How to be a performer at Ilkley Live Garden Music Festival

Thank you for your interest in performing at Ilkley Live - it can’t happen without you! This page should tell you everything you need but if you have further questions, just contact the Performer Co-Ordinator here.

When is the 2024 festival?

This year’s festival takes place from 12 noon to 9pm on 12th and 13th July 2024 (add to Google calendar)

What’s the festival all about?

Ilkley Live is an annual event to bring everyone in Ilkley together to experience the joy of live music together. We are all about community cohesion and this is a festival ‘for the community, by the community’.

It is a unique event where people perform in gardens and the audience can walk around our beautiful town to enjoy the music and each others’ company. Ilkley Live was born after COVID to meet the need to bring us all together - that need still exists! The festival is by the community, for the community - it has a do-it-yourself spirit where everyone can contribute in their own way.

Here’s a video that will tell you more!

Finding a venue

The main ways to find a venue to play at are:

• Play in your own garden, See ‘How to be a venue-holder at Ilkley Live’ for details.
• Join the Ilkley Live group on WhatsApp. This group is for anyone - venues, performers and sound engineers - that make the festival happen.
• Post on the Ilkley Live Facebook group

The audience

The best way to have an audience is to make one! Many venues invite friends over specifically for a garden party and the members of the public can add to their numbers. That guarantees the performers an audience and you a successful festival but it;s great if you can bring your own friends and relatives too. As the festival approaches, it’s a nice idea to promote your act through social media etc too.

Sound

You will need to make sure that you have the set-up you need. If you require amplification and you are a small act (solo or duo),  a busking amp/small amplifier set-up will be fine. If you a bigger acts - a band - then you may need a proper PA (Public Address system) and ideally a sound engineer. In that case you should seek to play at one of the larger venues that is equipped for this or have your own PA. Use the WhatsApp group to find the right venue for you and work with the host to make sure you have the amplification you need.

Collecting for charity

Ilkley Live raises money for local charities. The venue you play at will organise this through QR codes or, if it is a commercial venue, a direct donation from the business. We want the businesses if Ilkley that support live music to do well from the festival but it is really important to us that you do not offer your talent for free so that someone else can make money! That’s why every commercial venue pays - they have been very generous in the past and have made a huge difference to the festival’s charitable giving.

Safety

We owe it to each other to make sure that we keep each other safe. Help the venue owner in this and take some time to assess any risks that there may be around the venue. This could include trip hazards, danger of falls, electrical risk etc. It’s easy for a lovely day go wrong for people but a little thinking upfront and during the event can avoid that eventuality.

Collecting for charity

Ilkley Live raises money to support local live music and also supports the charity Outside The Box. Outside The Box may organise collections where you are playing or, if it is a commercial venue, they will make a direct donation from the business to Ilkley Live. We want the businesses io Ilkley that support live music to do well from the festival but it is really important to us that you do not offer your talent for free so that someone else can make money! That’s why every commercial venue pays - they have been very generous in the past and have made a huge difference to the festival’s charitable giving.

Announcements from the stage

If you have a chance to communicate with your audience, it would be great if you could cover the following:

• Thanks for supporting Ilkley Live!
• Visit www.ilkleylive.com to find out about the other acts and to plan out your festival using the Personal Programme page.
• Thank your host and the sound engineer if there is one
• Encourage people to donate to charity - that’s how the festival supports others!
• Introduce the next act if there is one

Your timeline

Sustainability: go green!

Ilkley Live has declared as part of the Culture Declares Emergency. Here are some tips for performers, venue holders and audience alike to make a difference.

• Eco-friendly Transport: Consider using Ilkley Cargo Bikes, a commons eCargo bike scheme for transportation of equipment where possible. Carpool with band members or use public transport to get to the venue.
• Green Gear: Use energy-efficient equipment and minimize power usage during performances.
• Reduce Waste: Avoid using single-use plastics backstage and on stage.
• Eco-friendly Banking: Switch to an eco-friendly bank that supports environmental initiatives.
• Promote Sustainability: Encourage your audience to follow green practices and highlight the festival's sustainability efforts during your performance.
• Advocate for Climate Justice: Use your platform to promote collective action, advocate for climate justice and encourage systemic change within your community.
• Declare a Climate and Ecological Emergency: Join a growing movement of individuals and organisations, involved in arts and culture, declaring emergency. Acknowledge the role of arts and culture in shaping a regenerative future that protects and sustains everyone, everywhere. Get in touch with our local Culture Declares Emergency Hub to find out more.

For support, just contact Steph or Dan.

Final note

Remember - this is YOUR festival. If you can think of something to make it better, just do it!