists, explore artistic disciplines, and participate in collaborative projects. The festival establishes Guildford as an arts hub, attracting visitors and strengthening local creative industries whilst encouraging ongoing engagement with venues and the local creative community.
The festival team:
Charlie Cluff
Co-founder and Director
Catherine Burton
Sarah Morrison
Volunteers
Cara Ellis
Designer/Creative Director
Suzanne Cluff
Public Open Call
Peter Cluff
Accounts
Pete Gerrard
Schools Open Call and Installation
Nathalie Scott
Schools Open Call
Kelly Gerrard
Events Coordinator
Amishta Aubeelack
Advertising/Project Manager
Lauren Gerrard
Co-founder
A note from the founders...
‘When we started planning this (over a year ago now) I had no idea how big it would become and how many people would want to be involved. I grew up in Guildford and to see this become a reality has been amazing!
The festival began after a chat with my co-founder, Lauren. We were talking about how, when we were growing up, it never felt like there were many opportunities for young creatives - or if there were, we didn’t know where to find them. Even as adults, we struggled to think of places in Guildford where we could do something creative without heading into London.
A bit of research showed us that this actually isn’t the case at all - there is loads happening in Guildford. The problem is that many people simply aren’t aware of it, or don’t know how to access it. That’s what we want to change.
The festival is our way of shining a spotlight on the creative spaces in the town and helping people discover them. It also creates new opportunities for aspiring artists of any age.
In 2025, we really saw this come to life. People kept telling us they’d discovered places they’d never visited before, signed up to mailing lists and memberships, and in some cases even returned as volunteers in these incredible spaces.’
- Charlie, Co-founder and Director