ValeFest

Sorry! We've had problems...

2009-08-02T22:09:00.006+01:00

Hi everyone
So sorry we appear not to have updated this blog since June; the darned machine hasn't been allowing us to post the updates. Heck knows why.
If this post is published we will at last be some way to getting back on track and blog entries should (with luck and a following wind) be appearing here in the very near future.
In the meantime please click through to the ValeFest website for up to the minute information and performance dates for Music at Your Local pub concerts which start at The Wheel Inn at Branston on Weds 5 August at 7.30pm featuring Fanny Power & the Mickey Money Boys together with Chris Armson.
Back soon (fingers crossed) with more posts.

And now the news

2009-06-16T20:28:00.032+01:00

Those who know me will be aware that for many years I've been in huge amounts of pain and unable to walk. Now I've received a diagnosis and with it a vindication of my continued inability to function normally.
It seems I have Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (I'll let you check it out if you're interested - there's nothing worse than someone bleating on about their ill health), a diagnosis I'd anticipated since reading about it onlin e some months ago.
I'd never previously heard of the condition and yet it apparently effects 1 in 1,000 people. In the end I had to see a consultant in Birmingham in order for it to be confirmed.
The problem stems from oversensitivity of the nervous system and the effects can be horrendous. My legs hurt so much that the weight of a sheet would make me scream in agony.
And if the syndrome had been spotted early I need not have had the surgical operations that it now transpires were completely unnecessary;
"A delay in diagnosis and/or treatment for this syndrome can result in severe physical and psychological problems. Early recognition and prompt treatment provide the greatest opportunity for recovery."
"If treatment is delayed... the limb, or limbs, can experience muscle atrophy, loss of use and functionally useless parameters that require amputation."
I spent three years unable to walk without a bucket load of analgesia, horribly depressed, barely able to think, eventually house-bound.
That was some six years ago. I overcame the pain and the agoraphobia because of my dogs. They became my reason and without them I would not be here today.
I'd force myself off my bed and made myself walk a little further each day.
Eventually I drove to a local airfield and walked along the perimeter, every day a little further then the day before.
If the dogs hadn't needed exercise I wouldn't have had the motivation to get moving - I'd have avoided the pain of mobilising and most likely have ended my life.
So you'll understand when within a week of receiving my own diagnosis the second of my dogs was found to be terminally ill, I was devastated.
The first dog had been put to sleep two years ago, and that was bad enough. The second had diabetes and went blind, developed Cushing's Disease and then the cancer.
And I miss him terribly.
Sometimes people pull you through and sometimes it's other things; when I had no option but to give up my events business I was persuaded to begin broadcasting on local radio. That gave me a weekly focus. The dog came with me to the studio, of course.
Over time the music became a passion and with that passion I discovered I was truly living again.
I shall be ever grateful to my dogs for giving me reason to continue my life - all the times the doctors told me I was faking it, putting it on, being dramatic, imagining the pain - all those times I went back to my wonderful dogs and they sustained me. Without them I wouldn't be here.
And since I'm now having the time of my life, irrespective of my limited physical ability and the pain I experience on a daily basis, I thank God for my boys.
I rescued them and they rescued me right back.

Horse laughs

2009-06-05T12:40:00.018+01:00

A mare and her new foal are occupying the field in front of my house.
Mum is a traditional bay, glossy mid-brown with black extremities.
Baby, just about up on its feet but still happier on the ground, has a white face but is otherwise much darker.
I asked the village postman what colour he thought the foal might be.
His reply was typical; "Black or white - the licence is cheaper!"
Just as well he wasn't with me when I spotted what I thought was a rabbit with abnormally short ears.
It turned out to be a hedgehog.

Village SOS - exciting new funding opportunity!

2009-06-02T14:49:00.004+01:00

Village SOS, announced today, is an enormously exciting new Big Lottery / BBC TV project.
See www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog_village_sos.htm for details.
More info here soon.

The thing about funding

2009-05-31T21:17:00.016+01:00

The thing about funding is that one has first to know about sources of monies in order to apply for them. The funds then have to fit the nature of the organisation (some monies are only available to registered charities, for example), and your activities.
Most funds are restricted, that's to say they can only be used for specific, agreed, projects.
That's fine once an organisation is up and running as when you put in an application for such funds you make what's known as 'full cost recovery', effectively quoting for the doing and managing of the project and well as the cost of the project itself.
Bearing in mind the lead time on such applications AND the very real possibility of being turned down, for whatever reason, and you soon realise restricted funds are limited both literally and figuratively.
How on earth does a new organisation get going in such a situation?
The answer is that without goodwill and someone financially supporting the venture, it can't. Which is why unrestricted funds are so important for ValeFest.
Unfortunately the problem with unrestricted funds is their availability and accessibility. There are not that many of them so they are hugely popular. And in ValeFest's experience, those most likely to hear about such funds tend to keep quiet about them, presumably so their own pet projects may benefit.
(Sceptical? Me?)
But it's not all gloom and doom. We're increasingly making contacts with people who know about pots of unrestricted monies, so not only is ValeFest applying for restricted (project) and unrestricted funding, in the past week we've also put in applications to the RSA for website assistance, the Arts Council for the Artists Taking the Lead initiative and we've just received a heads-up about a new Big Lottery project for villages to be released within the next couple of days. I'm guessing that'll be another sizeable application we'll have to tackle!
There's undoubtedly some hard work to come but hopefully lots more exciting developments for ValeFest very soon!

Mike Hainey's Great Day Out!

2009-05-25T17:18:00.016+01:00

Yesterday it was my great pleasure to present the winner of the ValeFest Winterval photo competition with his prize - a poster-sized version of his winning picture, courtesy of Asda, Grantham.
Mike Hainey, of Barkestone le Vale in the Vale of Belvoir, took his winning snap of the Oriole New Orleans Brass Band during ValeFest's Jazz Parade at the end of the Winterval festival, and yesterday he and his family came along to local radio station, 103 The Eye FM in Melton Mowbray, to be presented with the winning picture.
In Melton with his camera to see his son parading with Redmile Primary School's amazing giant bird puppet, Mike's winning photo sums up all ValeFest aims to be: community-centred, colourful, musical and inclusive.
Asked on air what he felt was so successful about the Winterval festival, Mike had this to say;
"Personally, it was great to see my kids parading with their puppet, with smiles on their faces and lots of interaction between the schools taking part, a bit of community bonding going on.
"Then as the parade went through the streets with the jazz music and the big puppets, people were dancing, in the middle of their daily shop, taking time to join in. So the whole community got involved.
"Obviously the Vale of Belvoir has no large centre of support as such because the small villages are widely dispersed. So something like ValeFest can act as a focal point and co-ordinate talented artists in the area, get schools together and get everyone involved with arts and crafts and music. I think it's really great!"
"The Jazz Parade was an great day out and we'd certainly like to see it repeated."
We think you're spot on and your photo's pretty good too, Mike! Congratulations!

Oh to be in England now that ValeFest's here...

2009-05-19T22:57:00.030+01:00

Driving across the Vale this evening, shades of green as far as the eye can see, blousy great grey-pink clouds absorbing the last of the light and blooming hawthorn bushes dressing the roads like cheerleader's pom poms. All of it so breathtakingly beautiful that I thanked whatever forces brought me to this quite beautiful place.
The Vale of Belvoir has to be one of the East Midlands' best kept secrets, so secret in fact that many of the people in nearby Melton Mowbray and Grantham don't appear to know of its existence. And unfortunately I've been working daft hours so haven't had much chance to get out and see as much of it as I'd like.
ValeFest is putting musicians forward to play at the Hot Pots ceramics & cookery event at the end of May, the CLA Game Fair in July, and now several other events are asking us to help identify suitable performers for their events over the summer. In fact some of our artists appeared at Dove Cottage Hospice Summer Fete this past weekend, to delighted reviews and feedback.
We've also put venue managers and other festival organisers, like Sally Fagan at Stathern Festival and David Wilson at The Plough in the same village, in touch with a variety of acts.
It's good to be able to highlight performance and promotional opportunities for our local musical talent and to know that ValeFest is already making a positive impact in our community.
Very soon we'll be releasing information about ValeFest's own summer festival season, which is hoped will widen appreciation of the glories of the Vale of Belvoir, assist tourism and the local economy and encourage more people to come and enjoy this truly wonderful, incredibly beautiful part of England.

Funds & Figures and Strategic Funding

2009-05-12T22:06:00.018+01:00

Not long back from a meeting about making better funding applications, held in a rather swish new village hall at Long Clawson, further into the Vale of Belvoir.
Run by a group called Funds & Figures, part of Voluntary Action South Leicestershire from Market Harborough, we were taken through the various aspects of good financial management for voluntary groups and then introduced to different sources of funding, benefits, monitoring, rationale and pretty much anything else one could think of.
I didn't think I would but I learned a lot. In fact it's a great shame other ValeFest committee members hadn't been free to attend. Once ValeFest is in funds we should perhaps consider asking Funds & Figures to run something similar specifically for us; I'm sure we'd all benefit from their considerable experience and common sense approach.
For me the evening served to crystalise the difficulties ValeFest has experienced in terms of availability and access to unrestricted funds; monies that can be allocated to general admin and core costs and not just to budgets for specific projects.
They're out there, they do exist and ValeFest wants some of them!!

Days like these

2009-05-07T17:42:00.014+01:00

Holiday weekends have a habit of expanding their influence.
I'm still writing emails following up ValeFest's VIP Reception of a week ago, discussing the agenda for forthcoming committee meetings, contributing to legal and insurance queries, responding to performers, venue hosts, volunteers about updating the ValeFest website, queries about our new online shop (will it or won't it be available this week?) sorting out website bandwidth enquiries and establishing audio and video hosting options, arranging grant application meetings and the million other things that are necessary to maintain the ValeFest organisation.
And of course the computer crashed this morning, bringing everything to a sudden full stop.
Then there's the business of growing the organisation, sorting ValeFest's input to the various events we've been asked to assist over coming months, like the CLA Game Fair, and the not inconsiderable matter of organising our own, new, events this summer and beyond.
So what with communicating with all the various interested parties, potential sponsors and the media, not to mention the extraneous queries that pitch up over the course of each 24 hours, and 5,500 messages in my inbox (I keep meaning to sort them, honest) there's quite a bit to do.
Which is wonderful, and it's great that ValeFest is becoming known and is developing a following, and that lots of different people and organisations want to be involved, and I adore talking to musicians and hearing their enthusiasm for the project, but on days like today, with a to-do list expanding into another time zone, I wish there were more hours in the day.
Oh, but I do LOVE it!

ValeFest's proposed Summer Festival Season 09

2009-04-30T00:16:00.000+01:00

The purpose of last night's VIP Reception, besides the hope of bringing many more people into the warmth of ValeFest's embrace, was two-fold, to access the links and connections of those present - particularly anyone having knowledge of set-up or core funding monies, and to announce ValeFest's proposed Summer Festival Season activities.
Taking lessons from ValeFest's Winterval pilot festival, the proposed ValeFest Summer Festival Season focuses on two areas in order to benefit wide sections of our community, from children to the elderly.
A. Provision of ValeFest performance talent to existing events, activities and organisations, such as the CLA Game Fair, Hot Pots at Belvoir Castle, Dove Cottage Hospice and others, and,
B. Development of a limited number of ValeFest's own events, where ValeFest's competence and community needs have been established through the Winterval festival pilot;
1. Vale Pub Concert Series: run over 6-8 weeks, one evening per week, recording live local acts in performance at vale pubs and broadcasting those concerts via 103 The Eye FM and Gravity FM. Promoted locally and regionally.
2. Vale Music Festival Trail: a long weekend of family-oriented all genres music in pubs and other venues across the Vale and including dance and arts features, using a bus hopper service to transport visitors between Grantham, Melton Mowbray and venues and so limit transport on Vale roads. Promoted regionally and nationally.
3. One-day Family Music Festival: geared towards children. With two stages featuring local (school, youth group etc) performers, and bands, music and arts workshops, locally sourced food stalls, music and craft-related outlets. Promoted locally and regionally.
4. One-day Rock Festival: with local and named bands. Two stages, music and arts workshops, food stalls. With an up-market theme to attract and encourage positive behaviour. Promoted locally, regionally and through music press.
More generally over coming months, ValeFest intends to develop online Performer and Venue Directories, bring a mobile recording studio into the area and develop exciting new events for Winterval and the Summer Festival Season 2010 including an Eisteddfod, Jazz & Blues Festival and a Carnival Float or Marching Parade.

Great Reception - thank you one and all!

2009-04-29T08:27:00.019+01:00

Amazing meeting last night! A responsive crowd turned out, the speakers were spontaneous and effective, the food was out of this world (thank you Ben and Sally at The Wheel Inn!) and lots more people now know about and want to be involved in the ValeFest project. Wonderful!
The evening wouldn't have been possible without the support of Grantham Clothing and Plant Syence. Sincere thanks go to both companies for their support of the event.
And special thanks to the wonderful Nigel Truman who kept everyone entertained with his guitar playing. Nigel, you're a star!!
Thanks also go to all our speakers, including Christine Slomkowska from 103 The Eye FM; Dennis Kay of Gravity FM; Cora Townson, Headteacher of Waltham on the Wolds Primary School; Steve Tunnicliffe from New St George Morris, and to everyone else who shared their experiences, views and opinions or otherwise offered their support, volunteered their venues and their assorted skills and generally want to be associated with the ValeFest project.
We need you all and appreciate all you're able to do to help us meet our aims for the community. Thank you!
More soon.

ValeFest VIP Reception - tomorrow!!

2009-04-27T07:20:00.006+01:00

There's nothing like an imminent dealine to put roses in the cheeks!
The ValeFest VIP Reception takes place tomorrow at The Wheel Inn at Branston, and event organiser I may be but there remains much to do!
However, and before anything else, I must thank our event sponsors, Ian Marsh of Grantham Clothing and John Haywood of Plant Syence for their enthusiastic support of the ValeFest initiative. Thank you both!
The ValeFest committee has always determined the music project must be self-financing to be sustainable over the long-term (see www.valefest.com/aims2.htm for full info), so we are particularly grateful to all our sponsors and in-kind supporters, including Sally & Ben at The Wheel, for helping the ValeFest team to deliver live music and arts events to our community.
Without their help and the goodwill of so many more, we stand no hope of achieving our aims, particularly at this early stage when the committee is financially at a standing start, with little money in the bank and inevitable uncertainty over first applications for grant funding.
To ensure no repeat of this current position, we're seeking to develop links with potential sponsors and funders and this week will also be launching an online shop, which we hope will grow to provide a small but steady revenue stream.
There's lots more good news in the pipeline, news we'll be releasing to our Reception guests tomorrow.
I'm looking forward to meeting many of you in Branston. Safe journey and see you there.
PS Come hungry!

Mike wins Winterval photo competition!

2009-04-24T12:48:00.006+01:00

Hello to Mike Hainey of Barkestone le Vale, deep in the heart of the Vale of Belvoir!
Mike, it has been announced by local newspapers, has won the photographic competition run by the Grantham Journal and Melton Times newspapers for the best picture taken of a ValeFest musical event during the Winterval festival earlier this year.
Mike wins a BIG version of his winning image of the Oriole New Orleans Jazz Band in Melton Town Centre, courtesy of ASDA in Grantham.
You can read the full story and view both his picture and newspaper coverage of his win by clicking here.
Media articles are also available at www.valefest.com/media.html
Well done Mike! Your picture sums up what ValeFest is about, the involvement of the entire community with live music and arts.
Fantastic!

Are YOU coming to the ValeFest VIP Reception?

2009-04-19T11:42:00.018+01:00

Lots more people have contacted us this week to confirm they're coming to our VIP Reception in Branston on Tuesday 28 April. So the team is now getting pretty excited about it.
The right people are coming along too, some already on board and committed to the project and others we'd like to involve as performers, venue managers, volunteers or as potential sponsors and Advisors to the project - people who can help us to realise all the things we'd like to achieve for our Vale of Belvoir community through music and the arts, and we hope have lots of fun by doing so.
For full information see the earlier blog entry, http://www.valefestblog.com/2009/03/vip-reception-in-preparation.html
If you haven't yet received an invitation and would like to come and learn more more about the ValeFest initiative, call us on Tel 0845 053 5348 or email reception @ valefest.com (email without the necessary anti-spam online gaps) without delay!
We look forward to seeing you at the ValeFest VIP Reception, The Wheel Inn at Branston on Tuesday 28 April!

PS Those visitors who have kindly asked for details of my radio blog will find all details at www.mitchsradioblog.com. Thanks for your interest!

Great rock potential at Barnstone Country Club

2009-04-13T22:45:00.023+01:00

I've visited more pubs in the past few weeks than I have in the past year! ValeFest is the perfect excuse for such socialising as we need a wide range of venues on board for the Summer Festival.
So this weekend I went along to meet Julie and Steve Evans, owners of Barnstone Country Club near Langar.
With a name that smacks of monied country pursuits, deep leather armchairs and a G&T at the 19th hole, you'd be forgiven for mistaking the unimpressive building by Barnstone's cement works and a previous life as the works' social club.
Set all that aside, meet the music-mad Steve and his hard-working partner, Julie, view the great staged facilities, the huge dance floor, decent sized bars, large car park and isolated position and you begin to appreciate that this could indeed be a hidden gem and an absolute must for ValeFest's many rock bands!
In fact I was so impressed by Steve and Julie, who've only owned the Club for a year, by their determination, their knowledge of the local rock scene, and by Steve's excellent band, Skeleton Crew, that I asked the couple to become Rock Advisors to ValeFest and I'm delighted to say they agreed.
If ValeFest meets its objectives of bringing tourism into the Vale and boosting the local economy then Julie and Steve and Barnstone Country Club well deserve to benefit.

Country joys at Easter

2009-04-08T13:12:00.019+01:00

One of the best things about living in the country is being surrounded by wildlife, so long as the wildlife doesn't then insist on moving in.
Unfortunately proximity can mean mice or squirrels taking up residence, birds nest in chimneys (and occasionally slip down same), bats roost in the attic, horses escape and sheep and monkjack invade the garden.
Such are the joys of country living.
Having decided to send out hard copy invitations to ValeFest's forthcoming VIP Reception (everything being communicated by email these days we thought a REAL invitation might be something a bit different - email reception @ valefest.com if you'd like an invitation) I took an enormous pile of mail along to the nearest Post Office, in Knipton, this morning.
The sun was out and there were pheasant everywhere, soaking up the rays, their colours gleaming. Having evaded the shoot the darned things are now the size of small turkeys and with no road sense one takes a huge risk doing anything above a moderate speed on Belvoir's country lanes. Hit a pheasant at this time of year and you'll know about it!
Mind you, I loath hitting any animal. Even when something flings itself out from the hedgerow right under my wheels, whether it's a partridge or a rabbit. Or a stoat, as occurred a few weeks ago. Sick-making.
But what caught my eye this morning were the lamb nurseries because on this, the escarpment side of the Vale, thousands of sheep are now suckling new Spring lambs.
Once the youngsters have found their feet and discovered the milk bar opens if they butt mum hard enough in the stomach, ewes become eager to spend a bit of quality grazing time without the kids around.
So big groups of lambs are 'minded' by a nursery ewe which apparently keeps an warey eye while her chums grab some valuable 'me' time.
In the company of other, like-minded, tearaways, these infants make their nurse-maid's life a nightmare with their demonic behaviour, terrorising the entire neighbourhood by jumping on or over anything that gets in the way of their play, and rushing madly from one side of the field to the other. And back again. And again.
Hours and much laughter can pass watching this activity and I had to remind myself the Post Office closed at lunchtime and if I didn't get a move on I'd need to drive into Melton or Grantham to post the Reception mail, which I want to be sure hits desks and diaries before the Easter break.
What's all this got to do with ValeFest? Nothing. But it provides a snapshot of life in the Vale and a reminder of the realities, since with Easter just days away many of those delinquent Spring lambs will soon be appearing on a plate near you.

New ValeFestblog .com adress!

2009-04-02T21:21:00.005+01:00

Exciting news! We're having so many visitors to our blog that we've taken the step of purchasing a .com address to make it easier to keep up with our goings-ons.
Instead of www.valefestblog.blogspot.com (which is SO longwinded) you'll now only have to bother with www.valefestblog.com, which does exactly what it says on the tin.
Another small step to make life just that bit easier for ValeFest fans out there in the bloggesphere!
FYI, ValeFest's website, www.valefest.com, remains unchanged and will continue to provide more permanent info about our aims and activities.
Keep on logging on, ValeFest fans!

ValeFest VIP Reception

2009-03-30T22:34:00.012+01:00

I'm printing off invitations to a VIP Reception ValeFest is holding at the end of April.
We'd like to bring many more decision-makers and influencers into our warm embrace, from head teachers of schools across the three counties, to local politicians and their arts officers, to potential sponsors and funders.
Plus many more venue managers and performers.
So we figured the best way to achieve this would be to invite everyone along to meet the team and hear about our aims and ambitions for ValeFest and our community first hand.
And of course ValeFest performers will be providing entertainment throughout.
It's impossible to find the time to have one-to-one meetings with all these people, so I for one am hoping our invitation is widely accepted.
Fortunately The Wheel Inn at Branston has kindly agreed that we can use their newly redecorated space, the 'Room Outside', for the reception, and they're also putting on a fabulous special menu at a discounted rate for ValeFest guests.
I hope some of those attending will take up the opportunity to experience The Wheel's great food.
If you'd benefit from learning more about ValeFest and would like to come along to our VIP Reception, drop an email to reception @ valefest.com and we'll get back to you soonest.

Artists Taking the Lead

2009-03-24T22:14:00.016Z

Fellow ValeFest committee member, Alison Wright, and I went along to a Leicester grants workshop held by the Arts Council this evening. Turned out to be most informative and surprisingly enjoyable.

We intend ValeFest will become self-supporting over 5 years but right now, until we establish the scheme and develop a track record and some credibility, the project is dependent on public funding.

Despite the current economic climate there are still monies to be had and after this evening's enlightening session, if we can't make successful applications then we have nobody to blame but ourselves.

We also learned of another (and to my mind much more) exciting initiative from the Dept of Culture, Media & Sport, called Artists Taking the Lead.

In each of 12 regions across the UK, artists are being asked to submit their ideas for large arts projects that will form a legacy to the London Olympics in 2012. A quote from the Arts Counci l website says,

"Artists taking the lead is the most ambitious and wide ranging art prize in the UK. 12 commissions of up to £500,000 will be awarded to create 12 new works of art across the country; one in each of the nine English regions, and in the nations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland."

Moira Sinclair, ED of Arts Council England explained.

"We’re excited to be laying down such a unique challenge to artists. We want them to look at their region and their connections with fresh eyes, to mark a moment in our histories in unexpected ways and places across the country, to surprise and delight the world with their extraordinary artistic vision."

Anyone can apply by submitting a 400-word proposal and all art forms are invited since the remit is wide, the four aims of the project being;

original ideas in any artform, led by artists
projects that reflect and are inspired by the location in which they will take shape
projects which will be completed by June 2012, but also show a legacy for artists and communities beyond 2012
projects that celebrate London 2012 and reflect the values and vision of the Cultural Olympiad, the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games

Between three and five ideas will be shortlisted by the panels in each nation and region. The shortlisted projects will receive a small development grant of up to £5,000 to work their idea into a full proposal.

So if you have the vision, get writing! Applications are being accepted until 29 May. Full details are available at www.artiststakingthelead.org.uk.

Jazz & blues at The Plough, Stathern

2009-03-16T20:04:00.011Z

One of ValeFest's successes has been to bring together musicians who may otherwise not have met.
On Saturday I went along to The Plough at Stathern to see Graham Tranfield's jazz band with guitarist Chris Green, who got together during ValeFest's winter music festival.
And what a night! A packed house for some fabulous jazz and blues, Julian Grocock presenting his own blues compositions and Viv Rolfe singing into her saxophone to make it and us growl with pleasure.
Best of all Dave, the landlord, is dead keen for the pub to be involved with future ValeFest activities.
Now there's a man who can spot an opportunity!

Per aspera ad astra

2009-03-08T22:25:00.020Z

I'm eager to sell ValeFest's t-shirts and other goods online and make some money.
Our 'shop' is ready to launch but committee members are so busy that our bank account isn't yet active and without the bank account the shop can't trade.
Not only is stock that has been paid for taking up shelf space when it could be winging its way around the globe, we're also losing the opportunity to extend ValeFest's online offerings.
But as every committee organiser knows, members are always busy; it's difficult to bring pressure to bear when one is grateful for involvement and one doesn't want to ask too much.
Unfortunately this situation has been going on rather too long and income opportunities are being lost.
Income generation issues are a source of concern because at the moment ValeFest is financially a fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi, between a rock and a hard place.
It's become clear ValeFest needs an organiser and an admin budget to take the project forward.
So here's the conundrum; ValeFest must apply for funding that includes admin overheads in order to pay for an organiser to manage ValeFest's activities. Without funding ValeFest can't hold the events required to attract sponsorship. However, as there can be little ValeFest activity without funding, realistically ValeFest needs funding to proceed.
The catch; funders require ongoing activities against which to invest their funds, which ValeFest can't currently deliver because of lack of funds with which to organise those activities.
So at first glance we're snookered.
It's a huge relief that through supporters, ValeFest has made contact with some funding experts, and with luck and a following wind they'll guide us through these stormy funding waters.
Let's just hope they share my veni, vidi, velcro attitude to ValeFest: I came, I saw, I stuck around!
Post Scriptum: Came across a terrific Latin phrase recently; per aspera ad astra - through the thorns to the stars.
Seems appropriate in the circs. You can look it up.

New ValeFest committee members!

2009-03-02T11:00:00.022Z

ValeFest is delighted to introduce two new committee members, Ian Rose and Alison Wright.
Ian Rose is the Events Coordinator for Asda in Grantham, responsible for driving community activity for a store which serves residents of ValeFest's entire geographical catchment.
Ian's events experience, community and business contacts, particularly in and around the Grantham area, will be invaluable as ValeFest seeks to develop.
I first came across Ian in the lead-up to Winterval, when ValeFest negotiated to have musicians perform inside the Asda store, the largest supermarket in the area.
Shoppers loved the experience and the same performers have been back since (hooray! - that's what ValeFest is all about!) and Ian was so enthused by the project's community potential that he readily agreed to join the committee.
Alison Wright is Head Teacher at Sherard Primary School in Melton Mowbray.
A passionate advocate of opportunities for all children, Alison recognised the skills development and confidence-building possibilities that ValeFest's arts & performance strategy could provide and Sherard was one of the first schools to sign up to the Winterval puppet-making scheme.
Having experienced her students' enthusiastic participation in ValeFest's Jazz Parade and Hootenanny!, Alison is convinced both music and arts aspects should be extended to benefit many more of our young people and has joined the committee to see that realised.
Of the new committee members, ValeFest chair, Chris Green, said,
"Ian and Alison's considerable experience and wide ranging talents couple with great enthusiasm for the project. I feel sure that this will further strengthen the organisation and lead to ValeFest's continued success”.
Hear, hear!

ValeFest's Summer Festival challenge!

2009-02-26T22:48:00.006Z

One month ago yesterday ValeFest's pilot festival, Winterval, was launched and ran for 6 days and some 20 events and activities until 31 January.
We learned a huge amount that first week, lessons we intend applying to this year's Summer Festival, which thinking about it, needs a name ...
So although it may look as though we're doing very little, and compared to a month ago we are far less physically active, we're really pretty busy researching and planning all the fun and creative things we want to happen in and around the Vale of Belvoir in just a few months time.
And trying to raise the funds necessary to ensure everything goes ahead so the Summer Festival can be at least as good as Winterval.
Now that's going to be a challenge!

Captain Kirk, creativity & the Vale of Belvoir

2009-02-21T15:26:00.027Z

It's probably true to say that not much goes on, culturally, in the Vale of Belvoir at present.
Melton Mowbray and much of the geographical area of the Vale falls into Leicestershire.
To the north and north-west the Vale lies in Nottinghamshire and on the north-eastern side, in Lincolnshire, including the market town of Grantham.
Because the Vale of Belvoir is on the edge of so many political as well as county boundaries, and sparsely populated, successive politicians have generally ignored the region.
Cultural input has been occasional and ad hoc and the villages, which have long-standing antipathies one with another (as so many country areas), have to some degree been responsible for their own shortage of opportunity.
The wealthy have taken care of themselves and the less well-off could at least enjoy activities provided by local benefactors, the church or local pub.
But times are changing, parish responsibilities now cover several churches, the credit crunch is causing the big agricultural estates to lay off more workers, village shops as well as public houses, no longer run by local brewers with local interests, are closed and boarded up, infrequent transport links are becoming even less frequent and all but the larger villages are losing their village centres, the heart of their communities.
How are young people, particularly, to receive wider and cultural experiences in such circumstances?
The situation is little better in the market towns; the head teacher of a Melton Mowbray primary school told me last week that only 22 of almost 300 pupils had travelled as far as Leicester for a cultural experience.
Schools do what they can but wider experiences offered to the children and young people in our region are thin on the ground and unlikely to improve any time soon.
Into this cultural and experiential vacuum comes ValeFest, with our ideas and plans to reintroduce a musical and artistic tradition, to up-skill local people and to provide opportunities hitherto unknown in the area.
And yet I'm cautious, recalling Niccolo Machiavelli's 15-something quote, that not even those who stand to benefit from change will welcome it...
"There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. For the reformer has enemies in all those who profit by the old order, and only lukewarm defenders in all those who would profit by the new order, this lukewarmness arising partly from fear of their adversaries … and partly from the incredulity of mankind, who do not truly believe in anything new until they have had actual experience of it."
It is hoped the population of the Vale will be won over little by little, as increasing numbers are brought into contact with ValeFest activities, if we are given the chance to experiment, to make mistakes and sometimes to fail in order to learn.
As Scott Berkun suggests in his book, The Myths of Innovation,
"The dirty little secret - the fact often denied - is that unlike the mythical epiphany, real creation is sloppy. Discovery is messy; exploration is dangerous. No one knows what he’s going to get when he is being creative.
"Creative work cannot fit neatly into plans, budgets, and schedules. Magellan, Lewis and Clark, and Captain Kirk were all sent on missions into the unknown with clear understanding that they might not return with anything, or even return at all."
Let's hope, Mr Spock, that it doesn't come to that.

The adventure begins!

2009-02-16T21:32:00.010Z

Two weeks since Winterval ended and time to draw breath, pay bills, summarise outcomes and hold the obligatory committee meeting to share views on the success of ValeFest's first, pilot, festival.
Also time to begin thinking about the future, about how best to further involve the community in our plans and activities, consider new events to engage talented local musicians, residents, schools, businesses and others.
Time to consider how community-led cultural events can add to quality of life and to the local economy.
Time to have preliminary discussions with interested parties and nudge those who've so far failed to respond to our earlier enquiries.
Time to recognise that Pareto's 80:20 Rule applies, and not to beat ourselves up about the small number of events that didn't work as well as we hoped, or with which we experienced difficulties.
We have learned a great deal and that is, after all, the purpose of a pilot study.
The adventure is just beginning!

Thanks for Winterval!

2009-02-06T17:26:00.000Z

ValeFest thanks the following people and organisations without which the Winterval festival could not have taken place;
All the many musicians, singers and dancers and all the many other volunteers who gave their time, energy and their enthusiasm free of charge - our community wouldn't benefit from a music project without you.
To Fiona Springer, Chris Green, Charlies Ant, Persiflage, The Graham Tranfield Quintet, U3A Singers, Fanny Power & the Mickey Money Boys, Becca O'Hara & Chris Sibanda, Ketlafish, Nigel Truman, John Burton, The Oriole New Orleans Brass Band, Chris Armson, The Kinx, New St George Morris, Lois, Short Notice and Beats School with Julie Wright; thank you so much.
To the venues and venue managers who supported the week-long Winterval festival, allowing ValeFest to advertise their involvement, providing encouragement, staff and practical assistance, and to The Atrium in Grantham, which opened especially for our Blue Jazz event.
Thanks to Melton Mowbray Town Estate and Town Centre Partnership for supporting the Jazz Parade, and to Melton Theatre for facilitating our Hootenanny! show, particularly manager Linda Hallam and the technical team, Andrew and Angela, for their can-do attitude to ValeFest's first ever concert. When we floundered you were there for us. Thank you.
To the schools that took part in music workshops and created puppets for the Jazz Parade; you are AMAZING!
Thanks particularly to Rob Corfield at St Francis Primary School in Melton, who illustrated the how-to puppet-making guide and then made a wonderful puppet with his class, to Alison Wright, headteacher at Sherard Primary in Melton and to Dean the Art Wizard for Sherard's astonishing recycled puppet and enthusiastic accompanying 'masqueraders'.
To Cora Townson, staff and supporters at Waltham on the Wolds Primary, for so eloquently capturing the puppet-making experience in memorable emails, "..what has been produced is extraordinary but no doubt will look much better when s/he has a head!!!", and to Julie Hopkins and the remarkable creative talents of Jo at Redmile Primary, who succeeded in making the most marvellous bird puppet that everyone else so envied.
To Troy Jenkinson and all the wonderfully supportive teachers at Stathern Primary School, for embracing the drum workshops, and to their students for performing so fantastically at the Hootenanny!; I wouldn't have believed it possible without the skills and charisma of drum expert Julie Wright with the assistance of Jude Winwood and Paula McKillop. Words can't express...
To all ValeFest's sponsors, to Ragdale Hall, mitchonthemic.com, Mars in the Community, Melton Mowbray Building Society and to Asda for being an unusual performance venue and also for supplying the prizes to Winterval's photographic competition.
To all our media partners, without whom we couldn't have reached our community, to Michael Cooke at the Melton Times for his enthusiastic support from the outset, to Bob Hart at the Grantham Journal for his passion for music and local knowledge, to Christine and Patrick at 103 The Eye FM and to Dennis and Alan at Gravity FM, both of which have recorded and broadcast, and re-broadcast, many of ValeFest Winterval's events and activities. And to all supporting Village publications including Village Link, Open Spaces and Melton Messenger.
To Lizzie Hewitt, Claire Kiernan, Peter Butler, Peter Treadwell, Ben Atkinson, and to John Green, who compered the Hootenanny! show, gathered capable backstage assistants and much more besides, and to Jill Palmer and Sallie Hooper who became my legs when everything physically got too much.
To our audiences across all our Winterval events - thank you for your enthusiasm. And to everyone else I should have mentioned and haven't, my apologies. Please don't think too badly of me; you're in my thoughts if not immediately at my fingertips.
Thanks to all your efforts the ValeFest committee now knows beyond doubt there's demand for music and arts events in our community and that our aim to bring our community together through music is viable. Now we must consider how best to take the project forward to our Summer Festival and beyond.
If you'd like to be involved in that process then please get in touch!
A very final thought; as I'm snowed in today and it's still snowing, thank goodness Winterval took place last week and not this!

Hootenanny! - family variety show that worked

2009-02-02T11:08:00.020Z

The wonderful Lizzie Hewitt, chum, artist and photographer, went to town with her camera on Saturday, for which ValeFest is hugely grateful.
Lizzie has kindly sent through a few pics of the Jazz Parade and Hootenanny! and many more will be added to ValeFest's Flickr and MySpace pages over coming days.
Thanks to our excellent media partners images can also be seen at www.granth amjournal.co.uk & www.meltontimes.co.uk
So what was so great about the Hootenanny? For me, the quality of the performances just knocked me sideways.
Remembering Hootenanny! was a variety show designed primarily for children and young people it was inevitable not all the acts would appeal to everyone.
Yet most of the audience, especially the children, appeared to enjoy everything they saw, responding enthusiastically to the performers and even getting up to dance.
The bands may have been too loud for some, but not for others, the length of the show may have been too ambitious (we ran 15 minutes late throughout - those darned puppets just wouldn't go through the auditorium doors!) but overall the children were well behaved and totally occupied by the on-stage activity.
It's a pretty good indication that what you've done has worked when performers, media and audiences tell you what fun they've had and ask to do it all over again!

Jazz Parade & family Hootenanny! What a day!

2009-02-01T21:18:00.021Z

In the most amazing winter weather, piercingly cold but dry and with a blue sky, yesterday's Winterval Jazz Parade was a a noisy and colourful spectacle.
The children of St Francis & Sherard Primary Schools in Melton, Waltham on the Wolds & Redmile Primary Schools in the Vale of Belvoir, danced through Melton Mowbray town centre with their incredible giant puppets, led by the authentic Oriole New Orleans Brass Band.
And what puppets they were, 8-9' high, in human and bird-form, dressed in bright, glittery costumes and surrounded by gangs of similarly costumed 'masqueraders'.
The town centre was full of people who'd come out to see the Parade and now strained to take pics with their mobile phones.
Eventually the Parade returned to Melton Theatre for the fun, family Hootenanny! More about that when the pictures arrive and I've had a little more much-needed sleep.

Friday; just one day of Winterval to go...

2009-01-30T22:48:00.005Z

It's Friday and I'm just back from John Burton's music talk at Croxton Kerrial Village Hall.
Not as big a crowd as we'd have liked perhaps, but a reasonable number to hear John's well-researched presentation illustrated with music samples, on the topic, "When Europe met the blues - how America created 20th century popular music".
John is so knowledgeable and has such love for the subject, I'm convinced he could be writing on the subject - or doing radio.
Meanwhile, in the entrance foyer at ASDA in Grantham, Spanish guitarist, Nigel Truman, was entertaining the thousands of customers who shop at the store on a Friday evening.
Hoping to receive pictures of the event here soon.
Just one day of Winterval to go and then I may finally be able to get some sleep!

Quirky & charming

2009-01-29T23:52:00.024Z

Tonight two Winterval events were taking place, one in Melton Mowbray and another at Knipton in the Vale of Belvoir.
My colleague Chris Green took himself off to see rock covers band, Ketlafish, at the Noels Arms in Melton Mowbray, the town's premier live music venue.
I haven't heard how the gig went and as no news is good news I'm anticipating it went well.
In the Vale, I went to see singer-songwriter Becca O'Hara at The Manners Arms in Knipton, where manager-chef Paul Hoad had laid on a wonderful, free, lamb hotpot to tempt the locals.
Whether it was the food or the prospect of original live music, the bars were packed.
Becca had brought African drummer, Chris Sibanda, along to accompany her, and decorated the performance area to feel like home, with plants, ornaments, a clock and even a washing line. The effect was quirky and charming, which might equally describe Becca's delightful songs, colourful hosiery and feather mules.
Another great night's entertainment!

Folk at The Wheel

2009-01-28T23:24:00.013Z

In another successful Winterval event, the folk band, Fanny Power and the Mickey Money Boys, knocked the socks off the punters at The Wheel Inn in Branston tonight.
The pub was packed, licencees Sally & Ben were kept busy turning out quantities of fabulous food, and the crowd was treated to a marvellous selection of reels, jigs and chorus songs.
For me the highlights included audience participation in The Wild Rover (the pub's tables are unlikely to be the same again) and The Sailor's Hornpipe, with Bridget swapping her fiddle for the accordion and womanfully matching the increasingly furious pace of the other instruments.
What a fabulous band and what a fabulous night out!

Quizzes & choirs

2009-01-27T23:18:00.029Z

Tuesday, and three very different events, all of which seem to have gone off well.
In the morning, Jodi Haines, a great young singer who is shortly off to vocalist's training school in Los Angeles, performed for the residents at Dove Cottage Hospice in the Vale of Belvoir.
Jodi's delightful voice and personality endeared her to both patients and staff and I look forward to learning more about her experience and theirs in due course.
Later this morning the U3A Singers entertained the crowds at Melton Mowbray (livestock) Market.
The Market is vast with Tuesday the busiest day of the week so the place was heaving. Despite the icy cold the Singers were greatly appreciated by shoppers and stall-holders alike. And they clearly enjoyed themselves which always enthuses others. They looked terrific too, all in black with red scarves. Very professional and exceedingly good natured.
Then this evening my old chum Teresa held a music quiz at her pub, The Black Horse in Hose.
I'm afraid to say that party as a result of my lurgy and party as a result of general excitement, I fell asleep at my desk and was only woken by a well-timed phone call. Still, better late than never.
Happily, people had come to the event from across the Vale and Melton Mowbray and there were enough present to make up 7 raucous teams who evidently thoroughly enjoyed the occasion.
This was largely down to the charming quiz host who was prone to gaffs, every one of which had his audience rolling in the aisles.
Teresa was delighted with the turnout, as was I. As far as ValeFest is concerned, quizzes and choirs definitely have potential.

Winterval - first images

2009-01-26T20:28:00.016Z

The Graham Tranfield Quintet play trad jazz at ValeFest's first ever gig during Winterval, Sunday 25 January at The Atrium, Grantham.

Thanks to all the bands that took part, to Charlies Ant, Persiflage, Graham Tranfield and his Quintet and to Fiona Springer, Chris Green and G2k2K, to Mark and the staff of The Atrium who opened the venue especially and supported us so well, to Andy Stolland for sound and to all the volunteers, particularly Jill Palmer and Ben Atkinson, without whose tireless enthusiasm such events could not take place.
Also, and very importantly, our thanks go to our media partners, the Grantham Journal, Melton Times, 103 The Eye FM and Gravity FM for their coverage and encouragement; we couldn't reach our community nearly as effectively without you.
Thank you all - it was a marvellous first night. Here's to many more!

Winterval launched in excellent company

2009-01-25T23:44:00.026Z

Three amazing things have happened in the past week;
Cpt Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger proved it was possible to land a darned great plane on water and for every one of his passengers to get out alive; in Barack Obama, America has appointed the first black President in its history and given the world the hope of change for the future; and I struggled womanfully out of flu to launch WINTERVAL!
(Hey, it's possibly the only time they'll ever have their names associated with mine and I figure they're worth it!)
Winterval was launched on 103 The Eye FM 1pm today with the help of Fiona Springer and Chris Green live on air (fab voice, great guitar) - and as soon as the photos arrive they'll be posted here and on the ValeFest Flickr page for your perusal.
Then tonight we had our first gig at The Atrium in Grantham and excellent it was too - 4 terrific bands, all fabulous musicians, and the well-informed live music crowd was appropriately appreciative.
Tomorrow, with luck and a following wind, I may have some audio from the event in which case a podcast may eventually be available to download.
As it is I have a day to recover before events begin rolling out at a rate of a couple a day.
It's going to be some week! Hope I can stay well enough to enjoy it.

Flu & friendship

2009-01-22T21:29:00.008Z

I have flu. Of all the times to get sick, just a few days before ValeFest's first festival.
And I regret to say that my fellow committee members are unwell themselves or up to their eyes with other things and unable to lend much of a hand.
Thankfully a musician involved in our October launch event very kindly took some posters around the Vale at the weekend (thank you Derek!) and the manager of The Atrium has papered Grantham town centre (thanks Mark!) otherwise there would be no advertising out there.
I'm more grateful to them, and to all the supporters who received those posters and put them up in their own area, than they know.
I still have the centre of Melton to sort but I'm hoping for a miraculous recovery to tackle that myself.
Mind you and credit where it's due, the Melton Times and Grantham Journal have been terrific as media partners and done a fabulous job of promoting Winterval, our events, the artists and the photo competition, which is just as well when I think of all the other publicity I'd hoped to create but have been too ill to even think about.
103 The Eye FM and the newly-formed Gravity FM have lots of coverage and recordings planned for broadcast over the whole of next week, which'll be terrific, and my old chum Peter Butler kindly produced a radio jingle when my voice disappeared.
I'd hug them if I thought I wasn't still infectious.
I've also had some very encouraging emails about the making of the giant puppets. Seems the school children involved are loving the project and producing amazing results! There's even a recycled puppet appearing in the Jazz Parade.
I'd hoped to go and take pictures of the puppets being made but it rather looks as though the first time I'll get to see them will be alongside everyone else at the Parade in Melton town centre next Saturday, 31st. They are clearly going to be worth seeing!
Even the Hootenanny! performers have dug deep to help, so in the limited time spent at the computer I've been able to finalise the show running order and resolve most, if not all, technical and staging concerns. There's truly no business like show business!
I confess I have cocked up in one significant area, which I regret; I've been too unwell to send out many VIP invitations.
So if you're reading this and believe you should have been invited to one of the Winterval events as a guest of ValeFest, you're very probably correct and I apologise for failing to do so.
I'm just so thankful the majority of what needed doing was completed before Christmas.
And now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll head back under the duvet.

WINTERVAL EVENTS POSTER!

2009-01-13T10:23:00.016Z

Download poster by clicking on the image.

ASDA, Mars and a photographic competition

2009-01-10T22:41:00.014Z

Lots of changes over the past 24 hours.
The Melton Times and Grantham Journal are to run a photographic competition throughout Winterval. This will engage more of the community in Winterval activities and also provide ValeFest with publicity images.
In turn ValeFest can promote the winning pictures and the people who take them.
Even better the community-minded people at ASDA, located in Grantham and serving ValeFest's entire geographical area, have agreed to provide prizes for the competition winners.
ASDA will also be hosting live music on their premises during Winterva l.
So the festival has another public access event to add to the programme, which is now looking very respectable for a first festival effort.
In another development the great people at Mars in the Community are in the process of designing our Winterval events poster, which having seen the draft is going to be stunning. Hopefully the poster will go to print on Monday and can be distributed by next weekend.
Less cheerfully, the ValeFest committee has decided to postpone the hoped-for visit to the Vale by Rockhopper, the mobile recording studio. until the weather is more certain and we can reasonably guarantee take-up. Or we fear we'd be risking money on the exercise.
This is a regretable decision when many young bands were hoping to take advantage of the facility but organising a project of this kind and size means having to make difficult choices, and this has been one of them.

Producing the best work

2009-01-06T22:14:00.010Z

It's odd how adversity forces us to think more creatively.
In the past couple of days, since the great return to work, or not, depending on flu levels, various situations have changed for Winterval.
Schools have withdrawn from the puppet-making project because of sickness and 'other priorities', some service professionals have declined involvement due to ValeFest's current financial position, and a couple of bands have wavered, although to give them their due they've re-thought and are back on board (good people!)
When these calls come in I try to remember that change can be for the better.
Which reminds me that we must rethink the contracts situation.
Anyway, these changes are forcing us to consider options and alternatives that we wouldn't otherwise have considered; for example, on what basis might we bring photographers on board? How can we improve our offering to musicians through photography? Are there photographic students in the area? Could we run a competition? Can we link up with a school or college? Would our media partners be interested in something of the kind? And so on.
Out of adversity comes fresh thinking, or as someone once said, I forget who, adversity sometimes produces the best work.
Some fantastic things things have also happened in the past couple of days, like an incredible legal firm offering to help ValeFest set up as a Community Interest Company - for free!, a great choir and an astonishing new band have come forward and offered their services, and a local superstore has asked what it can do to help.
We're here to bring our community together through music and on balance we're doing pretty darned well.

Funding, recording studio & making decisions

2009-01-03T23:51:00.026Z

The trouble with organising events close to the wire is the potential for financial uncertainty and the need to make difficult decisions.
We hoped very much to give every section of our community something of interest to attend during Winterval, and to a considerable degree we've achieved that AND created the right mix of activities to test our proposed summer festival programme.
We've learned a great deal in the process.
Without doubt, our current lack of funding is causing us greatest concern and we've had to cancel a ceilidh and a rock music event from Winterval because ValeFest wasn't in a position to take the financial risk when funding failed to be confirmed in time.
And now we have to make another very difficult decision about the proposed mobile recording studio.
Do we go ahead and commit, as we're being urged by performers, or do we wait until the summer by which time ValeFest should be in funds and have had plenty of time to promote the studio and its benefits more widely.
Undoubtedly there are performers who could benefit from the facility right now...
As it could be so useful to artists in our community and that's the reason ValeFest was created, I'm reluctant to postpone. However the financial implications and risks are significant.
Unless the cavalry rides over the hill very soon, another tough decision is going to have to be made.

WINTERVAL PROGRAMME 2009 ANNOUNCED!

2008-12-30T15:28:00.009Z

EXCITING EVENTS FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!

Winterval, ValeFest’s week-long winter festival of music and colour, takes place in the Vale of Belvoir, Melton Mowbray & Grantham from Sunday 25 to Saturday 31 January 2009.

· To be launched on local radio, 103 The Eye FM

Sunday 25 Jan, 1pm

With live music by Fiona Springer & Chris Green.

· BLUE JAZZ at THE ATRIUM, Grantham

Sunday 25 Jan, 7pm

Blue jazz from Persiflage, Fiona Springer & Chris Green.

· Music at Dove Cottage Hospice, Harby
Tuesday 27 Jan.

NO PUBLIC ACCESS

· Music at the Market, Melton Livestock Market
Tuesday 27 Jan, 11am
With U3A Choir
FREE!

· Music Team Quiz, The Black Horse, Hose
Tuesday 27 Jan, 8pm

Teams of 4, £2pp

· Folk at The Wheel Inn, Branston

Wednesday 28 Jan, 7pm

With Fanny Power & the Mickey Money Boys
FREE!

· Acoustic Guitar at The Manners Arms, Knipton

Thursday 29 Jan, 8pm

With singer/songwriter Becca O'Hara
FREE!

· Rock at the Noels Arms, Burton Street, Melton

Thursday 29 Jan, 9.30pm

Melton's premier live music venue features local rock covers band, Ketlafish
FREE!

· Let’s talk music with John Burton, Village Hall, Croxton Kerrial

Friday 30 Jan, 7.30pm

“When Europe met the blues – how America created 20^th century popular music”
£3pp

· Drum workshop, Stathern Primary School, Stathern

NO PUBLIC ACCESS

· Giant dancing puppet workshops, at Vale of Belvoir, Melton Mowbray & Grantham venues

NO PUBLIC ACCESS

· NEW ORLEANS JAZZ PARADE, Melton Mowbray Town Centre

Saturday 31 Jan, 2pm. Begins High Street.

Featuring the Oriole New Orleans Jazz Band, assorted musicians & local children with GIANT DANCING PUPPETS!
FREE!

· WINTERVAL HOOTENANNY!, Melton Theatre

Saturday 31 January, 3pm.

With the Oriole New Orleans Jazz Band, musicians, singers & dancers from the Vale of Belvoir, Melton Mowbray & Grantham in an afternoon of fun & family entertainment!
Tickets £5 and £3 (concessions)
Box Office Tel: 01664 851111

More events & activities to be announced!
For full venue & artist info see www.valefest.com

Happy Christmas ValeFest enthusiasts!

2008-12-21T17:46:00.007Z

With Christmas almost upon us the ValeFest blog is taking a seasonal break.
When we return we should, fingers crossed and with a following wind, have the entire Winterval schedule in place. Here's hoping.
Wishing all our readers and ValeFest enthusiasts a

VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and
a HAPPY, HEALTHY & MUSICAL 2009!

Happy holiday everyone!

Winterval Jazz Opener at The Atrium, Grantham

2008-12-16T23:55:00.020Z

COME TO WINTERVAL!

It's been decided; Winterval will be launched on
103 The Eye FM during the afternoon of
Sunday 25 January, with live music from the studio.
Followed by the opening event,

BLUE JAZZ at THE ATRIUM, Grantham
on Sunday 25 January 2009 from 7pm.
More details as soon as we have them!
TUNE IN & TURN OUT TO VALEFEST WINTERVAL!

Winterval New Orleans Jazz Parade & Hootenanny!

2008-12-10T21:57:00.005Z

The programme for Winterval is finally coming together. With Christmas and a long holiday around the corner, there's the need to tie down details before the festive season overwhelms us completely.

With everyone just as busy it's really hard to get hold of people so things take twice as long. Still, at last we're able to release Winterval's event finale details:

COME TO WINTERVAL!

The Vale of Belvoir’s own music festival!

The ValeFest music project’s first winter carnival, mayhem & music, takes place in the Vale of Belvoir, Melton Mowbray & Grantham

Sunday 25 – Saturday 31 January 2009

culminating in a

New Orleans Jazz Parade

& Winterval Hootenanny!

in Melton Mowbray on Saturday

31 January 2009

Free parade begins High Street, Melton at 2pm – all welcome!

Winterval Hootenanny,

Melton Theatre, 3pm, 31 January 2009

featuring Oriole New Orleans Jazz Band

in an afternoon of fun & family entertainment

Tickets £5 & £3 (concessions) Box Office Tel: 01664 851111

For full schedule of all events & venues see

Melton Times, Grantham Journal,

103 The Eye FM, Gravity FM

& www.valefest.com

TUNE IN & TURN OUT TO VALEFEST WINTERVAL!

Health Hydro donates cash to ValeFest

2008-12-04T22:08:00.001Z

Just back from collecting a cheque from local health hydro and thermal spa, Ragdale Hal l.
The lovely people at the Hall, in conjunction with The Melton Times, have this evening given away rather a lot of money to good causes around the Melton Mowbray area and I'm delighted to say that ValeFest was one of them.
Good to see Melton Borough Mayor, Mal Sheldon, was handing out the cheques; we saw him last at ValeFest's official launch at the East Midlands Food & Drink Festival, two months ago.
ValeFest has come a long way since then!
A hearty thanks to everyone at Ragdale for their Make it Happen community scheme and our assurance the cash will be put to very good use during Winterval.

Pro recording studio to the Vale? Here's hoping...

2008-11-30T20:45:00.013Z

While at the AFO conference last weekend I was much taken by a professional mobile recording studio that looks so cool youngsters (and maybe some oldies too) will just love it!
One of the purposes of the ValeFest initiative is to help up and coming artists and community groups and any group or singer who wants to get anywhere needs to record decent-sounding tracks, for MySpace or demo CD.
At the moment the DIY IT approach or traditional recording studio are the only alternatives.
So here's a fully-engineered, fully equipped option that provides experience of a professional studio, equipment and staff at a greatly reduced cost.
With a mobile unit in addition the studio can be taken almost anywhere, into villages, to schools, village halls, churches, youth clubs and supermarket car parks, so that as many young people as possible, from across all musical genres, can enjoy the benefits.
With this experience under their belts, performers will be much more confident about using traditional recording environments. Which has to be good news for everyone.
In addition the mobile studio looks so good I'm sure it'll attract amazing PR.
This is such an exciting opportunity to help young performers in our rural area, young people who might otherwise struggle to record their work and take their music to the next level, that I'm determined to find the funding to bring the unit to the Vale area, Melton & Grantham, during Winterva l.
This is exactly what ValeFest was created to achieve for our community and I'm optimistic the opportunity will be realised sooner rather than later.

Performers' Group, audiences & funding

2008-11-25T22:18:00.009Z

ValeFest's first Performers' Group meeting was held last evening. Very positive and encouraging it was too, with several members seeking to become more involved in the organisation.
As someone commented, " Anything that enhances the experience of performers has to be a good thing."
It's great that the performers are behind us but they're only one side of the triangle, we also have to give audiences a good experience so they'll keep coming back.
We know a fair bit about what the public wants from the several hundred questionnaires completed at the ValeFest launch event, so we've something on which to base our initial activities.
We won't get it completely right as people and circumstances change, but even so, based on our information ValeFest's plans for Winterval are beginning to come together.
We're hoping the week-long event will be a viable pilot for the Summer Festival, including some of the various activities we intend rolling out in the Spring and those we're featuring in the summer.
Hopefully we'll learn how to organise and manage associated risks, which should reduce the problems when the number of events increases over the longer summer season.
Funding all this activity is the third side of our triangle, and ValeFest is keen to deal with funding partners as honestly as possible in order to build credible and long-lasting relationships.
If we succeed then in the future we should spent less time searching for money and more time creating the activities and opportunities that we believe can benefit our community.

Great ideas at the AFO Conference

2008-11-23T10:11:00.021Z

Went along to the most amazing conference yesterday. Organised by FolkArts England the Association of Festival Organisers might have come out of the folk sector but now benefits just about anyone who aims to run a successful festival.
And joy of joys, not only was everyone friendly and encouraging, every session I sat in on was also highly informative and practical.
I made some great contacts and came away buzzing with ideas, and best of all ValeFest was awarded a bursary to go along!
My thanks to Steve Heap and everyone at FolkArts England: ValeFest can only benefit from such associations and opportunities.
I'm also grateful to Ray and Bev Langton, who I bumped into at the conference. Ray and Bev run festivals and events for children and in just a few minutes they were able to come up with a fun way for ValeFest to create fabulous visual and easily do-able art for our Winterval carnival festival theme.
Thanks guys - the kids will LOVE it and it'll look fantastic!
(If you want to know what it is Ray and Bev have suggested you'll have to keep on visiting cus I'm not telling yet!)

Grantham Journal supports WINTERVAL!

2008-11-20T21:18:00.021Z

A series of events for the community would be pointless if ValeFest was unable to reach the people those events were designed to attract.

That's why it's so exciting the Grantham Journal has joined the Melton Times and come on board to support and promote the ValeFest Winter Festival.

The two newspapers are the most widely read in the market towns and across the Vale of Belvoir.

With community radio station 103 The Eye FM and new Grantham-based Gravity FM also signed up, plus youth internet station Takeover Radio, ValeFest now has a real chance of reaching its target audiences, hence the possible tag line,

TUNE IN & TURN OUT FOR VALEFEST WINTERVAL!

Oh yes, I forgot - there's been another development; in order to differentiate the event from ValeFest's Summer season, Winterval is likely to become the new name for the Winter Festival.

ValeFest's Winterval is not to be confused with a similar name created by Birmingham City Council in 1997 to refer inclusively to all the City's Christmas /New Year celebrations.

A combination of winter and festival, the name was highly unpopular, publicly criticised for its political correctness by the then Bishop of Birmingham and others and dropped after just two seasons.

On the other hand ValeFest's Winter Festival occurs shortly before Lent, carnival season across the world. Since aspects of carnival are to feature in the Festival, combining winter and carnival serves to make Winterval an entirely appropriate and colourful name to brighten up the dark days of winter.

However it has yet to be tested publicly, so watch this space!

Strangely thrilling, truly alive

2008-11-17T23:18:00.009Z

I'm stuck in the place between excitement and fear; it's the place where we don't know what we feel.
That's how I am right now about the Winter Festival.
On the one hand I can see a week-long pilot in advance of the Summer Festival season is a fundamentally sound idea and if we have the budget, thoroughly sensible. Not only that, it could present all sorts of new opportunities for the area and the people here.
It could be wonderful.
On the other hand I'm fearful of the amount of work it will entail, of having to make decisions I've never made before, of inevitable mistakes and cock-ups that go along with new endeavours. And also maybe of looking a complete idiot - of failing publicly.
Has that concerned me before? I can't recall.
I do know I find new challenges and the risks they represent strangely thrilling. For me feeling that way means I'm truly alive.
Wooooh - a dark night of the soul!
In the past I've complained how, as my parents have grown older, they've rewritten family history to fit their version of events. It's only now occurring to me that maybe I do exactly the same; I really don't remember ever feeling like this but what's the betting I've experienced this uncertainty before every big new enterprise, and there have been a few of those over the years.
Is some memory painful, like pain itself, so that we have to replace it with something more acceptable?
Perhaps uncertainty is healthy, maybe it gives us perspective. It certainly presents a renewed opportunity to consider alternatives; underneath the fear / excitement I realise my mind is telling me, "Hang on a minute, is this a good idea? Here's a chance to think this through again."
It's an opportunity I must take.
What an incredible thing it is to be human. How amazing that we can create emotions and ideas without saying a word. No wonder man is the most creative entity in the universe.
And women just that little bit more so!

Melton Times supports Winter Festival

2008-11-13T22:24:00.006Z

Hooray! Melton Mowbray newspaper, The Melton Times, has agreed to support the ValeFest Winter Festival! Now we're cooking!

Funding applications & volunteers

2008-11-11T21:39:00.019Z

The delightful Sam Berry, Advisor to ValeFest and Melton Borough's Arts Development Officer, met with me today to begin the business of sorting out ValeFest's funding applications for 2009.
There are a huge number of funders out there so our task is to identify those whose aims most closely match our beneficiaries and planned activities.
Which also means deciding exactly what we intend to do - not that we can rely on the money even if the match appears to be a good one and our application is sound.
The time it takes to go through these documents is alarming - a single application downloaded last week ran to 56 pages. And that doesn't include the time the things take to complete, check, provide supporting evidence and the rest.
It's clear I'm going to need help putting these many and lengthy documents together so I've arranged to meet Joanna Burrows at Voluntary Action Melton with view to involving some volunteers in the ValeFest project.
Volunteers who can be relied upon, who quickly pick up what needs doing and enjoy a challenge can be wonderfully supportive and end up shaping a project's end result.
In the past I've found volunteers an absolute necessity; it's frequently impossible for a small management committee with limited funds to do everything that's required and when, as now, fellow committee members are unable to devote more time to a project, volunteers can be worth their weight in gold.
So fingers crossed Joanna will be able to help out.
Sam has left me with a huge pile of documents and a long to-do list so my real life is evidently going to have to be put on hold for a while longer yet.

Social enterprise CIC & Winter Festival go-ahead

2008-11-08T22:56:00.024Z

This past week the committee agreed two significant steps forward; to form ValeFest into a CIC or Community Interest Company and to go ahead with a Winter Festival.

Community Interest Companies are relatively new phenomena; created in 2005 they're designed for social enterprises, businesses that benefit the community and not run solely to make money. Which is exactly what ValeFest intends. Now there's just the matter of the paperwork...

All being well, ValeFest's Winter Festival will take place at the end of January, continuing the task of promoting local musicians and widening audiences for live music, this time through community radio and local newspapers.
Radio stations, 103 The Eye FM, covering MeltonMowbray and the Vale of Belvoir, and new community station, Grantham-based Gravity FM, are already on board.
Also signed up is children's radio & internet station, Takeover Radio, based in Leicester and drawing young presenters from across the East Midlands.
Now we have the newspapers to enthuse, a main venue to find, further radio stations to interest and with luck and a following wind Winter Festival details will be in place by the end of next week. Here's hoping.
To use a phrase used powerfully and to great effect earlier in the week: Can we do this? Yes, we can!

Performers help shape ValeFest's future

2008-11-03T14:01:00.017Z

Becky Stickland is a ValeFest supporter. She's also the regional development person for Making Music East Midlands and a fine singer-songwriter as she proved in performance at the ValeFest launch a month ago.
So when Becky comes up with an idea I know it's based on experience and the genuine desire to see the music project move forward, which is what happened when we met up a few days ago.
In support of the management committee, ValeFest has an informal group of Advisors on whom we can call for guidance.
We can't assume we know what's best for local musicians so I'd been adding performers to this Advisor group and was quietly pleased with myself for doing so.
Now Becky suggests we establish a separate performers group to enable the committee to better understand performer wants and needs and help shape future ValeFest activities.
Genius idea! Why didn't I think of that?!
Of course, our local musicians are mad keen to have a say in what goes on so it's no surprise that we already have 10 performers on board from across the ValeFest catchment area; representing all genres of music the group has agreed to meet every month or so and become an important part of the ValeFest committee's decision-making process.
The first meeting is in a couple of weeks. The agenda's far from ready but I'm guessing the proposed Winter Festival may well be one of the first subjects up for discussion.
I have no idea of the issues that could be flagged up so it's going to be interesting, thanks to Becky and her enthusiasm.

Considering a Winter Festival...

2008-10-28T17:04:00.009Z

I have three questions and a conundrum; the first question concerns the content of ValeFest's Summer Festival, the second concerns the timing and duration of the Summer Festival and the third is all about funding.
The conundrum is rather more pressing: should ValeFest hold a Winter Festival?
It's a long time until the summer and the ValeFest message could easily get lost, which would be a shame when so many people put so much into the launch.
So I've come up with a plan that would involve the Vale community and continue the promotion of local musical talent begun earlier this month.
Now all I have to do is sell the idea to a few key people and if they agree, convince the committee it's do-able. Not that simple.
(Teresa: "Could we create a winter logo? Maybe give the sheep a woolly hat?"
M: "Earmuffs and a scarf perhaps - it's already got a woolly hat."
Teresa: "I suppose it has!")

Singing the post-holiday funding blues, oh yeah

2008-10-23T20:15:00.007+01:00

It's possible I have post-holiday blues. I'm feeling very sorry for myself which is weird because although the computer has been giving me serious hassle everything else is A1 and OK.
Earlier in the week I went to meet the music officer at our regional Arts Council, a funding agency with significant credentials and an amazing yellow carpet. Throughout. But I digress.
I went there to talk about shaping ValeFest's future funding strategy but what I got was a great deal more - an experienced officer with practical, hands-on knowledge, who genuinely sought to understand the unique qualities and difficulties of the Vale area. In short she was WONDERFUL!
She also knew lots about music, cultural events and funding so I came out thoroughly informed.
The only down side, if one can call it that, is the awareness that the committee now needs to buck up and decide what events and activities ValeFest 2009 is going to deliver.
Such decision-making; such opportunities; such excitement!
ValeFest is all about promoting local musicians and widening audiences for live music but following my meeting I've realised it's also about community.
In fact making the people of the Vale central to our purpose gives ValeFest the freedom to do the things we really want to benefit the local area.
This goes deeper than simply providing musical outreach opportunities, important as these are to widen access and participation, but also includes assisting the local economy and maybe even demonstrating our green credentials.
My Arts Council visit has also reminded me that one of the committee's strengths is our proven ability to deliver, individually and collectively, so it makes sense to use those skills to provide the area with opportunities that aren't already available.
I can see I'm finally beginning to get my head around the question of how to focus our activities in a way that makes sense of local wants and needs and our ability and willingness to meet those needs directly and through partnership with others. Eureka!
Which is an appropriate moment for the computer to begin its death rattle.
More anon.

Aiming for long term sustainability

2008-10-20T23:02:00.003+01:00

It's now two weeks since we successfully launched ValeFest. I took last week off to catch up on sleep and today have just about worked my way through the email backlog.
Thanks to everyone who took the trouble to write in about the launch - your letters and emails are hugely appreciated.
If I haven't responded to your own query just yet, I promise to do so in the next couple of days.
I'd also like to thank all the people who completed questionnaires; for the first few years, until ValeFest is well established, the project will be largely dependent on funding and that funding is likely to rely on demonstrable evidence of need.
So many thanks for your help in putting the project on a sound financial footing.
Now our task is all about money and organisational process; boring, repetitive and absolutely essential if ValeFest is to fulfil our hopes and be sustainable in the long term.

After the event - ValeFest launch 4

2008-10-10T23:56:00.013+01:00

Almost a week since we launched the music project to the public, questionnaires are coming in and the phone is still ringing off the hook with enquiries.
Looking back, it really was the most incredible launch; the music project was brand new, completely unknown and yet we were given this amazing Food Festival platform with a huge established audience.
As well as 3 performance areas, we had a prime location for the ValeFest stand and were able to display our banners across the site.
Those 3 performance areas meant we showcased more than 40 acts and a wide diversity of fantastic talent, from powered bands of all genres to singer-songwriters, jazz ensembles, African drummers and classical guitarists.
It really was the most wonderful array of musicianship made all the more impressive by the fact that despite the frightful weather every one of our performers turned up.
Sure the near-flooded conditions created problems but goodwill ensured these were overcome.
One week on I've loaded many of the launch event images to Flickr and now intend taking a few days off.
In the meantime you're very welcome to leave your comments on the ValeFest Flickr site, on our MySpace page or on facebook - look for Vale of Belvoir Festival of Live Music facebook group and consider becoming a ValeFest MySpace or facebook friend.
Whatever your enquiry, I promise to get back to you very soon. For the moment though, I'm heading for a darkened room and a quiet lie down. Utter bliss.

Playing to the media - ValeFest launch 3

2008-10-08T21:35:00.009+01:00

When ValeFest was offered the chance to launch at the Food Festival we recognised it as a massive opportunity.
Primarily the Food Festival was an exciting platform to showcase local talent to a large, established audience.
But it was also an excellent means of launching the music project to the media and generating effective PR, getting the ValeFest message out to musicians, venues and the general public.
None of it could have happened without the encouragement and support of Matthew O'Callaghan, Chairman of the Melton Mowbray Food Partnership, Chairman of the Pork Pie Association (although vegetarian - go figure!), founder of the East Midlands Food & Drink Festival and County Councillor.
So it was only right that our launch pics should feature Matthew, seen above, with members of Remnant and Persiflage.
Thanks for helping to beat our drum, Matthew!

Biscuits & questionnaires - ValeFest launch 2

2008-10-07T10:41:00.025+01:00

After all the hard work that went into making the ValeFest 'Rock Cinners - biscuits to crepe your soul' cinnamon biscuits, complete with the ValeFest logo, the darned things didn't sell at all well.
Maybe at burger size they were too large or perhaps they needed to be a sweeter.
In the adverse conditions we were too busy to ask.
So on Sunday morning, with the rain pounding on the canvas and serious concerns about whether any of the performers would turn up, let alone be able to play, we decided to give away the biscuits in return for a completed questionnaire.
For the slightest chance of funding success we have to provide potential funders with evidence of demand and support for our music project. No evidence - no funding.
Our colleagues Andy Ofield and Jools from 103 The Eye FM had generously given up their weekend to help us with this simple questionnaire but after a day responses remained thin.
But the FREE word worked a treat, the biscuits disappeared and we had another couple of hundred completed documents! Yo! The biscuits were worth all the effort after all!
We need as many completed questionnaires as possible. Please click on the thumbnail image to download, complete and return the full-sized questionnaire.
Thank you!

And the band played on... ValeFest launch 1

2008-10-06T22:45:00.021+01:00

What can I tell you? TheValeFest launch was AMAZING!
We had some of the most fantastically talented musicians and singers appearing and although rain almost stopped play the band played on...! Well, almost all the bands played on, which was a miracle in the foul conditions.
(Sorry - couldn't resist the image of the band on the Titanic!)
Of course the icy cold (Saturday) and severe rainfall (Sunday) effected visitor numbers significantly but it was to the Food Festival organisers' credit the event continued at all.
True, the traffic, parking and offloading situation varied according to who one spoke to, but when rain was falling so heavily one couldn't see a car in front, such difficulties were understandable. And when the weather improved the problems were for the most part resolved.

The good news for ValeFest was that the Performance Marquee remained watertight. It couldn't be reached by vehicle and H&S ruled out manual carriage of amps in the heavy rain, but all bands other than the first were able to play, unexpectedly, later than scheduled and to small audiences but they played!
Sited under canvas but on grass, the semi-acoustic area, 'Eat to the Beat', was a different story.
Early Sunday morning this space was under several inches of water and the day's performance was immediately cancelled.
However the event organiser, Sheila Davenport, got together with her technical production team and their determination and goodwill meant most of the performers from this area eventually played in a space inside the main marquee.
When eventually the rain stopped, the crowds and all our musicians (you were truly incredible - thank you so much for turning out!) thronged once more and around mid afternoon the sun appeared so that H&S gave the all-clear for performers to relocate outside.

More used to being an event manager than a supplier to an event, it was good to be able to support others through some difficult decisions.
My own problem now is one of tiredness. Adrenalin kept me going over the weekend but I've needed time out since; although I previously specialised in delivering unusual and short notice events so knew what was needed and the time and effort the decision to launch ValeFest at the Food Festival would entail, I had forgotten how one has to focus on the delivery of the project almost to the exclusion of everything else and just how long long days can be.
I'm still terribly tired - when I found the car keys in the fridge today I realised just how deeply tired I remain.
So perhaps this is where I should break. Maybe tomorrow I'll tell you all about the GREAT artists who played for us over the weekend and the simply fantastic offers that have come in to ValeFest since.

Here's to the future!

2008-10-03T08:13:00.009+01:00

One day to go and the big event is upon us. Tomorrow is launch day and a massive landmark for the ValeFest project; a new beginning as the initiative is officially recognised.
It's been a tough few weeks as we've determined to deliver a great event in a ridiculously small timescale and even tighter budget.
This seems a good time to acknowledge the people who have supported ValeFest from the beginning; Teresa, of course, Cllr Matthew O'Callaghan (for offering us the incredible launch platform of the East Midlands Food Festival) Sheila and Viv, our Champions Nicholas Fogg and Clare Teal, Tony Rifugiato, Miranda Wilder, Paul Towns, Jane Hawksworth, Claire Kiernan, Paul Jones and so many others. Plus all the many musicians. It is true to say that without every one of you ValeFest wouldn't be launching tomorrow.
In our end is also our beginning (who said that?) and as we celebrate in style over the weekend I and everyone associated with this amazing project, which has so grasped the imagination, will be looking forward to the many activities which ValeFest hopes to realise in the future.
But enough pontificating! I still have papers to write, original ValeFest T-shirts and biscuits to collect (we're calling them Rock n' Roll Cinnas on account of the cinnamon and their weight!) and Saturday's media launch to prepare for!
If you're wondering what form the official launch could take you might consider some words from ValeFest's local radio ad;
"No-one's going to be playing the cello with a French loaf or the violin with a breadstick. Or shaking pork pies instead of maracas!"
Who said the official launch of a brilliant music project shouldn't be FUN?!
Bottoms up! Here's to you all!

Final running order - at last!

2008-09-30T23:57:00.011+01:00

ValeFest music project launch at the East Midlands Food & Drink Festival, 4 & 5 October 2008. Running order:

SATURDAY..........

Performance Marquee

10am Remnant

10.30 for 10.45am ValeFest media launch

11.45 The Truth

12. Fanny Power & the Mickey Money Boys

1.45 Project Notion

2.45 The Fuss

3.45 Kaox

4.45 The Hoo Haas

Eat to the Beat

10.30 When

11 Brynley Jones

11.30 Persiflage

12.15 Andy Stolland

12.45 Becky Stickland

1.30 Graham Tranfield Quintet

2.15 Alex Townsend

2.45 Nigel Truman

3.20 Paul Towns & John Chatfeild-Roberts Flanders & Swann

4 Steve Parker

4.30 Fanny Power & the Mickey Money Boys

SUNDAY..........

Performance Marquee

10.15 Ketlafish

11.15 Short Notice

12.15 The Willie Voltaires

1.15 Sonny Dios

2.15 Monkiejamm

3.15 Lux Mundi

4.15 Charlies Ant

Eat to the Beat

10 Ben Atkinson

10.40 The Locks

11.15 Jodi Haines

11.45 Oliver Gibson-Dale

12.15 Jazz Flavours

12.45 Chris Armson

1.15 Briony

1.50 John Coates

2.30 Joy & Stuart Bower

3.15 Daniel McColgan

3.45 Steve Faulkner

4.15 Special guests!

Community Performance

1.30 The Vale Choir

2 Sileby Slappers

2.30 The Vale Choir

3 Sileby Slappers

3.30 Teddy Fullick

There's nothing like good music

2008-09-28T23:08:00.012+01:00

We've almost completed the running order for the weekend. It's late, I realise, but we've had a lot on (understatement).
We've been mining a very rich seam and many of our performers are incredibly talented - Teresa and I have spent our days working to the background sounds of MySpace recordings. Some are genuinely wonderful.
We're very lucky, as are the Food Festival visitors who will get to see and hear these terrific performers this coming weekend. And I'm going to enjoy what we've put together as much as anyone.
We're now at the point when we know it's all going to happen; we know what we have to do between now and the event, we know it's too late to do anything other than what we've set ourselves, we know what we've set in motion will have a life of its own. Which is just the slightest bit scary but also hugely exciting.
What can I tell you? Successfully creating something like this, something that responds to a need, grabs the imagination, inspires creativity and brings people together has to be one of the best feelings in the world.
Jules Verne maintained, "Anything one man can imagine, other men can make real", or as my friend Warren says, "There's nothing like good music".

Biscuits, anyone?

2008-09-26T08:08:00.009+01:00

A few weeks ago I had another daft idea; I wondered if we could make our own biscuits for ValeFest's Food Festival launch.
Thanks to Claire Kiernan we have this great, fun logo that if adapted could lend itself perfectly.
So in search of someone to make a prototype biscuit cutter or stamp I called Paul Jones of Soy Foods in Melton Mowbray. Paul is a green disciple and master networker; I figured if anyone knew where such an idea might be realised it would be Paul.
Totally unexpectedly (I hadn't thought his business could make anything other than bread), Paul offered to make the sample biscuits for us!
He also provided a number of contacts who might make a prototype stamp or cutter. But the image had to be greatly simplified.
So Jane Hawksworth, developing our soon to be revealed website, and Claire (the girl's a gem!) created a much reduced black & white image.
With that in hand I spent days scouring the internet and local contacts but couldn't find anyone able to make the necessary piece of kit.
Then Paul, on his way to talk with a carpenter he thought might be persuaded, bumped into a business neighbour, happened to mention what he was doing for us, and the neighbour offered to make a sample stamp. Just like that.
Seems the company, PSR Industrial, produces catering moulds among other things. Hooray! It's wonderful so many people love the ValeFest idea.
With any luck we could have the stamp in time to run off a few hundred biscuits to sell at the Food Festival.
Selling them will bring in a little money, which the project now badly needs, and if children like the biscuits maybe we could have the biscuit stamp properly manufactured, encourage children to make ValeFest biscuits at home, sell them, and the proceeds could help their schools to take part in ValeFest activities during 2009.
Well, that's the theory.
Sometime next week I have to go and help Paul test his ValeFest recipe and the stamp, if it has arrived. After that there's just the matter of making a few hundred yummy biscuits (made with locally-grown oats, of course) which will be for sale on our stand at the Food Festival.
If they taste good I only hope I have enough willpower to resist them.
If anyone would like to come and help make ValeFest's biscuits in Melton next Thursday evening, 2 October, please give me a call on the ValeFest number. First come, first served - pun intended.

Go Teresa!

2008-09-23T10:13:00.010+01:00

10 or so days until the big ValeFest launch and things are beginning to go just the slightest bit crazy.
Too many early mornings and even more very late nights are creating a degree of tiredness so that I'm in danger of loosing my sense of humour and may be getting things out of perspective.
Wooooooooaaaaaaaaa!! Life and this project are meant to be about having fun, so can't let that happen.
Once Teresa and I have notified all the successful acts later this evening I'm taking a day off - the first in several weeks and probably the last before the launch on 4/5 October.

The thing you, ValeFest fan, have to remember, is that ValeFest was meant to be launched next Spring, to promote the first, ValeFest 2009, summer season.
Then we were presented with the amazing opportunity to launch at the East Midlands Food & Drink Festival, with its captive audience of 20,000+ visitors.
Here was the chance to promote local musicianship and bring live music to a wider audience - exactly what we wanted for the music project. It was an opportunity we felt we couldn't refuse.
So the work of almost a year became condensed into a few weeks. Hence my unironed appearance and hattered mental state!

It's at times like this, when nerves are frayed and tempers uneven, that I'm especially grateful for the people around me, for their advice, their enthusiasm and their commitment to the project.
OK, you may say that these people are in place because they were chosen for their knowledge, maybe for their passion, based on their past experience and achievements. And that's true.
But until the going gets tough you don't know how those people are going to react, whether they'll pull together, rise to the challenge and make the project their own. You can only hope.
So it's been a delight to find in Sheila Davenport a steadfast support, belief in the scheme and a practical problem-solver par excellence, in Viv Rolfe a great fund of ideas and breadth of perspective (coupled with amazing musical ability!) and one of our Champions, Nick Fogg, at the end of the phone, always encouraging, hinting at ways to do things better.
But the real discovery has been Teresa, who under the pressure of the past few weeks has struggled to find a role and has now proved herself to be a great ally to our musical talent. Go Teresa!

40 acts in 3 performance areas!

2008-09-21T10:46:00.027+01:00

Well, we're almost there. Two weeks to go until we launch the ValeFest initiative at a seriously major event, one of the biggest in the region, the East Midlands Food & Drink Festival, on 4/5 October.
This is a great showcase opportunity for performers and our marketing and contact network has worked superbly so that almost 60 acts have approached us over the past 3 weeks.
The standard of performance has been remarkable and surprised us all, so that we're intending to showcase around 40 of those acts in a fortnight's time.
To achieve it we've negotiated for 3 performance areas; a powered stage for bands, a semi-acoustic area for singer-songwriters and more intimate performance, and a bandstand for choirs, jazz bands and other acoustic acts.
And we have to deliver all this at a level that does justice to the high standards of the Food Festival.

For the past 3 weeks we've worked to ensure an effective launch for the ValeFest music project and the best possible experience for all the artists taking part and the members of the public coming to see them
The end is now in sight; our draft running order is with our technical director. Once the final list has been verified by the Food Festival organiser it's our intention to confirm with artists on Tuesday. Full details will be made available by Friday.
There will be disappointments, we realise. All performers cannot be accommodated. Aside from anything else this particular event is unsuited to music which would be likely to overwhelm the primary purpose of the Festival.
We also want ValeFest to represent and promote the widest possible range of musical talent and musicianship and to demonstrate this at the launch. So there won't be room for some of the large number of powered rock and pop bands that would like to take part.
However, ValeFest is planning a raft of activities and events over coming months and we hope these performers will come along to the launch, see that ValeFest means business, and stay in touch.
It's going to be a wonderful ride with some great opportunities!

No such thing as never

2008-09-18T23:36:00.009+01:00

When I closed my event management consultancy earlier this year I celebrated with the certain knowledge that after 20 years in the business I'd never have to organise a major event ever again.

This is it.

Mel-Tone sponsors Festival drum kit

2008-09-15T23:57:00.013+01:00

The ValeFest launch at the East Midlands Food & Drink Festival at Brooksby Hall near Melton Mowbray on 4/5 October is so much more than just a gig - it's a genuine showcase opportunity for musicians and singers from across the area; a chance to perform to more than 20,000 people and an excellent promotional platform.
Hopefully the event will also be a lot of fun for those taking part but for Teresa and I and for all the people involved in the organisation, it'll be the first public outing for our project, the first time we'll tell others about our intention to develop musical talent across the Vale of Belvoir.
Naturally we want as many varied, quality acts as possible to be seen performing at the Festival, which is why we're negotiating for a second and possibly a third performance area; we want everyone to know ValeFest means business from the outset.
We've made some practical decisions too; among other things, to speed set-up and breakdown, we're using a permanent drum kit on the stage in the main performance area (drummers please bring your own snare drum and cymbals).
We wouldn't be able to do this, to feature nearly as many performers, if not for the belief that certain people have shown in this project.
One of those is Tony Rifugiato of Mel-Tone Music Centre in Melton Mowbray. Encouraging since we first came up with the idea, Tony is demonstrating his belief in the music project by kindly loaning us a quality drum kit for the launch weekend. Thank you Tony, we're indebted to you.

Ray Charles, Dr Who & ValeFest

2008-09-13T18:41:00.012+01:00

The wonderful thing about being on the radio is having an open mic through which to publicise all the various interests and activities that grab my attention.
Dr Who, Ugly Betty and BBC iPlayer get a lot of mentions, as do Jason Isaacs (Luscious Malfoy!) and Philip Glenister, for reasons many women will agree, are obvious.
Then there's having the opportunity to play all the music I adore, beginning with my hero, Ray Charles.
It's no secret that I'm a big jazz fan but I adore other stuff too, from gospel and blues to opera and country and western.
Music brings such joy into people's lives yet so many leave music behind with their youth when age and responsibilities, bank statements and utility bills replace Saturday nights at the local live music venue.
Now ValeFest can reverse that trend, rebuild audiences for live music and provide showcase opportunities for local musicians; this is really happening.
Having the freedom to broadcast about a project that's so important to me is something I hope I never take for granted, irrespective of the small number of men and their dogs who may be listening.

Tempest fugits

2008-09-10T23:42:00.006+01:00

Tempest seldom fugits as rapidly as it's done over the past few days. Early mornings, late nights, little sleep and only occasional meals and it's still three weeks to the big event!
Our ads in the village magazines have brought in excellent results, as have our friends and contacts, so much so that our list of performers has gone from 15 to almost 40 in ten days.
There is clearly a very rich seam of musical talent in the Vale of Belvoir! - and none of these people are even being paid.

Today I dragged myself away from the phone and the computer for our first meeting with the Food Festival organiser and her technical producer.
This is the only the 5th East Midlands Food & Drink Festival and with 200 stalls and more than 20,000 visitors expected the event justifiably rivals the BBC Good Food Show for quality and size.
It is to Sheila's credit that the Festival has developed so quickly and goes to show what can be achieved by a competent and well supported event organiser.
I'm looking forward to seeing the site in about a week, when the acres of tentage will be in place, at which point Sheila will decide exactly where the performance areas are to be located.
Until the details are tied down everything remains flexible. Except the fact that it's all happening in three weeks! So little time and still SO MUCH STILL TO DO!!

Feast or famine

2008-09-06T22:31:00.026+01:00

There hasn't been time to do very much more than distribute posters and respond to phone enquiries this past week. SO busy!
The local village magazines are just being delivered and with ValeFest details featured groups and bands are still getting in touch - both electric and acoustic, which is terrific since we have facilities available for both to play at the Food Festival.

Teresa and I have gone from being concerned that not enough musicians and singers would come forward, to Oh my God! We've got loads of performers and they're all excellent! Now what?!
In fact the very nature of the Food event, with lots of stands and cookery demonstration theatres nearby, realistically limits the types of music we're able to feature in order to add to the event and visitor enjoyment and not detract from it.
It's also true that the credibility of the ValeFest music project will be judged not on the best performances of the weekend but by the worst. Public opinion was ever fickle.
So we're already considering holding another show in a couple of months to feature those groups and bands who for whatever reason aren't able to perform at Brooksby Hall.
It's just wonderful that musicians want to be involved and are as excited by the ValeFest project as the management team. If everything goes to plan on 4/5 October then as well as creating future business for our performers, ValeFest should also make a good number of new friends.

Musicians endorse showcase opportunity

2008-09-03T21:42:00.017+01:00

Oh my word, it's been a busy few days.
We've been out distributing posters, mailing the same to supporters and well-wishers all over the area and so far (and I could be slightly out on this figure as some performers haven't definitely confirmed) we have around 15 bands, groups and others already on board for 4/5 October.
And we only got the posters late on Friday!
But that's not the half of it - Teresa and I feared we might end up with lots of rock bands but musicians from all musical genres and levels of experience are recognising the East Midlands Food Festival performance opportunity for the excellent showcase it is.
No choirs have come forward as yet but we hope that will change.
Another interesting development arose when a supporter asked to advertise on our website. And it isn't even up yet!
We're also building project awareness through the Food Festiva l website. Festival organiser, Sheila Davenport, suggested featuring the ValeFest logo on the front page. This now has a click-through to a page about the music project; another brilliant opportunity ValeFest has been offered.

That's what's proving to be so wonderful about this project, the enthusiasm. Thank goodness for the support of musicians who just love to play and music-lovers who love to be around them when they do.

Please distribute posters around the Vale

2008-08-31T11:51:00.006+01:00

Great excitement here! The ValeFest posters calling for musicians and choirs to perform at the East Midlands Food Festival on 4/5 October have arrived and look fabulous: A4, full colour and good quality.
Yesterday I spent a fun few hours distributing them around Melton Mowbray, with 100% success! It seems everyone knows someone who sings or plays and 'might be interested' in such a brilliant showcase opportunity. Not only that but our first bands have already been in contact! Yo! Success!
If you live or work in the Vale villages, Grantham, Melton, Rutland or the area beyond, please help the ValeFest music project by distributing posters in your immediate area. Let us know how many you'd like and which area/s you can cover and we'll post or deliver them by return.
Call us at ValeFest on Tel: 0845 053 5348. And thank you!

Calling musicians across all music genres!

2008-08-29T18:46:00.035+01:00

Calling musicians and choirs, soloists, groups and bands across all music genres; come and play with us!
To help launch the ValeFest music project and perform to 20,000+ people at the East Midlands Food & Drink Festival, Brooksby, near Melton Mowbray, on 4/5 October, we need your enthusiasm and your musical passion whether your taste is for classical, blues, rock, jazz, reggae, folk, gospel, latin, swing or ska!
This is a wonderful showcase opportunity so swop your hairbrush and air guitar for the real thing and join ValeFest at Brooksby.
Call ValeFest now on Tel: 0845 053 5348 or download a poster by clicking on the image above.

ValeFest big star CHAMPIONS!

2008-08-27T20:08:00.013+01:00

Our BIG news of this week is that Clare Teal, much awarded and highly respected jazz singer, composer and all-round nice person, has agreed to become a ValeFest CHAMPION.
As a regular festival performer and touring singer, Clare is ideally placed to become an expert advisor to the ValeFest music project, particularly when it comes to our dealings with professional musicians and the music industry.

We are also honoured to announce ValeFest's second CHAMPION, Nicholas Fogg. Nick is another outstanding addition to the ValeFest support team, being founder and organiser of Marlborough Jazz Festival.

The Marlborough festival, now in its 22nd year and regarded as the UK's most popular jazz festival, brings 12,000 visitors to 24 venues over one weekend each summer.
Nick's in-depth knowledge of festival strategy and practical know-how will be of immense value and we are indebted to both Nick and to Clare for their support and belief in our new ValeFest music project. Our thanks to both of them.

We hope to add a classical musician and a prominent member of the arts to our advisor CHAMPIONS in the near future, creating a strong base of expert knowledge on which to draw as we move towards ValeFest 2009.

The value of ValeFest's live music calendar

2008-08-26T11:27:00.015+01:00

This past weekend it's been brought home to me just how valuable a single calendar of live music could be for the Vale area.
Several music events took place over the bank holiday and from what I understand many of them could have been better attended.
Aside from anything else had I known I'd have liked to see some new performers and maybe sign them up for the ValeFest launch at the East Midlands Food Festival on 4/5 October.
The Food Festival expects 20,000+ visitors so appearing there has to be good promotion.
The problem of low attendance arises because the Vale of Belvoir crosses county boundaries, the area to the south receiving newspapers from Melton Mowbray, the north-east from Grantham, the west from Loughborough and the north and north-west from Nottingham.
Many of the events couldn't afford to advertise via popular radio which also has too wide a reach and local community radio, including 103 The Eye FM in Melton with which I'm involved, broadcasts so locally and to such limited audiences that its impact is minimal.
So an online ValeFest calendar of events, with a printed promotion during the ValeFest season, would provide a valuable single resource for venues, bands and music lovers alike, publicising events well in advance, flagging up the possibility of similar events in the same area at the same time, providing an online promotion for the events themselves together with valuable links to venues and the performers taking part.
The more I learn about the potential for live music the more I come to believe in the all-round value of the ValeFest project for the Vale of Belvoir area.

Appearing soon! ValeFest promo starts local

2008-08-22T12:59:00.015+01:00

Like so many country areas the Vale of Belvoir is blessed with a plethora of informative village magazines.
To reach as many bands and musicians in the area as we can, ValeFest is establishing relationships with three of the larger and more widely distributed publications; Melton Messenger, covering Melton Mowbray and surrounding area; Village Link, with distribution in the villages around Grantham and Rutland; and Open Spaces, covering the Vale's Nottinghamshire villages.
As ValeFest is not for profit all three mags have agreed to feature the promotion without charge.
For which our grateful thanks!

The bells, the bells

2008-08-20T17:24:00.006+01:00

Following up an idea by a member of ValeFest's advisory group, we're pursuing the notion of a bell-ringing festival to bring all the Vale churches and villages together.
I haven't worked out just how many village churches there are in the Vale of Belvoir, maybe 30 or so across the three counties excluding Grantham and Melton, but it seems the church bells have never been rung together on the same day - not even at the Millennium.
There can't possibly be enough bell ringers in the Vale alone but a group of travelling ringers live in the area and perhaps they might also think it a good idea...
So yesterday I went to chat over the scheme with one of the Vale vicars who was wholly (holy?) enthusiastic. And of course the churches would make wonderful venues for other events too.

ValeFest launch grows closer

2008-08-16T09:51:00.008+01:00

Deciding to launch ValeFest at the East Midlands Food & Drink Festival at Brooksby Hall near Melton Mowbray on 4/5 October seemed a brilliant opportunity when it was first offered.
Too good to miss we thought.
Now, just a few weeks on, with PR coverage in local magazines and ads out for musicians and bands to take part it's maybe not the great idea it once appeared.
We've just a few weeks to bring untried performers into the new and unproven scheme and very little time to get project details agreed, our website up and running, graphics and artwork ordered, and all the other details in place in time to promote ValeFest at Brooksby Hall.
On the plus side everyone we speak to about the project is positive about what we're trying to do and the members of our now growing committee and advisory group continue to be supportive and helpful.
And I have one piece of amazing news which has lifted my spirits and will add substantially to the credibility of the project - information I can't yet reveal. But it's fabulous!
Despite my concerns of the past couple of weeks such successes convince me we're going about things in the right way and keeps enthusiasm going for what I still believe could ultimately become a benchmark project for the community of the Vale.
Here's hoping!

Support & the credit squeeze

2008-08-12T19:39:00.007+01:00

Over the past few days we been making huge progress. Teresa and I have been to see people who we believe can help us realise the ValeFest scheme and we've been delighted by their enthusiasm and wish to become involved.
Of all the projects with which I've been associated none have generated this degree of support, which is proving to be a double edged sword; we now have lots of people encouraging us to move forward but the pressure to deliver and keep those people on board is making more work for us over a short time period - the same time period within which we must plan, budget and put our proposals together for sponsorship and funding applications.
Somehow we must find a way through those competing demands and long hours while balancing other priorities and our real lives.
Still, anything worth having is worth working for and only singlemindedness will make ValeFest the success we now know it can be. Our new supporters include musicians and business people and are all encouraging us to move forward and remain focused.
Working in partnership with others for the good of the entire community is proving to be a most positive driving force.
Of course in the end it all comes down to money and whether we're able to raise the funds to hold the events and schemes which will in turn mean profits at the box office.
There's a credit squeeze going on and when belts are tightened training and events are historically the areas of business expenditure most likely to be cut back.
Irrespective of the belief our supporters have in the project, can we persuade potential funders and sponsors that their marketing £s will be well spent with ValeFest? We'll need to put together a stunningly good case before we can put that to the test.

The Vale of Belvoir

2008-08-07T14:09:00.015+01:00

The Vale of Belvoir is situated at the heart of England's East Midlands, straddling the counties of Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.
The area is bordered by the A52 Nottingham to Grantham road to the north, the A607 between Grantham and Melton Mowbray to the east and the A606 and A46 Leicester to Nottingham road to the west.
Belvoir Castle, home of the Dukes of Rutland, is located between the A607 and A52.
Within easy reach of Nottingham, Leicester and London (East Midlands Airport is 40 minutes from the heart of the Vale and London King's Cross a frequent 70min rail hop from Grantham) the Vale of Belvoir's rural remoteness means it will fortunately never become a mass tourism destination. Yet the area is as beautiful as any found in the UK.
To enjoy the Vale's stunning countryside, cosy villages and award-winning hostelries, not to mention its up and coming music festival (!), the area has plenty of small hotels and B&Bs.

Ownership & applications

2008-08-06T23:20:00.010+01:00

It's been busy for Teresa and I over the past week. We want ValeFest to be a community project and that means getting people on board.
Talking on the phone is fine but to build confidence and ownership and to convince others their views are welcome and will be taken seriously we have to see them face to face. Which takes time.
We also need to convince ourselves and future funders and sponsors that there's a desire for the types of event we're planning. So I believe we've also decided we're going to have to conduct local research. Perhaps we can find some students to lend a hand...
A bigger difficulty that's become apparent is that applications for funding for 2009 have to be ready soon - possibly as soon as the end of this month. So if the organisation we're putting together is anything other than a private company, and at this stage we're leaning towards not for profit, then we're going to have to get our ideas and a committee or board together pretty quickly.
And funding applications are no easy exercise - some documents are many pages in length and take an age to complete, even those for a few hundred £s.
Eight people have already agreed to become members of our informal advisory group and their expertise and guidance on an occasional basis will be very useful.
Unfortunately we haven't as yet attracted anyone with experience of making funding applications and right now we could certainly do with someone who fits that description!
Specialists notwithstanding, to complete those applications and stand any chance of being successful we're going to need the names of committee members plus a great deal more information about the nature of the project than is currently available.
But every day something interesting comes up; someone presents us with an idea we hadn't previously thought of, a way of doing something or a venue or a person we wouldn't have thought of approaching.
It's a joyous thing when all the people you talk to about an initiative that's untried and brand new immediately see the gain for the community and the opportunities that could be brought about. ValeFest is proving to be the most exciting project!

Increasing benefits via a 'season' of events

2008-08-01T13:55:00.016+01:00

Was asked today whether it wouldn't be more sensible to organise the music festival to take place over a single weekend.
It would undoubtedly be easier for Teresa and I and all the volunteers we'll need as we'd have all our energies focused on a single date, but few others would benefit.
The sleepy Vale of Belvoir has no big hotels or main roads, local villages are beautiful but small and the towns round about are full of interest but hardly major shopping centres.
If local musicians, local venues and the local economy are all to benefit from ValeFest it makes sense to consider where visitors will stay, how they're going to get around, where they'll park, their impact on shops, businesses and on the resident population.
So delivering events over a longer time period will arguably provide wider opportunities and greater benefits as well as minimising problems for police, highways and local councils.
What we now have to do is to decide on our 'season'.
To do that we need to find out what's already planned and confirm how our project is likely to impact on other events as well as the broader community.

Making progress

2008-07-30T21:05:00.006+01:00

Teresa is back from holiday and back up to speed despite all her other activities.
We're determined to make ValeFest a success even though neither she nor I really know the full shape of the project as yet.
We don't know the season dates or even the nature of the organisation.
It's easy to become impatient in such circumstances so we're following the old maxim to 'go as far as you can and from there you can see further'.
With this in mind we've been making appointments to see various experts over the next couple of weeks. Hopefully the information we glean from them will assist our decision-making.

ValeFest Objectives - 7.08

2008-07-27T08:14:00.004+01:00

Overall aim: to celebrate music & musicianship in the Vale of Belvoir across a specified summer season annually from 2009

Goals:
1. Increase the number of live music events and the opportunities for musicians
2. Improve entertainment opportunities across the Vale of Belvoir for the people of the area & beyond
3. Introduce visitors to the area to benefit tourism and the local economy
4. Provide opportunities for young and amateur players to meet and work alongside professional musicians

Method:
1. Create a sponsored umbrella promotion in order to:
2. Encompass and enhance the music events currently offered in the area over the time period
3. Encourage pubs, hotels, local organisations & more unusual venues to put on music / related events to bring live music to wider audiences
4. Establish new events including a weekend festival and Melton / Grantham based concerts

The ValeFest logo

2008-07-25T20:48:00.006+01:00

The ability to accurately interpret a design brief is not easy. So BIG THANKS to Claire Kiernan of Cartoon Arts for our wonderful ValeFest logo - it can be used across many different applications and is better than we could ever have hoped for.
When we presented Claire with our 'sheep with guitar' brief we had no idea she'd produce an individual with so much personality!
Thank you so much, Claire - you're so talented and we're very grateful.

A launch at the Food Festival?

2008-07-20T09:33:00.004+01:00

As well as getting in contact with and picking the brains of all types of local expert, I've been to see the organiser of the big annual East Midlands Food & Drink Festival, where Cllr Matthew O'Callaghan suggested we might launch the ValeFest music project.
Sheila Davenport thankfully loves the idea of musicians performing over the two days of the event, 4-5 October, but there remain a few details to iron out. Once that's done we may very well have a definite project launch date.

ValeFest

2008-07-12T20:23:00.001+01:00

We have a name! - in fact we have two names, and they and the basic logo were approved before Teresa went on holiday. Hooray! Another step forward.
52 possible titles were put forward from all sources. Teresa and I then considered which would work best with all our audiences and in different formats.
For credibility, for funders and some sponsors we've decided on the more formal Vale of Belvoir Festival of Live Music 2009. For everyone else, for the weekend festival and eventually for the website, we'll simply use ValeFest.
We're getting there!

High days and holidays

2008-07-09T01:12:00.005+01:00

The objectives are coming along well but the project still doesn't have a name or an identity.
Teresa and I have been gathering suggestions (including some very good and very funny ones from our radio colleague and independent producer, Peter Butler) and sending out enquiry emails.
We've also been to look at a potential weekend festival location.
On the project identity side of things we're hoping to tie down a title and a logo design before Teresa heads off on holiday. Thankfully we've found the right person to deliver the fun, memorable image we're looking for.
Our designer, Claire Kiernan, is an animator by training who now produces cute animal characters. We're asking her to come up with something that can be developed into a recognisable identity that works across all the various platforms of the project. Here's hoping!

Clare Teal

2008-07-02T19:31:00.010+01:00

There are not enough good things that can be said about Clare Teal; wonderful jazz vocalist, winner of a British Jazz Award and a BBC Jazz Award, amazing songwriter, brilliant performer, highly amusing personality and thoroughly nice person.
In my opinion she's one of the UK's musical greats PLUS she's released one of the finest jazz CDs of all time, Paradisi Carousel.
Why am I gushing? Because I saw Clare in concert in Stamford last week, and she was simply wonderful - one of the best voices I've ever heard and one of the funniest women, which given that she admitted being in considerable pain from an arm injury, was pretty fantastic.
But that isn't all. Not only has Clare (she seems far too easygoing and approachable to use her surname) given me an interview for my radio show she's also agreed in principle, if we can arrange workable dates and budgets, to perform at the music project's inaugural concert!
Now we simply HAVE to get the thing organised!

Jazz at The Plough, Stathern

2008-06-24T00:32:00.012+01:00

This week I talked to my chum Teresa about my ideas, which had come together since Party in the Park.

We were at the final event of Stathern's week-long Festival, a jazz night at The Plough. If evidence were needed of musical accomplishment in the area it was provided that night by the exciting jazz piano of Henry Dearden and his band, Pork Scratchins, as well as Viv Rolfe from Belvoir Academy in jazz mode with the excellent Rolfe Harriss Trio and Graham Tranfield & Friends.

Teresa's a whiz at local fundraising events and with my 20-odd years as a professional events manager with The Event Makers, couldn't we put some sort of music project together to benefit local musicians and local venues?

It had been a much enjoyed quality night out so when it came to presenting the BIG IDEA, Teresa didn't need much persuasion! She's a game girl!

A political perspective

2008-06-20T21:34:00.009+01:00

The Vale of Belvoir is located snuggly in three Counties, Melton Borough in Leicestershire, Rushcliffe in Nottinghamshire and a corner in South Kesteven for Lincolnshire.
Sometimes living in an area where everyone has different phone codes and postal towns (and limited mobile phone coverage - but don't get me started on that issue!) is a pain but on this occasion and for this project it's going to be a boon - if it comes off three areas stand to benefit and so, in theory at least, all three areas should be supportive.
Yesterday I called to see Matthew O'Callaghan, a Melton Borough and Leicestershire County Councillor, for a political and strategic overview of a possible music project based in the Vale of Belvoir.
Matthew wears several hats being Chairman and founder of the popular East Midlands Food & Drink Festival and Chairman of the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association (unusually for a vegetarian!) He is therefore well aware of local priorities and attitudes to new initiatives.
Thankfully Matthew immediately saw the benefits and suggested launching the project at the Food Festival in October.
Enthusiasm feels so good - even when the project has only the vaguest outline and no name!

Party in the Park at Stathern Festival

2008-06-18T22:32:00.006+01:00

The musicians from Belvoir Academy were so good that I decided to go along to a couple of their gigs and hear them in a concert setting.
My music-mad friend Teresa, who among other things does traffic reports for the radio station, was planning a family day out at the annual Stathern Festival Party in the Park. So I tagged along.
To my surprise there were three or four terrifically entertaining acts, plus the amazing Belvoir Academy, who had a young audience up and dancing in large numbers.
Talking to the musicians afterwards I noted band members' disappointment that they weren't more opportunities to play in and around the Vale of Belvoir.
There was a need and I had an idea; might I be able to put something together to help local musicians play more often and local venues to bring in crowds? Might live music attract tourists into the area and also provide a boost for the local economy?

The smallest glimpse of an idea

2008-05-30T20:34:00.005+01:00

Ideas don't always happen when you want or when you expect but if they're good ideas they stick. That's what happened with this one.
I was presenting a show on the local radio station, 103 The Eye, not my usual weekly Sunday show but a programme for a colleague doing an outside broadcast.
The show was to feature some musicians from local band, Belvoir Academy, playing live in the studio, in fact it was going to be entirely their show which they'd won in a promises auction.
Thing was, they were good. I mean really good. And it got me thinking.