01.08.03
Objective One backs Dehwelans 2004
A second Cornish 'homecoming' festival – to take place
in 2004 – has the backing of Objective One.
The first Dehwelans festival took place at Pendennis Castle
in Falmouth in May 2002 and attracted hundreds of people from
around the world for a three-day celebration of Cornish heritage
and culture.
Plans are now in full swing to develop Dehwelans into a significant
event in the Cornish calendar.
Ian Dunn, chairman of the Dehwelans steering group, explained
that there are around 6 million people worldwide with Cornish
ancestry.
He said: "Many of these people are still extremely interested
and passionate about their heritage and in the future of their
homeland. The first Dehwelans event in Cornwall encouraged
hundreds of people from around the globe and was an enormous
success. We anticipate that Dehwelans 2004 will attract many
more local, national and international visitors next year.”
Dehwelans 2004 will take place between 28th April and 3rd
May 2004 and a project officer for the festival – Charlotte
Chadwick – has just been appointed.
Ian added: "Newquay plays proud host as the base for
the festival but festival activity will spread far and wide
across the whole of Cornwall.”
Carleen Kelemen, Director of the Objective One Partnership,
said: "One of the priorities of the Objective One programme
is to deliver economic and employment benefits based on the
distinctive nature of Cornwall. Dehwelans 2004 will contribute
directly to these aims. Not only will it help enhance understanding
and appreciation of Cornish culture, it will do it in a way
that is also economically beneficial.”
She added: "There is a niche tourist market for this
kind of event, both in terms of the actual additional visitors
it will bring to Cornwall and in terms of the boost that the
publicity generated will give Cornwall’s economy and
its national and international profile.”
Objective One will invest £95,000 from the European
Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in a £205,000 project
to develop the Dehwelans 2004 festival. It is estimated that
the campaign will generate at least £400,000 in gross
additional sales for the Cornish economy.
Editor's notes:
European Regional Development
Fund (ERDF):
ERDF is one of our four funds that make up the Objective
One Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, which
is making £314 million of investment available for developing
the local economy between 2000 and 2006. ERDF exists to:
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Help reduce the gap between development levels and
living standards among the regions and the extent to which
least-favoured regions are lagging behind. |
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Help redress the main regional imbalances in the European
Community by participating in the development and structural
adjustment of regions whose development is lagging behind,
and the social conversion of regions. |
For further information contact:
Charlotte Chadwick
Dehwelans Project Director
01209 212070
Jason Clark
Communications Manager
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Tel: 01872 241379
Fax: 01872 241388
jason@dclark.co.uk
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