Sidmouth Arena Shows

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Arena Shows
From: GUEST,The Devonian
Date: 11 Jan 05 - 10:22 PM

Sidmouth already has Lizzie all-year-round, a one-woman whirling-dervish promotional machine.

But yes! All-year-round promotion of the festival to the local community could only be a good thing.

If there was a vote in Sidmouth at present I think it would be overwhelmingly against the festival as most people only see the crowds of people, parking problems, litter, unsightly campsites, people sleeping on the beach, throwing-up in the square late at night etc. etc.

There's certainly an education job to be done if we are ever to see the festival return to Sidmouth.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Arena Shows
From: steve_harris
Date: 11 Jan 05 - 08:18 PM

"staging other events for the local community"

Well, here's an idea. Could we send a morris side (or other "entertainers") to Sidmouth during the other 51 weeks? They could dance on the Esplanade and do a tour around rest/nursing homes, schools, etc. Send storyteller to tell and collect stories?

Maybe even work with those evil traders to market the town the most English resort on the planet?

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Arena Shows
From: GUEST,Roger Hayes
Date: 09 Jan 05 - 11:54 PM

That's a sensible suggestion Steve. It's what Michael Eavis and Melvin Benn have done at Glastonbury and what Fairport have done at Cropredy for many years. Put something back into the local community, either by contributing to local venues or community groups, staging other events for the local community, sponsoring the local scouts and guides or whatever.

Perhaps many people in Sidmouth oppose the festival because they don't see any way in which it benefits them.

All it does is create a lot of hassle for a prime week of mid-summer.

Personally I fear it's too late to save the Sidmouth festival as we have known it but I hope that those who are still intent on keeping something in situ will think about how they can start to win more local support from residents, hoteliers, shopkeepers and councillors.

I wish them well though I fear they have a hard job ahead.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Arena Shows
From: steve_harris
Date: 09 Jan 05 - 06:04 PM

I agree that the town isn't very keen on the festival but rather than give up, we should look at WHY and address it.

To digress a little, I live in Cheltenham where we have a racecourse. It's main function used to be to totally jam the roads and pubs while doing nothing for most of the businesses local people worked for. So the racecourse got smart - they put various venues on their site that get used locally throughout the year. They even sponsor various local events.

The Sidmouth Festival doesn't/can't mimic that exactly but the message to folkies HAS to be about doing something for the "the retired miserable elderly folk"

It seems to me that the town is missing a few arts/entertainment venues which would not only be useful to a festival but pretty useful for the other 51 weeks of the year. Perhaps a festival that made a point of helping the local community would workk bettter. I believe this was the original model for Towersey.

But first, the "nag the traders" nonsense has to have a decent burial - the stink is beyond a joke.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Arena Shows
From: GUEST,Sidmouth Folkie once.
Date: 09 Jan 05 - 12:01 PM

Glad someone agrees with me that it will be a waste of time booking up for a festival that Sidmouth doesn't really want anymore.Go to another festival that the Town or City wants to put money into and support the festival in anyway it can and forget Sidmouth,Steve had the right decision and dropped out with a bang so should the folkies leave Sidmouth to the retired miserable elderly folk of this world.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Arena Shows
From: GUEST,Sidmouth Resident
Date: 09 Jan 05 - 08:06 AM

Sadly Lucy it is very difficult to be positive and support events which you know are doomed to failure.

I live here in Sidmouth. I know what's really going on. There are sadly an awful lot of people in Sidmouth who are delighted to see the back of the festival and don't actually want their quiet little seaside retirement town taken over by hordes of loud folkies every summer.

The events programme, such as it is, keeps changing but is slowly but surely being scaled-down as realism sets in.

All plans to continue using the Arena have been dropped since the true costs became known and I fear similar costs and licensing restrictions will eventually put paid to plans for concerts in a marquee at the Ham.

Officers at East Devon District Council are demanding £15 million public liability insurance and a whole raft of health and safety measures for EVERY outdoor / tented event.

The Town Council, or at least part of it, is trying to keep a few events going but I understand the District Council has still not approved licences for ANY events at the Ham, Blackmore Gardens or anywhere else... and will be imposing the same restrictions that helped to drive last year's organisers out-of-town.

My belief is that we will just end up with a handful of concerts in the Manor Pavilion and The Bedford, a couple of dances in church halls and some sessions in The Anchor and a few other supportive public houses who don't need extra licences, insurance, infrastructure etc.

I keep posting because I think it's important that well-intentioned outsiders know what they are up against - a District Council that has withdrawn all funding and support for the festival and a local community that, in large part, doesn't want the festival anyway.

It's also important that people still planning to travel to Sidmouth in late July do so in the full knowledge of what is and is not happening. It would be wrong to attract them with the promise of a festival when the truth is there will just be a few small-scale concerts plus a number of sessions in local public houses.

Sorry if that is negative but it's the truth. I want to see a proper festival back in my home town. I greatly admire those trying to keep some events going but they are wrong to dress these events up as "The Sidmouth Festival" when the truth of the matter is that the events taking place this summer will be nothing like the Sidmouth Festival we have known and loved.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Arena Shows
From: Hawker
Date: 08 Jan 05 - 08:53 PM

Perhaps if you gave the restricted programme of events your support and positivity - and encouraged others to do the same, it wouldn't be the semi festival fiasco you are helping to create........
Just my opinion!
Cheers, Lucy

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Arena Shows
From: GUEST,Sidmouth Resident
Date: 08 Jan 05 - 07:44 PM

The reason I don't give my name is simple. I know many of the people who are trying to keep events in Sidmouth going. They are good friends. I respect their views but I'm also entitled to mine.

I currently enjoy the occasional drink or chat with Tony, Stuart and the others. They are so passionate about what they are doing that if they knew my identity our friendly beer or chat would be replaced with a very unfriendly argument.

That is why I choose not to reveal my identity. I hope you understand Don.

I don't want the Sidmouth festival to die but I fear the very restricted programme of events in 2005 will hasten its demise. I believe 2005 should be a gap year so a real festival can be properly planned in 2006 without a semi-festival fiasco in the meantime.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Arena Shows
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 08 Jan 05 - 06:58 PM

No point , Zany Mouse, in asking these anonymous clowns to identify themselves. If they had the guts to to that, they would most likely be fighting alongside us to keep it alive. We may have to look for another way to identify posters as non members, given that the heading GUEST is frequently followed by uninformed, defeatist nonsense. Sidmouth lives because we won't let it die, and anyone who thinks that depriving Sidmouth of a festival to "teach local businesses a lesson", can be either successful or productive will hardly be missed. He should go home, as his village is pining for it's idiot.

Don T.

Like 'em or not, my opinions are expressed with my name attached.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Arena Shows
From: Zany Mouse
Date: 08 Jan 05 - 02:06 PM

COWARD! Why not identify yourself? Stand up and be counted. If you MUST express an opinion then have the guts to name yourself.

Rhiannon

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Arena Shows
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Jan 05 - 01:55 PM

Sidmouth Folk Festival died last year going out with a bang.Why are you all trying to keep a fringe event going when its not going to go anywhere????????.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Arena Shows
From: Cats
Date: 08 Jan 05 - 01:51 PM

Having been at the October meeting, been kept up to date with what is being planned, will be going to the next January meeting and have read the press releases, there WILL be children's events this year. At present they are being planned and finalised. Children are the future of folk music and if you get the impression that they are not wanted at Sidmouth then you have got the wrong impression. Disregard those people who seem to want to spend all their time putting down Sidmouth Folk Week 2005, come and enjoy yourself. If people stay away because of the likes of them then they have won and folk music, not just Sidmouth, has lost. We don't want to lose our heritage. Coime and support us and keep folk music, dance, song and storytelling alive.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Arena Shows
From: EagleWing
Date: 08 Jan 05 - 01:06 PM

"Dont believe anything people say even me.Book up and go to another festival where you have not been too before Jenny.
ASidmouth Folkie."

So which piece of advice should we take? Go elsewhere, or don't believe what you say?

I've never been to Sidmouth festival - I might just go this year 'cause I hate to see all this negativism.

Frank L

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Arena Shows
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Jan 05 - 12:35 PM

Dont believe anything people say even me.Book up and go to another festival where you have not been too before Jenny.
ASidmouth Folkie.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Arena Shows
From: MBSLynne
Date: 08 Jan 05 - 07:52 AM

My children have been going to Sidmouth all their lives and have sung in Middle Bar sessions etc since they could stand up and sing so the bit about pubs not allowing chilren is rubbish. The second point: you ask why the festival isn't welcoming families....that's a load of rubbish too...there is someone appointed to organise children's events. This year will necessarily be smaller than normal and a series of separate events rather than the usual festival. There is a lot of hard work going on amongst a large number of people to make sure that there IS a festival this year. We are all going to have to accept that the Sidmouth festival we know will not occur in the same way this year but that does not mean that what happens won't be enjoyable and fun...it will. If you think that the organisers are only interested in the Anchor and pub sessions, then you have clearly NOT read the press releases detailing the many different events that are occuring. Try again.

Perhaps

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Arena Shows
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 08 Jan 05 - 03:05 AM

I've just done what you should have done, Jenny, and looked at the Sidmouth website at http://www.sidmouthfolkweek.org.uk/ where it says that the childrens events are being held at the Blackmore Gardens which is a lot closer to town than the arena site. With one of the best beaches in Britain being just a litle further on that should suit the children very well.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth Arena Shows
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 08 Jan 05 - 02:57 AM

I'm sure the Anchor will allow children in during the day and after 9pm I don't suppose they will be chucked out of the garden if they're are still up. Are you sure there's no childrens entertainment at all? It seems that the shows planned for the arena are now being moved to the Ham, perhaps there will be something there.

Subject: Sidmouth Arena Shows
From: GUEST,Jenny
Date: 08 Jan 05 - 02:23 AM

I enjoy visiting summer folk festivals in the U.K. with my family as there's always plenty of entertainment for the kids as well as us adults.

So I am very disappointed to hear that none of the children's entertainers will be at the arena in Sidmouth this year and there will be none of the usual workshops for children.

The new organisers of the festival only seem interested in sessions in The Anchor and other public houses which often refuse to admit children.

Sidmouth always seemed to be a 'family-friendly' festival. Why are families not being welcomed there this year?