Contents
Introduction
Festival Visitor Consultation. (page 2)
Stall holder, Artists and Activity leaders (Contributors) feedback. (page 7)
Town centre and 'Passerby' consultation. (page 10)
Introduction
This project had two primary aims: To invite feedback of the visitors and contributors to the festival which can
help the festival to evolve in the future & To stimulate a culture of consultation and feedback as part of the
festival experience.
In order to meet the aims various methods were used: 100 people were interviewed with a traditional 'clipboard'
questionnaire. This group included visitors to the festival interviewed at the various festival locations (70) and a
number of people (30) in the immediate vacinity of the festival who were either on-route to or from the festival
locations or who had no intention of visiting the festival, ie. ‘passersby’.
Many, but not all, of the contributing Artists , Activity Leaders and Stall-holders were encouraged to give
feedback through face to face discussion, feedback sheet and email contact in the week after the festival.
A video project was completed which involved invited festival visitors to interview each other, asking questions
intended to generate feedback of the festival and to encourage an ongoing culture of ownership and feedback of
the festival in the community. The video was designed as an 'event' at the festival that both encouraged
spectators to engage in the 'clipboard' interviews and to 'send signals' that part of the festival experience is
sharing your own thoughts & impressions of the festival with others; making 'every one a contributor'.
The findings/video project are intended to be published online in order to continue the consultation culture of
the festival.
The findings of the various interviews produce some information/opinion that could be very readily fedback into
the festival organisation and planning for the future. Further, through interpretation now or through further
investigation in the future there are also some interesting, perhaps revelatory findings that could benefit the
wider Radstock community in the future.
Radstock 75%
Midsomer Norton 12%
Timsbury 4%
Chilcompton 4%
Bath 2%
Writhlington 4%
Other comments...
"to join scouts"
"Radstock needs a drama group"
"made me think"
Q. Have you got / picked up any contact information for the things you have seen today?
Other comments...
"more information about the groups is needed”
Newspapers 36%
Friends 21%
Flyers/posters 27%
School 12%
Free newspapers 4%
Other comments...
"It is Improving"
Q. What types of creative or arts activities do you take part in through the year?
Other comments...
Drama in Midsomer Norton
The Radstock Action Group
"Seen things going on like the arts project at the top of the hill"
This consultation process was initiated at the beginning of the festival by a simple sheet being given out.
Contributors were asked to give feedback on their individual experience of the festival by using a simple PLUS,
MINUS & INTERESTING system. That is, by listing their experiences as either one which they felt was a
positive(+)experience or a negative (-) experience or an interesting experience (?), that is an observation which
they felt was important but with no immediate context to quantify it.
The sheet had space for the contributors to write down their thoughts throughout the afternoon; when they had
time.
Contributors were encouraged to be as vague or individual a perspective as they wished, no comment being more
or less important to the feedback process.
The feedback sheets were collected in at the close of the festival and arrangements were made to contact the
contributors again via email for a follow-up.
Whilst many of contributors were approached not all responded either to the sheet or to later email contact. It is
felt that a fair cross section of contributors were found perhaps with the exception of a food vendor, participating
school group and one of the fair ride owners. A teacher from one of the contributing school groups was
interviewed as part of the People to People Video Relay.
PLUS experiences
A””
lots of different activities
B””
met new people
made some positive new connections
C””
had a good day
met new people
discovered the variety of skills in the community
made some positive new connections
better than expected
D””
met potential new members and a new leader
E””
met new people
made important connections with her new Parish
F””
Very good atmosphere, the weather really helped.
Good that children were centre of activity so that grandparents & parents could relax.
G””
It's good that the workshops are free.
H””
Pass on my congratulations to the organisors.
MINUS experiences
A””
Things are spread out too far
B””
Not discovered anything new about the community
Has not informed own practice
Too busy working to see anything
Would like to see something for adults
I””
Uncertainty waiting for public to show up.
D””
The design of the flyer is very unclear and not striking.
H””
Some peoaple were not sure where the green field was
Leaflets could be better dispensed at the festival or possibly better signage.
Could stall holders have a drink brought round to them becasue they are normally too busy to leave
their stall.
G””
We could have had a better/busier spot.
A””
Maybe more activities at each location
Get local schools more involved
Would like to have seen more art activities that people could be involved in
B””
The event was unsuprising and similar to last year
C””
Did not have as many people as it appeared other stalls had.
Will improve the wording of the pubicity so the activity idea is clear.
D””
Visitors were slow to appear early on.
Perhaps the location and parking led people to visit here last.
Not sure what was going on elsewhere.
H””
Could stall holders have a drink brought round to them becasue they are normally too busy to leave
their stall.
G””
Already planning what activities to offer next year.
The interview was different to that used in the Festival Visitor consultation although some questions were the
same. Like the Festival Visitor consultation, the interviews were conducted 'Clipboard' style by two interviewers
wandering. The locations covered included amongst others the area around Radstock Museum/WireWorld,
Front & Back of Radco, the various bus stops around the centre.
>>Q. If you knew about the festival where did you hear about it?
Poster/Board 34%
Flyer 17%
Word of mouth 29%
Other...school 11%
Local paper 9%
Yes 53%
I'm not interested 30%
It's not for me 9%
Too late to go 8%
>>Q. Might you have gone if you had know about it earlier?
Yes 93% No 7%
Q. What types of creative or artistic activities or groups do you take part in?
none 32%
local college 22%
classes 15%
music 9%
kids stuff 8%
‘ sort of 14%