Driving force behind arts events in the city on the struggles and successes

Garry Cook with John Gillmore as they speak on the latest episode of The Parched Pea Podcast

A firebrand arts promoter has spoken of the challenges and opportunities for putting on events in the city.

Garry Cook is the driving force behind the Lancashire Fringe Festival and many other theatre and arts events in Preston over the years.

From packing more than 70 people into the Ferret for some spoken-word poetry and theatre on a cold January night through to arranging free-to-enjoy events at the Bus Station, Garry’s got an eclectic roster of performers and events up his sleeves.

Garry and Gilly discuss in the latest episode of The Parched Pea Podcast how the city is developing a ‘cult reputation’ for arts events, as often artists are testing shows straight from the Edinburgh Festival.

You can listen to the episode below or on Podfollow

But there’s major stumbling blocks with the current Arts Council funding for Preston paling into insignificance compared to other cities – as Garry gives his insight into the process and how he’s successfully secured support in the past.

He also talks about how he thinks Preston Bus Station is an underutilised venue in the city – both inside and on its apron area which is effectively a new public square.

The Lancashire Fringe Festival, developed by Garry, has seen runs of 15 events over a fortnight non-stop and he gives a flavour of what it takes to put on such a diverse set of events.

The Parched Pea Podcast is a collaboration between Blog Preston, Lancashire Post and Central Radio with Gilly exploring the people and places which make the city tick and will be available on Spotify, Apple and all other major podcast apps via Podfollow with new episodes being released every other Wednesday starting on Wednesday 9 April.

The podcast has been supported by Cosy Homes in Lancashire, who work to keep homes in Preston and beyond warm and energy efficient.

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