Reflective Writing

20-10-2025 (community)

Community is important to an artist because it is shaped by your work. Your community is built up of people who react to what it is you do and the service you provide.
A community can be born and shaped based on the direction an individual has. For example - your idea or work attracts a group which subsequently forms a community or audience.
As an artist I believe it is important to acknowledge the idea of change or being unique as it puts you aside from others. However, in my own craft I believe while this is important it is difficult and can only happen when relying on factors such as luck and opportunities that may not be available to every individual.
Community has been important when my band and I played gigs and we actively had to appeal to an audience and in turn create a community which could be relied upon to come to our shows and listen to our work. As independent musicians this is sometimes difficult as your community is largely based on friends who you trust and will support your journey.
Next year's event could benefit local communities by brining people into the community. Likewise people already in the community could play their role by spreading awareness or being a part of the event I.e. working at the venue.

10-11-2025 (Reflective Writing on my Event Roles)

My event roles are venue liaison and PR/ Marketing.
Skills that are necessary for these roles include communication skills when contacting and arranging things at the site. Organisational skills are critical when it comes to structure and the layout of the event. I.e. what is happening and where its happening in the venue. Creative skills are important when marketing the event in order to reach the audience we are aiming for - this will draw an audience.
I want to improve my skills within the PR side of the roles.
Venue liaison is vital as without a venue there is no show. Therefore it is important that arrangements and logistics are covered on all bases. A smooth running at the venue will result in a swiftly run festival. PR/ Marketing helps the team as we can work with the ticket team to push sales and with the budget department in order to achieve an economically successful event ensuring no money is wasted.
This role relates to my future interests because I want to be a manager of a pub/bar and putting on shows would be a part of that. This would result in me having vital experience at understanding the runnings of a music venue and the logistics that come with it.

01-12-2025 (Site Visit)

After visiting the site we now have a better idea in regards to the logistics of running our event. We know the foyer area is essentially out of bounds due to the buildings multiple uses being a youth centre. Therefore everything we do will have to be in the three selected rooms essentially behind closed doors.
The venue also has an alcohol license subject again to other events colliding on the same days. If the youth centre is active then we cannot sell alcohol - if not then we have the ability to do so.
Room 1 was very intimate but a great space for a packed out room at full capacity. In my opinion this would be more ideal compared to the larger room (2) that is unlikely to be completely filled due to its much larger capacity. The third space was a dance studio that could be used also but would have to be considered as 3 walls are completely mirrored and could prove difficult if we have lighting in there.
The three room set up is very versatile due to the number of different acts we have performing. It has the capacity to accommodate for all the activities and performances that we envision.

Pictures

Venue Inspiration

Peter Doherty - Kingston, Banquet Records

Louis Dunford - London, Ally Pally

Lottery Winners - Oxford, O2 Academy

Reflection

'The Golden Lion' - Beans on Toast

Jay Mcalister, Beans on Toast, is a folk singer songwriter from Essex who has made a career as a touring musician despite having any sort of success or rise to fame. he has released an album every year on his birthday, December 1st, for the last 12 years and has toured every year as well. He plays major festivals such as Glastonbury and Boomtown every year. He has also written three books that explore his music and stories further.

The song 'The Golden Lion' is a song referencing a pub in Todmerdon, West Yorkshire, and the people that make up the small town and how a community can function with everybody playing the sum of their parts. In addition, Todmorden is home to some ancient stones, the Bridestone Moore, which is protected by The National Trust and Beans on Toast played a charity gig there for the local community who were helping raise money for the keeping of the stones after they were put upon for sale in 2023. His song about the area went down really well with the community and Beans says in his book 'Wild Folk People', "because of my song I had been completely welcomed in to the community."p63 Given were organising an event as a community and within a local community, the ability to connect with the community is more than possible. Like Beans we should try to connect with the community and make them feel a part of our project. He goes on to debate what makes a community, "community? the land... I think it's a combination of them all, and when they collide, culture happens.' This is profound as he is suggesting that not only can you connect with a community and build something special but you can create a scene, culture.

CHARLIE CHAMBERS

Reflective Writing