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Disabled people could be left out of Bedford arts festival
Disabled facilities will be lacking when Civic Theatre is closed claim organisers
A POPULAR music, speech and drama festival could be inaccessible to disabled participants if the civic theatre is closed claim organisers.
The Bedfordshire Festival of Music, Speech and Drama, which will take place as planned in 2011, uses the Civic Theatre as a venue for 200 pupils from special needs schools who take part in the event.
The venue is used by organisers because they say it is the only venue in the town centre with access for disabled people.
Vice president elect of the festival Elisabeth Slack said: "We have massively increased the level of participation by these schools in recent years.
"Now we fill the Civic Theatre all day for one of our eight days with a full range of special needs children making music."
She added: "We use the Civic Theatre because it is the only place in the town centre where such needy people can readily gain access.
"It is very important to us that these classes are at the heart of the festival.
"To move these classes away from our festival centre would be very sad and send all the wrong messages."
The Bedfordshire Festival of Music, Speech and Drama is a showcase for the wealth of talent in the amateur performing arts.
A spokesman for Bedford Borough Council said: "We are pleased to be working with the Bedfordshire Festival of Music, Speech and Drama to host their 90th anniversary festival which is to be held in March next year.
"As in previous years the event is set to take place across the Corn Exchange Complex including the Civic Theatre.
"Going forward we hope to be able to offer even better facilities and we will continue to work with the festival organisers to ensure the continued success of this event."
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Monday 06 February 2012
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