In early 2008, Arts Council England, North East, commissioned Fierce Earth, the organisers of Fierce! festival, “the Hay-on-Wye of performance art, the Glastonbury of experimental theatre” (Daily Telegraph), working with North East based curators Ilana Mitchell and Beth Bate, to research and develop a new participatory live art festival for the North East.

Following a period of consultation and focus groups with arts organisations, artists and individuals across the region, plus audience and artistic research, Wunderbar Festival was established as a new North East organisation to develop and produce a new festival on a biennial model. Ilana has led the creative development of the project working with many partners across the North East. The new organisation has been supported in its establishment by Fierce Earth, who continue to provide development expertise, organisational management and back office support.

Between July and December 2009 Wunderbar Festival is continuing its organisational development, building a strong Board of Directors to carry on the work of the festival while Fierce Earth step back to concentrate on their own exciting projects.

For further information about Fierce, see fiercetv.co.uk and the Wordpress Site