What did you think about this year’s Festival? Did it inspire you, or make you cross.
e:mail your comments and pictures to
info@maindee.orgor write to: Maindee Festival, Community House, Eton Rd, Newport NP19 0BL.
Here are your 2004 Festival comments
Dave Hawkins, Canada:
We will be visiting your area in September. I came across the site and thought the pictures were great. Good to see people enjoying themselves!Bernadette Reed, Festival Performer: Firstly to say how much I enjoyed the festival this year and secondly I have some questions. The first was from my mother who travelled with my father and a friend to the festival from Aberdare. They had a great time (both in their eighties) as did my friend who's of my peer-group age (which of course would be telling!). My mother's question was "Did this get advertised in Aberdare?" Because she had such a nice time felt it should be recommended to at least the valley radius as a thoroughly enjoyable event to attend. Also s it meant to be a festival mainly for the local people of the area or ideally wider than that? I'm thinking probably the latter since artists who perform there are invited from both local and further afield locations. Based on this, does it get advertised/promoted in Newport only, Cardiff or any further afield? Again based on how you see the festival what are your thoughts on how it might develop? I see it with it's multi-cultural dimension and mixed arts nature as the germ of something like WOMAD even. If you and the committee's vision is of something that could extend in its promotion and influence further into Wales or even the UK (maybe I'm speaking wildly outside of your ambitions for the festival here since this would change it's organisational scale dramatically) would that then have the ability to attract more funding and support and in turn generate more resources also. This point came out of a chat I was having with our Bass player's wife who also had a stall at the festival which was a very positive experience for her in terms of contacts she made there which are going to generate further outlets for her pottery work and a teaching position. She lives locally and hadn't heard of the Maindee Festival before this year. From this it seems to me that the Festival has the ability to and does function on many levels. I would add also that if you do see it's attraction as going wider promotion outside of the local area in South Wales or beyond might be a thing to consider. As well as good things happening for the locals involved my feedback is there are those who would also consider it a day to travel for (so the next thing might be the extension for the coach park!)
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webmaster’s comment: Bernadette. Please tell your Mother that we don’t advertise in Aberdare – but were delighted that she joined us in Maindee and had such a good time. . We are a local event with a global outlook. Our advertising budget this year was around £1000, of which £350 went on printing leaflets and posters and the rest on press advertising (South Wales Argus, The Voice and Big Issue). Our leafleting concentrates on Maindee, where we do a door to door drop to every household, Newport is covered with as many posters as we can persuade people to put up. Probably the best advertising for us is word of mouth. We hope that people who enjoy the festival come back next year and bring their friends. Our visitor numbers have increased by 2000 each year since 1992. This growing number of visitors is great, but also means we have to think carefully about our aims and objectives. We are now beginning to think about the 2005 Festival – your comments will help this discussion - Thanks for this thoughtful and positive feedback.)Girl member of festival dance group:
This year’s festival was really good and i really enjoyed it but next year there must be more rides there. There was only a bouncy castle – boring!(
webmaster’s comment: Many community carnivals have lots more rides than Maindee Festival. But because we are an Arts Festival, we concentrate on free music, dance and arts performances and workshops. But you are quite right - rides are fun, and we want everyone who comes to the Festival to enjoy themselves.)My highlights were, a break in the parade, underneath the bridge in Chepstow road, the sound of Batatan bouncing off the bridge structure, wow.
Anatolia, a big hit on the World Jazz stage,yes, and the Spiro Brothers creating the right atmosphere for a brilliant afternoon. Mabon, brill and Two fine young women dragging me onto the dance-floor! My lowlights were the stewards intervening at the club tent at 5-40 when programme stipulated 6pm finish. Recycling a huge failure,, yet again. Festival Bob.What a magical day! I loved every bit…..Bernadette Reed’s great jazz vocals accompanied by 2 accomplished musicians was wonderful and to top that ANATOLIA!!! Wow!!! How privileged I felt to experience the magic of such a beautiful eclectic band practically on my doorstep!! I would have loved to have done the workshops but with everything all happening at the same time you simply can’t do it all….! Great atmosphere and something for everyone – well done. Perhaps 2 per year would be nice? A mini indoor winter festival like they have in Brighton??? Many thanks for a great day - Carmela Gianfanga
What a fantastic day! We left Cardiff in pouring rain and thought that the whole day was going to be a wash out, but you obviously has some sort of weather fairies on your side! Carys Williams - Antena
…and here are last year’s comments (2003 Festival)
What can I say! Everybody I spoke to thoroughly enjoyed the day. A friend of my commented that it seemed surreal to have Samburu people sitting on Newport turf! My family thoroughly enjoyed themselves and my mother thought about having a Fijian presence of some sort next year. I thought it was a fantastic day and it was great to see Newport people embrace and appreciate the multi-cultural event in a time, when I sometimes feel there is an underlying tension of racial hatred about. Amele Tukandra, GAVO
In the yurt tent with Dick Berry. Two Samburu warriors telling stories from the bush and teaching the audience to count with their fingers, these two beautiful guys,in wonderful colourful costumes, their hair glistening in a crack of sunlight sitting with children on each knee, the children from all nationalities sat in awe, except one little boy kept saying.,Stop speaking in Welsh! Bob Pontin, MFA Committee
Another great festival. Llinos and Olio Cryer wanted to know where the burger and chip van was? No lunch available for kids who only eat junk food, of which there seem to be so many. This meant they had to go off site for an hour. More litter picking needed, although people on the whole did use the large bins.The atmosphere was great and the mix of music brill. Story telling a highlight as usual. Catherine Bushell
It was a lovely day and I thought the circus went down very well. I hope we generated some interest in getting a community circus up and running in Newport. Ali, No Fit State Circus
I'm glad the festival was a success- you had fantastic weather for it. The photos on BBCi are great. All the best for future festivals. Kate Howell, Newport Ship Archaeologist
Another great event! A lovely atmosphere, great costumes and good organisation on the day. Last year, as a result of a survey compiled during the festival, Newport Sure Start managed to establish a Parenting Programme, Baby Group and Dads-r-us Group. This year we have generated new members for all these groups and received very positive feedback on the services we currently run in Maindee. BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE RELAXED AND ENJOYING THEMSELVES THEY WERE MORE WILLING TO GIVE US 5 MINS OF THEIR TIME, (WITH THE ADDED ATTRACTION OF FREE FACE PAINTING!!!) We were also able to engage families from the ethnic communities in a non-threatening environment. Thank you for all your hard work! It's been good working with you all in Maindee. Every good wish for the future of this first rate community festival. Alison Prowle, Newport Sure Start
The festival this year was the best ever! Carol Wadsworth, Headteacher, Maindee Primary School
It has been a pleasure to give some support to the Maindee Festival this year. I have been really impressed with how the whole thing works – Aled Singleton, Newport and District Refugees and Aslyum Seekers Group
Congratulations on a great festival! Could you tell us who we could go about applying to have a stall at next year's event or add us to your mailing list? Claire Routley St David's Foundation Hospice Care
Congratulations on the amazingly brilliant festival. Carmela Gianfanga, local resident and festival workshop leader
The festival was fantastic! You are bloody heroes organising all that in Newport! Darius James, Independent Ballet Wales
A momentous effort Lydia Bassett, Voluntary Arts Wales,
i suppose it was ok... if you like that sort of thing. Andy O’Rourke, Parade organiser
FAB FAB FAB!!! The Council should make a double contribution next year - doing a huge job for them most effectively – Trish Johns, Newport Social Services
Great festival. Great night as well - and the second band was great - Marco Gill Cervantes, performer
A wonderful event. I unfortunately succumbed to very bad burning on my feet ( despite liberal amounts of lotion). Despite this it was an exhilarating experience being able to share time with the Samburu. – Peter Rawcliffe, MFA Committee
Really enjoyed the festival - it went really well. – Majit Mahil, MFA Committee and South East Wales Racial Equality Council
The worst thing was the parade, the best thing were the stalls – boy on site
I came with some people with learning disabilities and they did not like the food, so we had to go off site – carer
What a day -Wow! Thank goodness its over - Phew! – John Hallam, MFA Committee
I had a wonderful time - though by the time I'd got back to the office and sorted through my pics to send to news I was ready to go home and sleep in the garden. Fantastic day - well done. – Selma Chalabi – BBCi Wales
Thanks for putting on such a great festival - mellow jazz just needs to be a little further away from the big drums, as a thought, next time. Was a great afternoon tho:) - Bernadette Reid, festival performer
Thankyou for the opportunity to market ourselves at the Festival. The response was very encouraging. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience and I look forward in working together next year. Aled Sion, National Eisteddfod
The grand finale, the end of the parade, the flags flying, a huge circle, the mass of colour, the sound of Batatan, we proceeded into the tent, where on stage were MUKA, the Brazilian dance group of children, with Anthony encouraging them all with total energy whoosh... Festival Bob
Communication by e:mail in advance was great. I didn’t notice the signage on the site, it didn’t impinge on me, I didn’t need it. Much more cosmopolitan than last year. Having African visitors to the Festival moved the focus of multicultural Newport into a wider global context, which seemed a healthy move. The site was more cramped visually than last year, a bit narrow. They was no where for the parade to parade around a bit before it came to a full stop. There should be more food outlets. Felt much bigger than last year. Olwyn Moseley, UWIC
I saw the balloons from town – that’s how I found the festival – girl on site
We are honoured to be a part of the festival. It gave us a chance to inform everyone of our existence. What team work! A great atmosphere all day and the night was fantastic. I thought I was in a Caribbean country. Well done everybody and see you next year. The Best is yet to come. Miriam Loder, Newport Filipino Assistance Bureau.
Maindee Festival, Community House, Eton Rd, Newport, South Wales, UK Tel: 01633 762155