I was approached by one of the organisers Brett Nimmo and was asked to gain work experience and be a band liaison for Wigfest on 1st- 4th August 2014, I took on the challenge and worked 6 hours on the first three days as a steward and band liaison.
Wigfest, a unique and loveable festival in which takes place every year around the South West. It is a big social gathering for only friends, of friends, of friends to the organisers and to raise money for cancer related charities in memory of two of their friends.
This year Wigfest was set in Dawlish at a Pig Farm and was raising charity for THTN (Torbay Holiday Helpers Network) http://www.wigfest.co.uk/charity/.
I (at first) imagined it to be quite a big festival (A quarter of Glastonbury?), but it ended to be a lovely and petite social event on a small piece of land with a big marquee, a barn, a big deck chair, a set-up bar in a small hut on the field which also had flushable loos. Throughout the days and nights I was there, it sustained a positive atmosphere and the other people welcomed me with open arms and treated me as if I was there from the start. As it was a small event, it was not stressful by being a steward or band liaison. If anything, it really was a smooth foundation to my experience of stewarding. This event also let me have connections with others who work at other festivals (which I am now into) and so I can work for other festivals like Oxfam at Glastonbury 2015 or Boomtown 2015 and so forth. Also, the bands where local and shocked me with their talents, the headliners were phenomenal such as Muff Said, The Electric Swing Circus and The Fabulous Beaver Brothers.
The only lapse was organising where the other people were parking and pitching (who were not working). Also the ticket list was not updated for at least a week before the festival, so people who have received tickets and purchased them 5 days before were not on the list and could have effected the profit/money.
I would love to work and help out again next year, but as this festival was a small event, I think I'm going to need a bigger challenge or the same challenge but at a bigger event? However, I believe I completed my aim for this weekend:
- To gain experience and develop new skills in liaising bands and stewarding for three days at Wigfest.
Explore and research about Wigfest and the charity it is supporting for 2014.
Work alongside and shadow the other stewards who have experience till confident in doing it independently.
I did explore and understand the rules and the importance of that particular role and liaising with the help from the other stewards and the organiser Matt Walsh. I defiantly would desire to come back again, and have as much fun as I did this year.
Wigfest2014 (2014) Wigfest2014 [Logo]. Available at: http://www.wigfest.co.uk (Accessed: 4 August 2014).
