Background/Mission

Rhythms of the World (ROTW) is a registered charity, led entirely by volunteers with the following objectives:

To provide an opportunity for people to engage in community activity.

Many local schools, churches, community groups and other organisations have contributed to ROTW in recent years.

To provide a bridge of common interest and meaningful interchange between different age, race, ability and economic groups in the community.

The festival involves a broad cross-section of the community in organising and participating in the event. See list of contributors above.

To provide a stimulus to the arts in the region

Performance arts:

• To provide the stimulus of a professionally organised event with a large audience
• To give focus and support for new creative developments.
• To provide a cultural showcase.

Visual art:

• To provide exhibition space for artists.
• Banners and stage backdrops are prominent canvases with a huge viewing public.

To provide an outlet for the energies of young people

Our Icehouse Stage is dedicated to young talent and hundreds of local primary and secondary school children get involved in our Community Art Projects.  Our Outreach Programme also involves young carers and disabled young people.  

To educate

Audience:

• To remove all the thresholds from experiencing something new.
• To provide the opportunity for people to experience high quality live music and art of different cultures, in a tolerant and inclusive environment.

Volunteers:

• To provides the opportunity for people to broaden their experience and skills by learning from professionals in the team and improving their CV and employment prospects.

Artists:

• To inspire and influence through new art forms.
• To provide work experience for students.

To raise the national profile of the area as a cultural and commercial centre

ROTW and the Hitchin Festival draw visitors into the town and help to establish the historic Town Centre, with its interesting retail mix, as a tourist and regional destination.

Whilst many businesses experience an increase in trade over the weekend, we believe there is also a year-round increase in visitor numbers because of the “Hitchin promotion” effect of the festival.

See our Frequently Asked Questions for more information about ROTW