BAFA Conference for Festivals 2021: Reconnect

Thank you for attending the BAFA Conference for Festivals 2021: Reconnect! This page has been updated with all the information about the event, including post-event recordings, presentations, links and resources if available.

Programme

The conference programme is here.

Tuesday 16th November 2021

• 12pm: Registration/coffee
• 12:30pm – 1:45pm: Lunch
• 1:45pm: Welcome and opening thoughts
• 2pm – 2:45pm: Beyond the Market: re-imagining the arts during the pandemic Alan Lane, Artistic Director of Slung Low, talks about how Slung Low has transformed its work during the pandemic, the ways in which it works with, by and for its community and what this might mean for the future of the arts. Chaired by Dr Jane Ali-Knight of Edinburgh Napier University. Watch the Slung Low video: A Club on the Edge of Town 2:45pm –
• 3:15pm: Coffee 3:15pm – 4:15pm: Changing the narrative
• Gary Briggs (Manchester International Festival) and Jocelyne Underwood (Field 19) talk about apprenticeships and their role in inclusive recruitment. Chaired by Ashley Morris of Newbury Spring Festival.
• 4:15pm – 5pm: Roundtables: looking at a range of topics including insurance; apprenticeships; youth ambassadors; data
• 6pm – 7.30pm: Drinks reception – Hotel du Vin
• 8pm: Evening dinner (optional)

Wednesday 17th November 2021

• 9am: Registration
• 9:25am: Welcome 9:30am: Reconnecting with audience Katy Raines from Indigo will present research on audience return to live events, following up on their work on lockdown and audiences for digital culture. This will include new research on ‘missing’ audiences – who haven’t yet returned – and exploring how they feel about returning to live events. Chaired by Dr Jane Ali-Knight of Edinburgh Napier University.
• 10:30am – 11:30am: Re-imagined Organisations Laurie Sansom (Northern Broadsides), Sharon Canavar (Harrogate International Festivals) and Justin Lee (Cambridge Music Festival) talk about the ways their organisations have transformed in response both to the pandemic and social justice movements, and what this means for their longer-term impact, organisational resilience and reach. Chaired by Erica Smith, Ports Fest.
• 12pm – 1pm: Re-balancing: festivals and mental health Mary Burch from the creative arts mental health charity Industry Minds talks about the challenges of work-life balance, the uncertainty and anxiety of the massive changes we have all faced since 2020, the isolation inherent in working in festivals and resilience, and gives some tips and resources to help re-balance. 1:1s will be available after the session or online. Chaired by Alison Giles of Presteigne Festival.
• 1pm – 1.45pm: Lunch
• 1.45pm – 2.30pm: Session breakouts: 1:1s for mental health; sustainability; research
• 2.30pm – 2.45pm: Coffee 2.45pm – 3.30pm: The Future of Festivals Our closing panel includes Sam Hunt of Unboxed (Festival 2022) and Hannah Hartley of Xtrax and Without Walls. They present different takes on where festivals are headed, what partnerships and programming approaches will be necessary to recharge the sector, and how festivals can take forward learnings from environmental initiatives such as Without Walls’ Green Production Lab to develop more sustainable events. Session chaired by Lyndsey Fineran of Cheltenham Literature Festival.
• 3.30pm: Close