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A gloomy October evening is punctuated by helium balloons and
bright lights spilling on to Church Street from the Fire Station. Banners, collection
buckets, pledge forms and activists mill around photos and sound systems and the hall is
dominated by the story book-like gleam and glory of the fire engines. And there we depart
from the analogy with the Firefighters dispute for this is, in fact, the first public
meeting of the Save the Stoke Newington Festival Campaign.
The venue and the setting are a reminder of how the creative and the topical could be so
successfully combined by the Festival at its best. But these are changed days and the
'belt and braces' event was the result of a small group of people saying no to the present
Trustees and their August decision to cease trading, a move which effectively meant the
closedown of the Festival.
As one speaker said 'the wheels fell off with their bizarre decision earlier in the year
not to hold a 2002 Street Festival at all, and then they abandoned the whole vehicle when
they discovered, not surprisingly, that the money to keep it on the road was no longer
coming in'.
This was a call to arms. A public appeal to do something. About ninety people took the
trouble. Minus the 'usual suspects' of Festival volunteers and former big cheeses, turnout
was perhaps underwhelming. But, as the meeting facilitator, Jes Benstock, told N16, 'To do
the actual organising and leadership for a new Festival takes quality and commitment from
a few people. Yes, of course a community mandate is essential, but finding the 'core'
individuals to run it, to come forward and take up the challenge, that is what is most
vital for any Festival to happen in 2003.'
Come forward they did, and weekly planning meetings are now actively engaging a new core
team. Dominic Mandrell, one of those brought on board from the public meeting, said 'I
feel very positive about the results of our first few meetings and feel that together we
have a team with the skills and enthusiasm to make it happen. But we are also well aware
that there is a lot of work to do and a limited time to do it in.'
N16 has been told that the focus is firmly on seeking some form of a Street Festival and
efforts will be concentrated on delivering this objective.
Anything on top will be a bonus. Local businesses, led by a £1000 pledge from Sunstone
Health and Fitness Club, are saying yes to the initiative and yes to trying to support the
new team in getting a Festival back on the Street. Yum Yum's Thai Restaurant and Holden
Matthews Estate Agents are among those pledging a financial commitment to a fresh start.
Meanwhile the 'official' but moribund Festival organisation is reported to have negotiated
the narrowing of the financial gap which precipitated its decision to close down. Sources
say the current Trustees have reduced the deficit to a 'manageable few thousand pounds'.
The Trustees are required to hold an AGM and account for what has happened over the last
year. A date has finally been fixed for 16 December, but at the time of going to press,
the venue had still to be confirmed. For further details, phone Nicole Dryburgh on 020 880
6027.
If you feel you have the time and skills to help the Festival revival, get connected by
emailing: keep_snf_alive@hotmail.com
N16 would like to thank Clissold Wines for providing the wine for the
Fire Station evening.
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