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| Crisis talks held over festival | Crisis talks held over festival |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Crisis talks are taking place to try to secure the future of the Belfast Festival at Queen's. | Crisis talks are taking place to try to secure the future of the Belfast Festival at Queen's. |
| As the festival draws to an end for this year, Queen's University is threatening to close it down because of continued financial losses. | As the festival draws to an end for this year, Queen's University is threatening to close it down because of continued financial losses. |
| Queen's said it had "played its part" but its public funders "who benefit from NI's only international festival" needed "to step up to the mark too". | |
| Despite record ticket sales this year, the festival is set to lose £150,000. | Despite record ticket sales this year, the festival is set to lose £150,000. |
| The university will pay the bill, but an internal report says is it losing patience with public funders who Queen's believe should be paying more. | The university will pay the bill, but an internal report says is it losing patience with public funders who Queen's believe should be paying more. |
| Financial burden | |
| The report, seen by BBC NI Arts Correspondent Maggie Taggart, points to the Arts Council and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure in particular and says a body whose primary role is to educate cannot continue to shoulder the financial burden. | The report, seen by BBC NI Arts Correspondent Maggie Taggart, points to the Arts Council and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure in particular and says a body whose primary role is to educate cannot continue to shoulder the financial burden. |
| It says government funding has been cut by a third over the last three years and the festival needs another £500,000 a year to keep it going. | It says government funding has been cut by a third over the last three years and the festival needs another £500,000 a year to keep it going. |
| If it does not get more money, it says this could be the last festival. | If it does not get more money, it says this could be the last festival. |
| In a statement, the university said it has invested £2.5m in culture and arts over the past three years. | |
| "Without support from other partners who benefit from the delivery of Northern Ireland's only international festival, the university cannot continue to fund deficits," it added. | |
| The government says all festivals need to work towards supporting themselves and become less reliant on the public purse. | The government says all festivals need to work towards supporting themselves and become less reliant on the public purse. |