We are not yet purchasing insurance or applying for a temporary events license until closer to the event. We fully expect to have both in place by the end of the campaign & no funds will be transferred to the project until confirmation has been shown to Spacehive.
A free festival of original music in Tunbridge Wells over 27th-29th August bank holiday, The principle venue is outdoors in Calverley Park which typically attracts several thousand people each day but it also involves satellite venues including The Forum and The Royal Oak pub.
This festival has been running for over 10 years; it was started as a private initiative by Paul Dunton on a very small scale in The Pantiles. Its popularity with both the public and musicians meant the festival outgrew that location and moved to the park and additional venues. It also outgrew capacity of one person to run it so a registered charity was set up to organise the event for the first time in 2019. The event was a great success.
What we'll deliver:
- You will see crowds of people enjoying a celebration of great original music over three days in Calverley Park
- You will see dedicated fans enjoying their favourite genre of music at the satellite venue nighttime shows
- You will see a town and visitors from all around the South East come together to celebrate
Why it's a great idea:
Music is a great common denominator - it brings people of all races, colours & creeds together and helps them to celebrate - and everyone would like to celebrate the turning tide of the pandemic. It's a free festival so anyone can attend irrespective of their finances; it's very accessible - in the middle of town beside the station, with lots of local buses & nearby carparks; it's disabled-friendly - no steps, stairs or narrow dark corridors. The musicians love the festival; it has a great atmosphere and provides an amazing showcase for their music - so they all perform for free! And of course, several thousand people coming into Tunbridge Wells for 3 days is a great boost for shops, pubs, hotels and the local economy. It also brings a diverse range of people together - the festival enjoys the support of a small army of volunteers - from fund-raising to litter-picking, from marketing to stage construction, they are wonderful bunch!
Steps to get it done:
- Event Management Documentation
- Agreement from TWBC for the Use of Calverley Park
- Launch Marketing Campaign and Crowdfunder Campaign
- Agreement for Headline Acts for each day at each venue
- Sign up suppliers for technical services and equipment hire
- Agree terms with satellite venues
Due to COVID-19, the festival could not take place in 2020 but the trustees want to put on as a big a festival as possible in 2021 to celebrate the end of lockdown.
As a charity, Local and Live Music has music education as part of its remit. In putting on the festival, the trustees are very aware of that remit and are keen to bring a diverse range of music to the audiences so that they may hear genres that are entirely new to them. We also try offer a bit of experience to students who may be considering a career in music, e.g. sound engineering, and hopefully some inspiration to aspiring musicians too! We have close links with West Kent College, SupaJam and some local schools.
