So, Lewisham Irish Festival has eventually firmed its programme of events up sufficiently to publish the details. (See the events section here for details.)
It's a bit of a nail-biting time for those of us who've been involved in putting the programme together.
You end up asking a lot of "soul-searching" questions, e.g. Will a concert featuring two mandolinists, Dan Beimborn and Kevin Macleod, fill the hall or have I been over-optimistic? How do great trad acts like Le Cheile and Cran sit alongside the "gala concert" which features a variety of acts and is designed to appeal to a broad spectrum? Is Lewisham just too far out of the way to pull in punters from other parts of London generally?
We'd be grateful for a bit of input from those who've had experience of running similarly ambitious events in the past. Any tips - or even the odd mumble of support - will be gratefully received.
Duh! ~ All I had to do was 'see' what I was reading... Good questions by the way, I'll be seeing how things develop... I've been to far removed from organizing such things to be of any current help. Best of luck!
Tip ~ check the sessions in your area and get their leaders involved, or at least some of them, in filling some of the pubs in the area ~ increasing and spreading the Irish sound, and drawing in that lot as punters while you're at it...
"Will a concert featuring two mandolinists, Dan Beimborn and Kevin Macleod, fill the hall or have I been over-optimistic?"
I've no knowledge about your festival or Lewisham in general BUT I do know that Dan and Kevin will obviously appeal to many mandolin and/or trad music enthusiasts beyond the Irish Music Scene. I'm sure that you've taken this into account in your publicity and will expect to attract extra people over and above the merely die hard Irish music lovers.
I've never been involved in running an *Irish* festival but have assisted in organising other events and I think a big problem can be that the description of some festivals can be a bit narrow and might deter or, at least, fail to attract a lot of people...who had they made the effort to come along...would have thoroughly enjoyed much of what was on offer.
However, I'm sure you've already considered all of this.
!!! ~ Instrumental and dance workshops, good. If you want to widen you appeal there ~ already showing uilleann pipes, flute and singing ~ fiddle is a must, and you will know others, no doubt, having followed your contributions here in the past, you're no fool... Dance-wise, I would heartily suggest you definitely widen that beyond the one "Céilí Dance Workshop" (basic dances)... A current rising interest is in the couple dances, but I would also consider 'set dancing' (quadrilles), with all the set dancers in the London area, and Sean Nos stepping... I like it that you have an appreciation for 'beginners', so you can draw in new folk to the experience ~ through listening and participation...
I wish we were closer... It is good that you've got the energy and heart to have made this happen. I've no doubt of the hard work involved, having been there ourselves. Best of luck... Don't forget to report back afterwards, we can all learn from your successes and hiccups...
Personally, for us, we measure the value of such events by how they address the needs of their local community, even if in the backdrop... By this I mean 'workshops' that can further the understanding and skill level of local musicians and dancers, and that can give people a good start to that appreciation and understanding ~ opportunities to 'begin' and begin well...
When we see something, and we have, in Eire and elsewhere, that is all about performance, exhibition and competition ~ well, we find something else to do ~ like a nice walk in the hills, or a hot whisky at home...
Back after a long walk in the country ~ I said 'past', but in that past we worked into things that we always had it in any artist's contract that any performance also had at least one workshop attached to it. Ideally we tried to do two, with some basic guidelines and the idea that one lead to the other in progression, such as a Saturday workshop followed by another on Sunday. In your case that would mean 'mandolin', but as a plectrum instrument that wouldn't necessarily be it's limitations... Again, the idea was that if we bothered to bring in an artist to our local realm, we would make sure we got something more for our local talent than just a concert. I don't think it ever posed a problem, and my memory says that we always had a positive response all around...
If we had met with a refusal, we would have found someone else to hire... For bands, we often paired up a concert with them playing for a dance, and sometimes we'd have a band workshop, dealing with playing for dance or arrangement... Those were always a kick, good fun...
Local Music Festivals
Local Music Festivals
So, Lewisham Irish Festival has eventually firmed its programme of events up sufficiently to publish the details. (See the events section here for details.)
It's a bit of a nail-biting time for those of us who've been involved in putting the programme together.
You end up asking a lot of "soul-searching" questions, e.g. Will a concert featuring two mandolinists, Dan Beimborn and Kevin Macleod, fill the hall or have I been over-optimistic? How do great trad acts like Le Cheile and Cran sit alongside the "gala concert" which features a variety of acts and is designed to appeal to a broad spectrum? Is Lewisham just too far out of the way to pull in punters from other parts of London generally?
We'd be grateful for a bit of input from those who've had experience of running similarly ambitious events in the past. Any tips - or even the odd mumble of support - will be gratefully received.
Aidan
# Posted on February 10th 2007 by Aidan Crossey
Re: Local Music Festivals
Dan Beimborn & Kevin Macleod + Cran - sounds like a cracker, Aidan
I hope it's a great success!
# Posted on February 10th 2007 by Ptarmigan
Re: Local Music Festivals
NIce way to subtly advertise the festival in the discussion forum.
Good luck. I am sure it will be a great success.
# Posted on February 10th 2007 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: Local Music Festivals
Click on "EVENTS", upper right hand corner, and if it isn't already listed that would be a good place to do so...
# Posted on February 10th 2007 by ceolachan
Re: Local Music Festivals
Duh! ~
All I had to do was 'see' what I was reading... Good questions by the way, I'll be seeing how things develop... I've been to far removed from organizing such things to be of any current help. Best of luck!
# Posted on February 10th 2007 by ceolachan
Re: Local Music Festivals
Tip ~ check the sessions in your area and get their leaders involved, or at least some of them, in filling some of the pubs in the area ~ increasing and spreading the Irish sound, and drawing in that lot as punters while you're at it...
# Posted on February 10th 2007 by ceolachan
Re: Local Music Festivals
"Irish Festival"
"Will a concert featuring two mandolinists, Dan Beimborn and Kevin Macleod, fill the hall or have I been over-optimistic?"
I've no knowledge about your festival or Lewisham in general BUT I do know that Dan and Kevin will obviously appeal to many mandolin and/or trad music enthusiasts beyond the Irish Music Scene. I'm sure that you've taken this into account in your publicity and will expect to attract extra people over and above the merely die hard Irish music lovers.
I've never been involved in running an *Irish* festival but have assisted in organising other events and I think a big problem can be that the description of some festivals can be a bit narrow and might deter or, at least, fail to attract a lot of people...who had they made the effort to come along...would have thoroughly enjoyed much of what was on offer.
However, I'm sure you've already considered all of this.
# Posted on February 10th 2007 by Johannes J
Re: Local Music Festivals
We might as well have your link here:
http://www.lewishamirish.plus.com/
# Posted on February 10th 2007 by ceolachan
Re: Local Music Festivals
!!! ~ Instrumental and dance workshops, good. If you want to widen you appeal there ~ already showing uilleann pipes, flute and singing ~ fiddle is a must, and you will know others, no doubt, having followed your contributions here in the past, you're no fool... Dance-wise, I would heartily suggest you definitely widen that beyond the one "Céilí Dance Workshop" (basic dances)... A current rising interest is in the couple dances, but I would also consider 'set dancing' (quadrilles), with all the set dancers in the London area, and Sean Nos stepping... I like it that you have an appreciation for 'beginners', so you can draw in new folk to the experience ~ through listening and participation...
I wish we were closer... It is good that you've got the energy and heart to have made this happen. I've no doubt of the hard work involved, having been there ourselves. Best of luck... Don't forget to report back afterwards, we can all learn from your successes and hiccups...
# Posted on February 10th 2007 by ceolachan
Re: Local Music Festivals
Personally, for us, we measure the value of such events by how they address the needs of their local community, even if in the backdrop... By this I mean 'workshops' that can further the understanding and skill level of local musicians and dancers, and that can give people a good start to that appreciation and understanding ~ opportunities to 'begin' and begin well...
When we see something, and we have, in Eire and elsewhere, that is all about performance, exhibition and competition ~ well, we find something else to do ~ like a nice walk in the hills, or a hot whisky at home...
# Posted on February 10th 2007 by ceolachan
Re: Local Music Festivals
Aidan, I just gave your festival a plug over at Mandolin.org - can't hurt!
http://www.mandolin.org.uk/
# Posted on February 10th 2007 by Ptarmigan
Re: Local Music Festivals
Back after a long walk in the country ~ I said 'past', but in that past we worked into things that we always had it in any artist's contract that any performance also had at least one workshop attached to it. Ideally we tried to do two, with some basic guidelines and the idea that one lead to the other in progression, such as a Saturday workshop followed by another on Sunday. In your case that would mean 'mandolin', but as a plectrum instrument that wouldn't necessarily be it's limitations... Again, the idea was that if we bothered to bring in an artist to our local realm, we would make sure we got something more for our local talent than just a concert. I don't think it ever posed a problem, and my memory says that we always had a positive response all around...
# Posted on February 10th 2007 by ceolachan
Re: Local Music Festivals
If we had met with a refusal, we would have found someone else to hire... For bands, we often paired up a concert with them playing for a dance, and sometimes we'd have a band workshop, dealing with playing for dance or arrangement... Those were always a kick, good fun...
# Posted on February 10th 2007 by ceolachan
Re: Local Music Festivals
Good luck with it all Aidan Chris and Co. I'll certainly be supporting it.
# Posted on February 11th 2007 by Key Maniac Lad