Forecast Vol 03. For the Love of Welsh Festivals
Association of Independent Festivals
AIF is a national not for profit trade association and the UK’s leading festival representative body.
Welcome to Forecast: An independent festival news transmission, as and when, where we share announcements, news, and think-pieces that will open your mind to new possibilities on all things music festivals. Share and subscribe.
We don’t mean to toot our own horns, but we are really proud to shout about yet another fantastic free training offer for festivals and freelancers. This time, Wales, you’re up. Also in this edition, 10 independent Welsh festivals you may or may not have heard of. See our list at the bottom of this article.
Hot on the heels of our Multi-Venue Development Fund, for festival organisers based in England, we’ve launched The Welsh Music Festivals and Festival Freelancers Skills and Development Programme with support from Creative Wales. Check it out HERE.
The aim of the new programme, which is entirely free to join and attend, is to boost the skills and knowledge of festival organisers and freelancers operating in Wales.
If you focus all or part of your work within the festival industry in Wales, we’d love to have you along. You have until the new year to apply.
Nod y rhaglen, sydd yn hollol rhad ac am ddim yw hybu’r sgiliau a gwybodaeth o drefnwyr gwyliau a gweithwyr llawrydd sy’n gweithredu yng nghymru. Os ydych chi’n canolbwyntio eich holl waith neu ran o’ch gwaith o fewn y diwydiant gwyliau yng Nghymru, byddem wrth ein bodd yn eich cael chi gyda ni.
Wales is particularly important for us here at AIF as it’s where our CEO John first found his feet as a young promoter.
First welcomed into the doors of Clwb Ifor Bach promoting clubs and shows, then rolling all across the city of Cardiff with a festival - Sŵn - now in the ownership of the venue where he first began.
Mae Cymru yn arbennig o bwysig i ni yma yn AIF. Dyma lle mae ein Prif Swyddog John Rostron wedi dechrau ei siwrne i fewn i’r byd o gerddoriaeth. Dechreuodd fel hyrwyddwr sioeau a clybiau cyn dechrau gwyl Sŵn.
It’s in Cardiff where John learnt his passion for place. How local scenes are vital to creativity and new ideas; and how landscape makes or breaks an event. How day-to-day rural disconnect makes gigs, clubs and festivals even more important for making moments of togetherness. How festivals can gather around language as well as music, community and wellbeing.
If you, or someone you know, would like to attend this brilliant free training, head HERE or read on for more info.
As an organisation AIF has always been supported by fantastic freelancers, just like all the independent festivals within our membership, so we’re also proud to offer this element of the skills training to this group of hard-working people too.
We’re well aware of the unique challenges that festival freelancers face.
From fluctuating workloads to navigating complex contracts, general job uncertainty, lack of standard rates and ensuring mental well-being. That’s why we’ve been so keen to take this on board and come up with a tailored programme that addresses these issues to support freelancers when they’re working in festivals and in turn to help the festivals who rely on them.
There’ll be many organisations and individuals engaged in delivering sessions and training. We’ve also recruited some additional people who have long lived experienced of freelancer life to help with this element of the programme.
Penny Warner of Team Love, Clare Goodchild of We Organise Chaos, and Suzi Green, Tour Manager and founder of The Back Lounge. Here’s Suzi :
"I'm thrilled to be part of AIF's initiative to identify and support Welsh festival and event freelancers. Drawing from my experience... I’m more than aware of how isolating and challenging freelancing in this industry can be. Given our economic climate and many festivals facing uncertainty, I’m confident this initiative will provide insight into these issues and a legacy of support for the future.”
We can’t fix all the problems, but this programme will bring lots of great Welsh festivals together and lots of great freelancers in Wales together and there will be lots of benefits for all those who take part. To borrow from another Welsh organisation, we are together stronger.
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Sound good? Here are the details.
THE WHAT:
This programme is tailored to the needs of both festival organisers and freelancers, providing valuable training sessions, online networking, and access to resources that will help them thrive in the increasingly challenging festival industry.
For Wales-based festival organisers, the programme will offer training and insight on topics, such as:
For Wales-based festival freelancers, the programme will give insight and wisdom to secure fair and sustainable work practices.
Topics include:
The programme will be delivered online for maximum accessibility and sessions will be based on participants needs. This will ensure that the content is relevant and practical, the more you put in, the more you’ll get out.
In addition to online learning, the programme will include two digital networking channels, available 24/7, where participants can connect, collaborate, and share experiences
Up to 40 of the participating festivals will also be given the chance to attend Festival Congress in person, with full access to the event and bespoke, in-person sessions tailored to the cohort.
If you’re a festival organiser in Wales, or a freelancer in Wales, who does some or all of their work in festivals (or wants to work in festivals) can register interest in this free skills programme HERE. You have until the new year. We can’t wait to welcome this new cohort!
More Forecast updates coming soon. In the meantime, don’t forget to give us a follow on Instagram or subscribe to this newsletter.
John, Phoebe and the AIF Team
Ten independent Welsh festivals, you may or may not have heard of (in no particular order):