The biggest ever Brighton Festival ended yesterday with the direction of next year's event uncertain following the resignation of the artistic director, Christopher Barron.

Just as the curtain came down on the 34th Brighton Festival, it was announced Mr Barron was leaving Brighton and moving north of the border to become the chief executive of Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet.

He leaves with the festival in better financial shape than when he took over in 1994 with debts of £140,000 and its future in doubt.

This year's three-week festival saw 900 indoor and outdoor events. With increased commercial sponsorship, there has been little drain on arts funding or Brighton and Hove Council budgets.

Insight

Most of the shows, and particularly the literary events, were well attended.

Hundreds attended the shows of the Chinese State Circus in Preston Park.

For the first time there was a dedicated education unit, which gave audiences a deeper insight into the festival.

There was also more involvement with local schools and the number of house events, particularly art shows in private houses across the Brighton and Hove increased.

One of the final events, the Groovy Movie Picture House show and festival family afternoon at St Ann's Well Gardens, Hove, was not as well attended as had been hoped due to the wet weather. Organisers wanted families to make it an afternoon of celebration by bringing their picnics and letting their children be entertained

by films and theatrical performers.

Dull weather and the constant threat of rain, on what in previous years has been a sunny afternoon, meant that only about 150 people turned up to the event.

The post Mr Barron is taking up is one of the most controversial north of the border.

Scottish Ballet and Scottish Opera, who will remain separate under Mr Barron, are both in serious financial trouble. Only six months ago the Scottish Parliament stepped in to rescue Scottish Opera from going bust with a £2.1million grant.

Attempts to merge the Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet have taken seven years.

Mr Barron is a governor of East Brighton College of Media Arts and Brighton University.

FESTIVAL REVIEWS - Page 16

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