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In this issue

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The Fringe...
...the Festival
Martin Rowson
News in Brief
Readers Letters
Park Life
News in Brief
Dissent
Tapas Time
Back to the Fringe
Straight to the Point
Royal Bengal
Handy Contacts
Summertime Blues
Summery Justice
Up the Junction
Books/Poetry
The Factory
Summer Allergies
Farmers Market
The Arts
Away Days
A Royal Visit
Coffee Corner
Surfing N16
Man in North Bank
XWord
View from the Lane

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Issue 1

OnLine Edition
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We asked the organisers of Stokefest what they thought about their Sunday event in Clissold Park in June.

Described as ‘Hackney at its best’ by local resident Dave Hawksworth, the new Stokefest was, in the opinion of everyone, just about the greatest day out ever staged in Clissold Park. The temperature topped 26 degrees, and crowd estimates came in at between 15-20,000 people throughout the day.

The volunteer organisers set out to create an inclusive, community event that combined a traditional fete with cutting edge arts, something everyone could participate in, and succeeded beyond their wildest dreams! Biscuit tin garden competitions, bouncy castles and circus workshops mixed with fire-breathing mechanical horses, a boxed art trail and a visually rich music and performance programme including Lost Vagueness, Continental Drifts, and The Lost Parents DJ zone amongst others. Radio One darlings Sweettoof, rubbed shoulders with the reggae zone pumping out a booty-shaking selection of eras and styles from Glady Wax and Solution Sound.

And it worked. Every nation, creed and culture that makes Stokey the buzzing heart of the borough were there. ‘The day passed superbly’ said Eric Stuart from Stoke Newington police, commending the organisers on a day entirely free of incident or arrest.

All this was achieved in just six months by volunteers without the benefit of a single direct grant and with zero funding from the council. Indeed it was the disappointment local people felt when Hackney Council stopped funding the festival that fuelled this amazing show of determination and local solidarity!

A core volunteer team formed into a company: Open Source Productions. They were reinforced by local heroes who sprang out of the woodwork to perform superhuman deeds. Like Tony, who turned up out of the blue and volunteered to distribute publicity through the doors of local houses and got through 6,000 in one evening. He ended up becoming a oneman roadie crew doing everything from loading perimeter fencing in the small hours, driving equipment from north to south London and barely sleeping for three days. He loved it so much he said ‘it has been like a holiday!’. The amazing Emma and incredible Emmie took on many tasks including sourcing food donations from Stokey to Notting Hill to ensure the volunteers were fed. Even more remarkable, was Joolz, the builder of The Lost Parents DJ zone, who dragged himself out of a hospital bed after a heart attack because he simply had to be involved. He was moved to tears by the sheer amazing spirit of the day.

On the day, everyone helped out. The local Big Issue seller Gary helped with the park clean-up by spending a day on his hands and knees filling an entire bin bag with fag butts embedded in the grass. Robin Collings, licensee for the festival, wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty either, even clearing a mountain of excrement out of blocked toilets. Invaluable site assistance, dealing with everything from lost children to lost parents, was provided by John O’Sulivan and the crew who travelled up from Bournemouth to provide their practical experience. The licensing knowledge of Andy Fraser was also critical.

The event was filmed by Milk Frame, a collective of filmmakers whose group CV would make any production unit envious. They covered the day with four film crew and are currently editing the final product which will be screened shortly. Watch this space for details. Again all of these efforts were given free of charge.

Financial support came from business sponsorship, charitable donations and advertising. All money was locally sourced. The list of sponsors are too numerous to mention but special praise has to be offered to Michael from Sunstone Health & Leisure, and Atique from Yum Yum, who provided a crucial cash input early on, as well as help with facilities, licensing and practical support throughout the whole process. Everyone who worked on the festival this year whether as a performer or organiser worked for love – no-one received a penny of payment. The festival was about friendship and community and that is a priceless commodity.

For our part, we were overwhelmed by the support we received. We were honoured to have so many different parties involved, and to see them all come together on the day to make something really special happen in our community. It demonstrates how much people in our area value the annual festival, and how much it really does make a difference to their lives and to the community spirit of Stoke Newington.

There are several ways to support Stokefest. Become a friend of the festival if your time is limited, or there are always administration jobs or even providing office space. Anyone interested in sponsoring an area for next year or getting involved creatively, don’t hesitate to get in contact as soon as possible.

With your support we will see you next year!

website: www.stokefest.co.uk
email: stokefest@hotmail.com

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