Sidmouth Folk Week - New Director

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Week - New Director
From: GUEST,Jim Moray
Date: 23 Aug 11 - 09:55 AM

And, GUEST - I believe Joan stopped having any involvement in Albion Folk quite a while ago, and was never involved in the agency side because of the potential conflict of interests. Her role was always the fundraising and project management that she did for Sidmouth and as a freelancer.

Alan meanwhile is the biggest folk agent in the country (he's my agent for a start...) but programmes Towersey without too much conflicts between roles. He is dependable and is probably second to none in knowing what the folkish public want to see. But Joan has quite often programmed things people didn't know they wanted to see which is subtly different and is something that I hope Alan will continue to include in the festival.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Week - New Director
From: GUEST,Noreen at work
Date: 23 Aug 11 - 09:44 AM

Steve, I am surprised at you objecting to others using items from your website, when you take whole chunks of posts from the Mudcat Café and repost them on your website, names and all- which I find rather suspect.

Did you ask the permission of the original posters to reproduce their posts on your website- or even let them know?


Back to the topic- good luck to Joanie Crump with her future career.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Week - New Director
From: GUEST,Jim Moray
Date: 23 Aug 11 - 09:44 AM

Steve - I'd be very careful about throwing allegations around. After your "about an artist called Jim something or other..." I (understandably I hope) made a few calls to hear the truth about this. I think it might be wise to keep quiet if you are just speculating in this case...

I have spent the majority of the last 30 first-week-in-Augusts in Sidmouth as a festival goer and as a performer, and I have felt the last three years have been some of the best festivals I have ever been to. Under Joans leadership the festival has regained lost ground and was really on the cusp of being the market leader again. Joan is well liked amongst most artists I know, and I am really sad that she won't be steering the festival creatively any more.

For the record, I also have a professional relationship with Alan and my formative Sidmouths were programmed by him, so I'm interested to see what he does, but I'd hate to think it was a "safe" backwards step when the last few years have seen some daring and unique programming and special projects that, frankly, would never have happened in the Mrs Casey years.

Whatever your experience of the last few years, I think everyone who loves Sidmouth has to agree that Joan has made some huge achievements (the silent ceilidh/disco, rejuvenating the Bulverton into being a success again, the special projects that have taken on a life outside the festival, the partnerships with other organisations and countries like the Irish exchange this year, and not least getting the festival on a financially stable footing and turning a profit where it was making huge losses) with the festival over the last few years and should be thanked for her hard work.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Week - New Director
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 23 Aug 11 - 09:38 AM

As opposed Ms Crump/Mr Hallam's Albion Folk stable of acts?

Just asking

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Week - New Director
From: GUEST,Guest Vivienne
Date: 23 Aug 11 - 09:38 AM

Quite a high proportion of this year's acts were from his stable so I can't see it making much difference - and he has a very large stable.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Week - New Director
From: Banjiman
Date: 23 Aug 11 - 09:31 AM

Does this mean that Sidmouth will be dominated by Alan Bearman's stable of acts?

Just asking.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Week - New Director
From: Steve in Sidmouth
Date: 23 Aug 11 - 09:27 AM

Memo to Vic Smith: it would have been polite to acknowledge where it came from - I put my link on the other thread. And you didn't just quote from it, you reproduced virtually my entire webpage.

Anyhow, just to say that over 100 people have accessed it already - so much for the topic not being of any interest!!

so here it is again, the (almost) full original version of the Press release

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Week - New Director
From: GUEST,999
Date: 23 Aug 11 - 07:36 AM

OK. This is gonna be one of those UK thread fights. I'm outta here.

Best of luck with the festival.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Week - New Director
From: Vic Smith
Date: 23 Aug 11 - 07:24 AM

You put a link to something called a "press release" on a public website and then when someone quotes from it on a forum where it is of central interest, you write, "That was pinched from my website." Eh?

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Week - New Director
From: GUEST,OldNicKilby
Date: 23 Aug 11 - 06:05 AM

Well said Mr Miles. The Folk Clubs are where the real spirit of the music lives and sometimes thrives and is there on a weekly basis. However there are times that it is weakly, it all depends on the people involved.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Week - New Director
From: GUEST,999
Date: 23 Aug 11 - 06:04 AM

A M E N to that!

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Week - New Director
From: Steve in Sidmouth
Date: 23 Aug 11 - 05:22 AM

It is probably marginally more important (and indeed far more interesting) than the details of when and how often you met various people.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Week - New Director
From: The Sandman
Date: 22 Aug 11 - 08:45 PM

Is this important? Will there be a radical change of artistic direction?
I have known Alan Bearman since 1978,he has always struck me as a good organiser and someone who has a love of varying types of folk music.
I have only met Joan Crump once,and then only briefly.
People come and People go,the Folk club scene continues regardless of who the artistic director of Sidmouth is, IMO the folk club network is more important than who is the director of One PARTICULAR folk festival.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Week - New Director
From: Steve in Sidmouth
Date: 22 Aug 11 - 06:25 PM

The 'missing page' in the series referred to above, folk183.htm has now been loaded. Rewriting the history of FolkWeek in Sidmouth.

Page 184.htm is awaiting publication of the next issue of S&TS - 'the magazine for folk dancers.' http://www.setandturnsingle.org.uk

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Week - New Director
From: Steve in Sidmouth
Date: 22 Aug 11 - 04:51 PM

By the way, the rest of the body of Press Release only gave some contact details for journalists - so I omitted them from my webpage, after checking that the phone numbers were genuine.

I also omitted a covering note.

Apart from that, you probably all know more than I do!!!

Any news on the sailing club?

storm in a teacup - or a shipwreck?

My write up of 2011 starts at page folk171 here start of 2011 write-up
- and on to folk189.htm

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Folk Week - New Director
From: Steve in Sidmouth
Date: 22 Aug 11 - 04:41 PM

That was pinched from my website. Rumour locally is that Joan Crump was sacked (something to do with an artist Jim someone or other.....) but the way gossip spreads in this town I wouldn't believe a word of it.

However the Press release is genuine but seems it was only sent to a few local papers.

http://www.seered.co.uk/folk189.htm and try reading the preceding page too (folk188.htm).

I suspect there will be very little discussion on here.

The title of the thread should have been new ARTISTIC Director.

Subject: Sidmouth Folk Week - New Director
From: Vic Smith
Date: 22 Aug 11 - 08:46 AM

This has been hinted at on another thread, but it really deserves its own position.
The Press release comprised a WORD document drafted by John Braithwaite.

Part of the text of the press release is reproduced below.

Sidmouth FolkWeek 2011 - Alan Bearman to be the new Artistic Director - effective 1 September 2011

Press Release: 18/8/11

After 3 successful years, the Executive Team at Sidmouth FolkWeek is due to change. Joan Crump, the Artistic and Marketing Director, is leaving the Festival to concentrate on other folk-related projects. She says, "It has been incredibly exciting to work for Sidmouth during this period in its development. I am very proud of everything we have achieved in the past 3 years, and wish the festival every success in its next chapter."

The Festival Directors are pleased to announce that Alan Bearman has accepted the post of Artistic Director, returning to the Festival after a gap of 7 years. Alan has huge and successful experience of directing festivals in the UK and Ireland and was the Artistic Director of Sidmouth International Festival during its period of rapid expansion over 18 years to 2004.

Alan is a Sidmouth devotee and 'feels a great affinity for the festival and town'. He looks forward to the challenge of continuing to build a sustainable Festival, based around a unique and strong programme.

John Braithwaite, Festival Director, comments 'Joan's energy and creativity have helped us make great strides since 2009. We are delighted that Alan has now agreed to join the team. No-one has better festival direction experience and there is the considerable bonus of his Sidmouth Festival background'.

Sidmouth FolkWeek is a major week-long festival, offering a unique blend of music, song, dance and family entertainment with lots of opportunity for participation, set in a beautiful East Devon seaside town.