Colchester Free Festival is a large, free, outdoor community arts festival held annually in the town?s Castle Park on August Bank Holiday Monday, writes Abigail Cooper.
The event began in June 2000 when Colchester Borough Council agreed to support it, and with only seven weeks to go until the date agreed and a starting budget of zero, most people would have done the sensible thing and organised a small, low-key event, perhaps charging an entry fee to cover the limited costs involved. However, it became clear that community support for a large-scale event was considerable, so we arranged three music stages, a craft area, stalls from local traders, bars and catering, and community-based elements, including a green field and a children?s area.
8,000 local people attended, and there were around 350 participants. Financially it was a nightmare! The event was a classic in the field of beg and borrow. We negotiated to pay any bills after the event when the money had come in from the paying pitches. At the end of the day, a total of £2,000 was raised to cover the costs of the event.
The following year?s Festival came about following phone call after phone call enthusing people to take part. We made contact with dedicated individuals in the community and gained their support and participation. To quote from our annual report ?If Colchester Free Festival 2000 was an unstoppable whirlwind, then Colchester Free Festival 2001 was a long and hard journey and a learning from scratch of the ?proper? way to do things.? Contracts? Health and safety plan? Funding applications? Operational procedure? Oh, how our vocabulary increased! In 2001, we incorporated as a Company Limited by Guarantee, a constituted legal body operating on a not-for-profit basis. We applied for charity status but were refused as on the grounds that we were not ?educational? enough. At the event we introduced two new stages and a whole range of participation-based activities. The budget rose to £23,000, £16,000 of which was sourced through funding applications and business sponsorship. The event was attended by 15,000 people with approximately 500 participants, mostly local.
We are now preparing for Colchester Free Festival 2002, with projected attendance figures of 20?25,000 and 500 participants, and a projected event budget of £45,000.The Festival is still run entirely by volunteers. The organisation is headed by a voluntary board of management (the directors); a committee delivers the planning and organisation of the event, with most members taking responsibility for specific areas of the Festival, while others act as general committee members, giving support where required. The increased budget reflects an improved infrastructure, both desirable and necessary for dealing with the higher attendance figures expected. However, the event will introduce some exciting new projects, including digital and media workshops, a dance workshop area and a massive participatory music event planned in conjunction with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Colchester?s orchestra in residence.
Abigail Cooper is Co-ordinator of the Colchester Free Festival. t: 01206 531185; e: abigail.cooper1@ntlworld.com