The Rotas are Released! Unleash the Volunteers!

Some might say that waiting for the volunteer rotas to be announced for the upcoming  Norfolk & Norwich Festival can be as exciting as the walk up to school to collect your GCSE results. That may be a slight over-exaggeration, but for many of us the two weeks of the festival have been blocked off in our diaries for so long in advance, and our anticipation has been growing since the programme was announced, and we first put forward our names and confirmed our availability as volunteers back at the beginning of March.

For those of us that have volunteered before, we have a good idea what to expect and, speaking personally, last year's experiences were so rewarding that the final wrap party at Keir Hardy Hall potentially could have ended tinged with disappointment. It wasn't - it was a blast of an evening, attended by everyone from the Executive Team, as well as the office and production staff and the volunteers. But it did signal a return to normality and routine after two weeks of intense cameraderie and fun. (This year's party will be at 'The Talk' in Oak Street)

Many of this year's volunteers are involved with the WildWorks production of 'Wolf's Child' over at Felbrigg Hall near Cromer, either as part of the Maid's Chorus or as a Crow Steward. They have been busy rehearsing and being fitted with costumes for what promises to be a spectacular and atmospheric show, with the audience being led through the grounds of the hall as the sun falls, transforming the woods into a magical world of adult fairytale. Certainly the reports back from Felbrigg suggest that this is an event not to miss. Fortunately, I get to attend for a preview performance as a Box Office Assistant / Coach Chaperone. Hopefully I will also catch a bit of the action.

The sheer scale of Wolf's Child, with eighteen performances of the two-hour show, has placed a huge logistical challenge at the door of our two Volunteer Co-ordinators, Polly and Lizzie. With so many volunteers tied up with rehearsals and performances at Felbrigg, they have had to ensure that the remainder of the events in Norwich are stewarded, that drivers are in place to transport artists and equipment between sites, and that runners can liaise between the festival office and the event managers. The Adnams Spiegeltent in Chapelfield Gardens, home to many of the evening performances, owes its unique atmosphere as much to its volunteer team of Spiegelhosts as it does to its construction and elaborate mirrored interior.

The task of allocating shifts is further complicated by the huge variety in availability of the volunteers. Some are able to help for virtually the entire duration of the festival, others have family, work or study commitments that mean they can only offer a couple of evenings. There are those that are offering to perform a number of roles, whilst others are more restricted in what they can do. The policy has been to ensure that all successful applicants are given a share of the shifts. That is 130 individual rotas that have needed to be prepared.

The rotas were revealed to us on Monday, and the Facebook group page was soon buzzing with postings to find out what everyone had got. Obviously, people's situations change, and inevitably there will be appointments and personal commitments that have arisen since availability was submitted back in March. This now has to be fed back, and those shifts re-allocated, so some volunteers will still be offered more shifts than appear on their original rotas. Polly and Lizzie will issue a revised follow-up rota prior to our final briefing at The Forum next week. I guess this really highlights how important it is to keep them completely up to date with any changes in availability as soon as possible, especially after the rotas are received.

Polly and Clare reveal just one of four spreadsheets used in producing the volunteer rotas, whilst Tim attempts to spot his own name on the rota. 

I know that I was waiting to receive my own rota before committing to buying tickets for other festival events. Now that I have booked to see other performances, I need to remove those dates from my availability.

Once the festival is under way, situations still arise where volunteers will have to withdraw from certain shifts, but these gaps are normally filled via daily e-mails from the festival office. I know that last year my initial allocation of five shifts was steadily boosted as the fortnight progressed. My advice to any volunteers who did not get as many shifts as they were hoping for is to keep checking your e-mails throughout the two weeks. You may also get news of free and discounted ticket offers - last year we were offered a number of free tickets (on a first-come first served basis) for several events, and also a heavily discounted offer for a flagship production at the UEA.

So, we have had our training, and now know how to deal with anything from a lost child to a noisy sweet wrapper in a classical concert. We have perfected the art of lining up in birthday order, and can sort ourselves out into groups of five without knocking over our drinks and coating the Arts Centre floor in red wine. We are busy swatting up on all the performances and venues, and checking out the location of the public toilets. We have worked out how to layer up and down beneath our blue volunteer T-shirts in order to respond to the vaguaries of May temperatures, and have dusted down our bum-bags and rucksacks for our personal belongings. Sensible shoes and sunscreen patiently await.

Basically, we should all now be ready for our final briefing at The Forum on Thursday (after we have all voted, of course), and to receive our volunteer packs and T-shirts, and to pose for a group photograph. After that, unleash the volunteers, and let the fun commence!

The Norfolk & Norwich Festival website, with full details of all events, and links to the booking office is http://www.nnfestival.org.uk/

The Norfolk and Norwich Festival - It's Premier League. Support It!

In just over a week's time the curtain will be raised on this year's Norfolk and Norwich Festival, but how many of us understand and appreciate how this, one of the country's leading annual arts festivals, came to be? 

Although the idea of sponsorship and fund raising may seem relatively modern to many of us, it was as early as 1772 that musical events were organised in Norwich to help raise money for the local hospital. Later plans to construct the original Norfolk and Norwich Hospital in Brunswick Road led to the creation of a triennial festival in 1824, mainly featuring mainly oratorios and other large scale choral works performed at St Andrews Hall and St Peter Mancroft Church. Works by notable composers such as Edward Elgar, Frank Bridge, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Benjamin Britten were all premiered here.

 In 1989 the event merged with the Festival Norwich to create an annual celebration of a wider range of music and arts. This has now grown to become one of the big four UK international arts festivals, and despite having to now arrange its own finances and sponsorship it continues to deliver a comprehensive programme of prestigious events and artists to Norfolk audiences. At a time when the country wrestles with its own financial deficit, and austerity has become a topical but unpopular word, the Norfolk and Norwich Festival has to fight for every pound it receives by way of funding from Arts Council England and local authority grants. The generous support of private benefactors and corporate sponsors then becomes even more important. 

Every year the Norfolk and Norwich Festival presents a wide range of national and international artists in a two week celebration of music, literature, drama and dance. Many large-scale events are performed out of doors and are free to the public, whilst others are held in a variety of established venues that include Norwich's Theatre Royal, the Norwich Arts Centre, and the original St Andrews Hall. Recent innovations have seen settings such as Holkham Hall used for site-specific productions, and this year an ambitious project at Felbrigg Hall, on the North Norfolk coast, has seen the acclaimed theatre company WildWorks conceive a new piece, Wolf's Child, which will transform the woodland surrounding the hall into a promenade set for an adult fairytale of love and betrayal.

As well as a dedicated team led by Artistic Director, William Galinsky, and Executive Director, Alex Darbyshire, the Norfolk and Norwich Festival depends on an army of volunteers to assist in the smooth delivery of literally hundreds of events over the two week period.

 Last year I became a member of that volunteer team, and had an amazing two weeks. This year I am back, and once again I hope to capture some of that excitement and enthusiasm through this blog.

The festival brochures have been distributed, the ticket offices are open to take your calls. The banners and posters are in place around the city, and the volunteers have all had their induction training and received their rotas. We are all buzzing with anticipation. 

It is now down to the people of Norfolk and beyond to come out and support the programme of events. The more people that attend, in particular the free productions, the stronger the case for continued funding of the festival, and the happier the sponsors will be. If your appetite is whetted sufficiently come along to some of the other shows. Try something new, or play safe with something that you know you will enjoy. Either way you will have a great evening out, and you can still catch up with Eastenders later thanks to BBC i-Player.

The main political parties are all keen to convince you of their pledges to guarantee the future of our National Health Service. Ironically, the original motives for establishing an arts festival in Norwich have now evolved into a challenge to be able to continue to fund the festival of excellence that we may have, in the past, taken for granted.

The Norfolk & Norwich Festival website, with details of all events, and links for booking tickets is here http://www.nnfestival.org.uk/

NNF Open Studios - A Taster of Things to Come and a Brush with Local Artists

We are all used to seeing art exhibitions inside the Forum in Norwich, and I always try to stop and take a look. As with music and writing, it is always a sobering experience to stop and appreciate just how much artistic talent we have within the city, and throughout the county. Whilst the media will always focus on household names, and big business has the profit motive to promote its own product and artists, there is so much to like locally that can be enjoyed, or even purchased, without spending a fortune.

 In the same way that farmers have promoted the idea of buying direct from the producer, and our restaurants are quick to extol the enhanced tastes and textures that comes with dishes prepared using locally sourced ingredients, the arts world, too, can encourage us to appreciate and purchase local produce.

Which is exactly why the Norfolk and Norwich Festival organises the annual Open Studios. Now in its 21st year, the scheme encourages us to visit the workshops and studios across the county in which local artists work and create their art. Over three weekends between May 23rd and June 7th it will be possible to visit and view the work of 450 artists, either individually or as part of one of 17 local art trails. There is no charge, no obligation to buy, and each location can be found in the Open Studios brochure, and easily identified by the Open Studios banner displayed outside.

I have just visited the Central Taster Exhibition which was held last week inside the Forum, and it has certainly whetted my appetite to get out and participate in some of the trails, as well as visit the studios of several individual artists that I admire. Whilst I do not have much of an income at present, I still prefer purchasing original art to simply picking up expensive framed prints from the high street stores. And it is not necessary to spend that much more in order to hang a unique and personal piece of work in your own home.

The most expensive painting that I saw at the Forum was the stunningly beautiful 'Portrait of Ruby' by Norwich painter Paul Smith. Priced at £950 this was outside my budget, but will surely find a willing buyer. Much more affordable at only £145 was a mixed media composition by one of my favourite local artists, Tracey Ross. 'Spring - Holkham to Wells' is typical of her expressive seascapes which capture the colours and beauty of the North Norfolk coast. Not surprisingly, someone had already snapped this one up, but it certainly provides the interest and incentive to make a visit to the studio.

Other pieces that attracted a lot of attention included the spiralling metal sculpture 'Vortex II' by Thomas Joynes (yours for £2000) and the life-size textile 'Stag Head' by Jo Rochester (£295). Local landscapes are always going to be popular, and there were a selection on show, including Anne Filgate's nautical study 'Wells at Dusk' (£95), or a more esoteric insider's view of  Norwich's 'The Bicycle Shop' by Paul Cozens (£185). Remember, these prices are a fraction of what you could pay in a London gallery, and often less than you would pay for an unsigned framed print.

By supporting local artists, we are helping support our local economy, promoting not only the individual artists but also raising awareness of Norfolk in general, including our important tourism trade. Organisations like Norfolk and Norwich Festival are vital to contribute to and expand the profile of our local artists. Perhaps this should be borne in mind when support grants from the likes of Norfolk County Council are cut back so drastically. But that is another story. In the meantime, get out and enjoy the Open Studios weekends. Pick up a brochure from the Forum, or check out the website :

 http://www.nnopenstudios.org.uk/. 

And, if you see something that you like enough, and can afford, buy a piece of local art!