As excitement builds for this summer’s spectacular BookTastic children’s book festival, event organizers are shining the spotlight on local businesses supporting the event and helping open the world of books to young readers in Bedford and by the way.
In addition to national funding from Arts Council England and Big Local, the success of BookTastic depends on the generous support of local organizations passionate about improving literacy and access to literature for young people, regardless of either their situation.
Literacy heroes who are the backbone of the BookTastic festival include the Bedford Educational Association, Bedford Borough Council, YouCanBook.Me, The Culture Challenge, The Gale Family Charity Trust and the Harpur Trust.
The vital funds these organizations provide have helped BookTastic bring the biggest names in children’s literature to Bedford, providing exciting events for families and schools in the local community for nearly a decade.
Partner funding allows BookTastic to cut costs to allow more children to attend events, ensuring everyone has access to literature – especially those for whom reading can often be seen as an expensive luxury. .
Rachael Rogan, Founder of BookTastic, said, “The BookTastic Festival simply couldn’t happen without the generous support of our amazing partners.
“These organizations recognize the importance of literacy for our young people and are committed to helping us keep the festival as inexpensive as possible, ensuring that every child who wishes to participate has access to these inspiring events.
“We’d love to hear from other companies or individuals who want to help us bring BookTastic into its next chapter.”
BookTastic has ambitious plans to expand access to the festival in the future and reach those who need literacy support the most.
To make this happen, festival organizers are calling on more companies to be part of the BookTastic story – visit the BookTastic website to see how your organization can get involved.
Individuals can also help contribute to the BookTastic crowdfunder here and pledge to support the future of the festival.
To learn more, to register your school for a livestream license, or to reserve tickets, email
festival@booktastic.org.uk or visit booktastic.org.uk.
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