Fringe Events co-ordinator, Rob Harrison, reports on an exciting networking opportunity for the Fringe…
I have just got back from two days in Birmingham at the British Arts Festivals Association conference.
BAFA is an umbrella organisation representing over 70 members covering a broad swathe of the festivals’ industry, including individual, single art-form and multi-arts festivals, festival groupings, individuals, universities and associated organisations.
Over 100 people attended over two days in the STEAMhouse in Birmingham where we were well looked after by the University of Birmingham.
A variety of festival industry people gave talks and chaired roundtables on a range of subjects from fundraising to accessibility and activism in festivals
What was really great was the opportunity to network with other festivals.
At the end of the first day we went down the road to Royal Birmingham Conservatoire for a welcome from Stephen Maddock OBE and the launch of a BAFA exhibition curated by Naomi Taylor, Festival Footprints, which looked back at the long history and development of festivals in the UK.
In the evening over 50 of us took over the upstairs of Browns restaurant for a chance to catch up and socialise. It was great to meet Holly from World Fringe, which represents over 300 fringe festivals around the world.
We then had another day where we again took on a range of subjects from fundraising to the year of reading and ending on a great recap on Bradford's City of Culture last year.
The whole experience offered a chance to catch up and to discuss some of the challenges and opportunities.
It also offered a chance to realise there are people around the country with great enthusiasm and passion for the arts who are using that to help curate so many great festivals for people to enjoy.
Long may this continue!
Rob Harrison
Fringe Events Co-ordinator
Buxton Fringe
Website: www.buxtonfringe.org.uk
Facebook: buxtonfringe
Twitter: @buxtonfringe
Instagram: @buxtonfringe
