Staithes Festival of Arts and Heritage

Staithes Festival has established itself as one of the friendliest festivals on the coast – a must-see event in the regional arts calendar.

Festival 2024 is on Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 September, with preview night 7pm-8.30pm Friday 13 September

Doors of cottages are thrown open as pop-up art galleries in a unique selling exhibition. 

Celebrating the history and heritage of Staithes with a programme of walks, talks, photographs, and film shows.

North York Moors, Scarborough Borough Council and Welcome to Yorkshire
Bay

Glenn Kilpatrick www.whitby-photography.com

Exhibiting at Staithes Festival

The Staithes Festival is an open festival. There is no selection panel, anyone may apply. Cottages and spaces which are are either let or loaned by villagers or holiday cottage owners. There are a finite number of cottages and we do not have any substantial public buildings available.

Finding a Venue: the festival is always oversubscribed (but don't be put off!). Artists should find their own venue quickly, either by exhibiting in their own home, borrowing/renting from friends or renting one of the many commercial holiday lets in the village (providing the owners have given their permission). We do not hold a list of all the properties available as this changes from year to year. If you go to the Accommodation pages, you will see a list of holiday lets / companies you could contact. This list is not exhaustive. 

Contacting your host: Once you have a venue and registered, it is up to you to make contact with your host if applicable / view the property and agree how and where you will hang or display your work, your arrival and departure etc.

Registration: Registration opens on 14 January 2024 and closes on 14 May 2023. Please register in good time. Anyone applying after the closing date will incur a late entry fee of £50. Registration means you will be given an official venue number, be included and located in the official festival programme guide, and on our website.

Prior to the Festival: We will be in touch a month before the festival with more details about setting up, preview evening etc.

Fee: Registration fee is £250 per artist, £150 each for two artists sharing a venue, £100 for three artists or more sharing the same venue. Students in full-time education and full-time Staithes residents must register officially, but are not required to pay the fee. They should pay 10% commission on their takings. Registration fees are vital for funding this year's and next year's festivals.

Buskers: there will be designated pitches for music/entertainers. These will last for no longer than an hour. All buskers must register with the festival - contact Chris Wade at chris.wade@adastra-music.co.uk