N.E.S.A.

Art|works Creative Community Festival 2008, Radstock.

Consultation and Evaluation report.

Contents
Introduction
Festival Visitor Consultation. (page 2)
Stall holder, Artists and Activity leaders (Contributors) feedback. (page 7)
Town centre and 'Passerby' consultation. (page 10)

Introduction

This project had two primary aims: To invite feedback of the visitors and contributors to the festival which can
help the festival to evolve in the future & To stimulate a culture of consultation and feedback as part of the
festival experience.

In order to meet the aims various methods were used: 100 people were interviewed with a traditional 'clipboard'
questionnaire. This group included visitors to the festival interviewed at the various festival locations (70) and a
number of people (30) in the immediate vacinity of the festival who were either on-route to or from the festival
locations or who had no intention of visiting the festival, ie. ‘passersby’.

Many, but not all, of the contributing Artists , Activity Leaders and Stall-holders were encouraged to give
feedback through face to face discussion, feedback sheet and email contact in the week after the festival.

A video project was completed which involved invited festival visitors to interview each other, asking questions
intended to generate feedback of the festival and to encourage an ongoing culture of ownership and feedback of
the festival in the community. The video was designed as an 'event' at the festival that both encouraged
spectators to engage in the 'clipboard' interviews and to 'send signals' that part of the festival experience is
sharing your own thoughts & impressions of the festival with others; making 'every one a contributor'.

The findings/video project are intended to be published online in order to continue the consultation culture of
the festival.

The findings of the various interviews produce some information/opinion that could be very readily fedback into
the festival organisation and planning for the future. Further, through interpretation now or through further
investigation in the future there are also some interesting, perhaps revelatory findings that could benefit the
wider Radstock community in the future.

Festival Visitor Consultation.

'Clipboard' interviews undertaken by two people wandering about the various festival locations. 70 interviews
were conducted.

Q. Where have you come from today?

Radstock 75%
Midsomer Norton 12%
Timsbury 4%
 Chilcompton 4%
Bath 2%
Writhlington 4%

Q. How did you hear about the festival

by word of mouth 38%

from a flyer 23%
from a poster 21%
through school 6%
through toddler group 5%
came upon it 7%

Q. Were you here last year?

Yes 41% No 59%

Q. How does it compare with last year?

"similar but more stuff” 53%

"more people” 26%
"It's better than last year" 21%

Q. What good things have you seen or done today?

Generalised comments most commonly given from highest to lowest...

"craft stuff"
"everything"
"dancing"
"general atmosphere"
"music"
"food"
"painting bags"
"juggler"
"big blue bus"
"the cuts"
"children singing"
"good amusements for kids"
"It's very child orientated"

Q. Have you spoken to anyone new?

Yes 53% No 47%

Q. Have you seen or done anything new today?

Yes 78% No 22%

>>Q. If“Yes" what?

Generalised comments most commonly given from highest to lowest...

Juggling
Stone carving
Music groups
The kids danced
The bike trail

Q. Have you been surprised by anything today - good or bad?

Yes 86% No 14%

>>Q. If “Yes” what has surprised you?

Generalised comments most commonly given from highest to lowest...

"Amount of stuff"
"It is better than expected"
"The weather"
"How pleasant it is"
"that its happened"
"that it is better than last year"
"the community spirit is great"
"the skate park"

Q. Has the festival given you any good ideas?

Yes 83% No 17%

>>Q. If "Yes" what?

Generalised comments most commonly given from highest to lowest...

"things for kids to do at home"
"to join club/activities through the year"

Other comments...
"to join scouts"
"Radstock needs a drama group"
"made me think"

Q. Have you got / picked up any contact information for the things you have seen today?

Yes 54% No 46%

Other comments...
"more information about the groups is needed”

Q. How do you normally get information about local events or groups?

Newspapers 36%
 Friends 21%
Flyers/posters 27%
School 12%
Free newspapers 4%

Q. Is the festival a positive thing for the area?

Yes 100% No 00%

>>Q. If "YES" Why?

Generalised comments most commonly given from highest to lowest...

"The kids like it"
"sense of community"
"it's social"
"because nesa does good work"
"brings community together"
"encourages youngsters"
"the area need more for all age groups"
"the area needs more for adults and children"

Q. Can you suggest anything to improve the festival in the future?

Generalised comments most commonly given from highest to lowest...

"No...nothing"
"more advertising"
"a display or map so you can find things and know where you are"
"sign posting"
"things for the 16-20 age group"
"make it longer"
"more music"
"sessions for adults"
"more for adults"

Q. Is there anything you could say is "bad" about the festival?

Generalised comments most commonly given from highest to lowest...

"No, not really"
"signs"
"sign posting"
"more for adults"
"not enough for 16-20 year olds"
"not enough people"

Q. Do you consider yourself to be a creative person?

Yes 64% No 36%

Q. Do you think Radstock is a creative place?

 Yes 00% N 100%

Other comments...
"It is Improving"

Q. What types of creative or arts activities do you take part in through the year?

Generalised comments most commonly given from highest to lowest...

"The kids do things"
"I go to see live music"
Attend college or adult classes

Other comments...
Drama in Midsomer Norton
The Radstock Action Group
"Seen things going on like the arts project at the top of the hill"

Stall holder, Artists and Activity leaders (Contributors) feedback.

This consultation process was initiated at the beginning of the festival by a simple sheet being given out.
Contributors were asked to give feedback on their individual experience of the festival by using a simple PLUS,
MINUS & INTERESTING system. That is, by listing their experiences as either one which they felt was a
positive(+)experience or a negative (-) experience or an interesting experience (?), that is an observation which
they felt was important but with no immediate context to quantify it.

The sheet had space for the contributors to write down their thoughts throughout the afternoon; when they had
time.
Contributors were encouraged to be as vague or individual a perspective as they wished, no comment being more
or less important to the feedback process.

The feedback sheets were collected in at the close of the festival and arrangements were made to contact the
contributors again via email for a follow-up.

Whilst many of contributors were approached not all responded either to the sheet or to later email contact. It is
felt that a fair cross section of contributors were found perhaps with the exception of a food vendor, participating
school group and one of the fair ride owners. A teacher from one of the contributing school groups was
interviewed as part of the People to People Video Relay.

These opinions are intended to be made anonymous for publication.

PLUS experiences

A””
lots of different activities

B””
met new people
 made some positive new connections

C””
had a good day
met new people
discovered the variety of skills in the community
made some positive new connections
better than expected

D””
met potential new members and a new leader

E””
met new people
made important connections with her new Parish

F””
Very good atmosphere, the weather really helped.
Good that children were centre of activity so that grandparents & parents could relax.

G””
It's good that the workshops are free.

H””
Pass on my congratulations to the organisors.

MINUS experiences

A””
Things are spread out too far

B””
Not discovered anything new about the community
Has not informed own practice
Too busy working to see anything
Would like to see something for adults

I””
Uncertainty waiting for public to show up.

D””
The design of the flyer is very unclear and not striking.

H””
Some peoaple were not sure where the green field was
Leaflets could be better dispensed at the festival or possibly better signage.
Could stall holders have a drink brought round to them becasue they are normally too busy to leave
their stall.
G””
We could have had a better/busier spot.

INTERESTING experiences and opinions

A””
Maybe more activities at each location
Get local schools more involved
Would like to have seen more art activities that people could be involved in

B””
The event was unsuprising and similar to last year

C””
Did not have as many people as it appeared other stalls had.
Will improve the wording of the pubicity so the activity idea is clear.

D””
Visitors were slow to appear early on.
Perhaps the location and parking led people to visit here last.
Not sure what was going on elsewhere.

H””
Could stall holders have a drink brought round to them becasue they are normally too busy to leave
their stall.

G””
Already planning what activities to offer next year.

Town centre and 'Passerby' consultation

In order to gain a better context in which to view the feedback given by both the festival interviews a number of
similar interviews were conducted with people either away from the festival locations or passing by the festival
locations and seemingly not engaging.

The interview was different to that used in the Festival Visitor consultation although some questions were the
same. Like the Festival Visitor consultation, the interviews were conducted 'Clipboard' style by two interviewers
wandering. The locations covered included amongst others the area around Radstock Museum/WireWorld,
Front & Back of Radco, the various bus stops around the centre.

30 interviews were conducted.

Q. Do you know what the flags and banners flying around the centre for?

Yes 53% No 47%

Q. Did you know there was a festival in the town today?

Yes 82% No 18%

Q. Have you seen this flyer?

Yes 69% No 31%

>>Q. If you knew about the festival where did you hear about it?

Poster/Board 34%
Flyer 17%
Word of mouth 29%
Other...school 11%
Local paper 9%

Q. Are you interested in going to the festival?

Yes 53%
I'm not interested 30%
It's not for me 9%
Too late to go 8%

>>Q. Might you have gone if you had know about it earlier?

Yes 34% No 66%

Q. Is the festival a positive thing for the area?

Yes 93% No 7%

Q. Do you consider yourself to be a creative person?

Yes 68% No 32%

Q. Do you think Radstock is a creative place?

Yes 00% No 100%

Q. What types of creative or artistic activities or groups do you take part in?
 none 32%
local college 22%
classes 15%
music 9%
kids stuff 8%
‘ sort of 14%