We don’t have a Pyramid Stage or acres of Somerset farmland but that didn’t stop us from putting on a successful music festival in the grounds of our school. As the crowds gathered at Worthy Farm, site manager Ken Till and the PTA were thrilled to look out on our own version of Glastonbury.
Ken’s been in a band since he was 13 and loves music and the vibes it can create in a community. His vision was to use the school facilities to put on a festival that incorporated a summer fair. We’re a relatively small school, but we have a huge site. After getting approval from our headteacher and governors, the rest of the PTA got involved. We formed two groups: Ken took charge of making sure the site was safe and functional, with electricity accessible where it was needed.
He built an amazing stage with the help of the husband of one of the teaching assistants, and he booked all the music. He was also our MC. Meanwhile, Sally, Nancy and I coordinated the traditional summer fair elements. It was an event of two halves: the summer fair games and barbecue took place until 5pm, with the bar, food vans and music continuing until 9pm.
Prepare for the worst
We wrote contingency plans for some worst-case scenarios: with the bar running for nine hours, how would we handle it if people drank too much? Would we need security at the gate? Thankfully, those things didn’t happen, but it was reassuring to know we had prepared.
Some 80 people volunteered on the day–not just parents but also staff, governors and even the local gardening club. We made sure parents were paired with their friends and were allocated to an area that best suited their personalities, so everyone could have a good time.
We allocated each of our 12 PTA committee members their own area to manage and gave them a clear idea of what we wanted them to achieve. Within those parameters, we let them do what they wanted. People appreciated having the freedom to be creative and they went to the next level. Our bar, for example, run by Lauren and Katie, was epic. It was huge, brightly decorated and stocked with every kind of booze you could possibly think of.
Plan ahead
We began our promotional campaign three months beforehand. It included leaflet drops, banners, social media and a spot in our local magazine. After a discount from the printer because of our charity status, our total spend was under £400.
A mix of professional and local bands, a DJ and even a 35-piece orchestra created a lively atmosphere throughout the day. We also ran our regular summer fair stalls and fundraising activities, including the raffle and coconut shy, while headteacher Mr Hipkiss got pummelled with sponges in the stocks. One of the parents is a professional juggler, and a woman on stilts greeted guests, all adding to the festival vibe.
We decided to add more variety to the festival by inviting external vendors. As well as face painting and hair braiding stalls, a local family who run a bubble tea business came on board. Rachel coordinated the food vans–there was a constant 30-minute queue for Greek food. We charged ten per cent of the takings as a fee. Doing things this way was worth it, as it took away the pressure of organising everything ourselves. The stalls did so well that we made £2,000 with minimal effort. The bubble tea vendors gave us £150, while the ice cream van added another £200. Our dinner ladies served pizza and James ran the barbecue. There was a big demand for food, so we will offer more options next time.
Big outlay, big reward
Putting on a festival is a big outlay. We paid some of the bands and had other expenses too. Our total revenue was £18,000, leaving us with a £13,000 profit. In the run-up to the event, I was a ball of stress because it was all such a gamble. I had no idea if anyone would turn up or if we would make enough money to cover our expenses, let alone turn a profit. There were so many unknowns. Luckily, we had enough in the bank to take the risk. We figured that the worst-case scenario would be breaking even or losing some money, but we knew we would gain valuable experience either way.
Ken’s beautiful stage remained in place until the winter. The children used it for Open Play and Learning (OPAL). In the next couple of years, we plan to invest in a more permanent structure that can be used throughout the rest of the year.
Even people with no connection to the school came to our festival. Our supporters are incredibly engaged and I think they would have turned up even if it had been raining. The audience clapped, cheered and sang as loudly to the band of ex-pupils playing their first gig as they did to the orchestra. There was a buzz around the event and everyone wanted to show their support.
Other lessons we’ve learned? You can never have too many volunteers, and we need two Kens! When Ken was introducing the bands or playing drums on stage, he couldn’t help around the site. Next year, Ken will get a Year 6 helper, and we’ll find someone else to be MC.
Erin Florendine, chair, Stocks Green School Association, Hildenborough, Kent (213 pupils)
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