How to run a venue at Ilkley Live Garden Music Festival

Thank you for your interest in offering a stage for the festival! The festival can’t happen without you as the concept is that people perform in gardens across town for the enjoyment of the community. As the venue-holder you have the opportunity to choose when you want to put music on, find performers to play and host a wonderful musical even as part of the festival. If you are a commercial venue, please see the relevant section below.

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. 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!

The space

This can be any outdoor area at all as long as there is room for the performer to play and a way for the audience to listen (this can include listening from the street). People have used garages, small front yards, large garden spaces, front gardens, driveways and more. The stage can be as simple or as fancy as you like but it’s a nice idea to make it a cool place for people to perform and listen. Where possible, choose an outdoor space - it’s a garden music festival after all! If you have a number of performers, perhaps write them on a blackboard or similar.

The performers

You may want to just perform yourself or have someone you know play. There is no need to have anyone else play at your venue. However, if you want to offer your stage to other performers, here are a few steps you can take:

Join the Ilkley Live Venues and Performers group on WhatsApp;
Post on the Ilkley Live Facebook group and elsewhere seeking performers.

Sign-up

Once you have confirmed your performers and you have your running order, it is time to get the performers to sign up! They can do this here. Make sure you give them the exact time, venue address and also what3words location for your stage.

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!

As the festival approaches, it’s a nice idea to promote your stage, sharing the performers and the timings so that people will include you in their plans.

Sound

If the music requires amplification and you have soloists or duos playing, a busking amp/small amplifier set-up will be fine and the performers should be able to use it themselves. If you are planning to have any bigger acts - bands - then you may need a proper PA (Public Address system) and sound engineers. This person should be there all the time to support the acts as it is a complicated business. The sound engineers are a vital and under-celebrated part of the festival and we are building a community of them to support the venues.

Collecting for charity

Ilkley Live raises money for local charities. It would be great if you can support this - ways to do this will be shared on the WhatsApp group.

Safety and privacy

We live in a lovely town full of lovely people but your safety and privacy is important so worth a thought. You are under no obligation, of course, to allow people access to your garden - if you’d prefer people to watch from outside, that is fine. Equally, there is no need for people to enter your house. If people need them, there are public toilets in the car park and at the Riverside.

We owe it to each other to make sure that we keep each other safe. 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.

Additional Information for Commercial Venues If you are a pub, bar, restaurant, cafe etc that is offering a venue for Ilkley Live, thank you. These are often very lively venues and contribute hugely to the festival. All the performers are giving their time for free to entertain the community and raise money for charity so we ask commercial venues to donate to charity. This donation is on an honesty basis but the recommended amount is the larger of £100 and 5% of takings for the time of the festival. Note that this is in addition to any money collected from the audience - it should be a donation from the business itself.

Your timeline

January	Put the Ilkley Live calendar dates in when they are announced Sign up to the Ilkley Live mailing list at www.ilkleylive.com for updates
May	Decide which day(s) you want to host and the times on those days Plan the running order slots with people you know or put a call out for performers (see above) Let the performers know the timings so that they can sign up at www.ilkleylive.com. You will need to give them your address and also the what3words location (ideally) which is used by the magic festival planner on the day.
June	It’s the build-up! Promote your stage, perhaps invite friends for a garden party. If you are a commercial venue, promote the event through your usual channels. Check that the line-up looks right and the venue details are correct - if not, you can get the performers to sign in and edit them.
The festival itself	Think about using a blackboard or other signage that let’s people know who’s performing when. We hope to be able to provide these to you! Post pictures and videos / ‘Go Live’ on the Ilkley Live Facebook group Get out and about and see some other amazing venues and performers!
After the event	Keep sharing your updates and promoting the festival!

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.

Green Decor & Eco-friendly Supplies: Decorate using sustainable materials and avoid single-use decorations. Borrow items for the day from Ilkley Thingery or friends and neighbours. Use biodegradable or reusable cups, plates, and cutlery.
Energy Efficiency: Use energy-efficient lighting and sound equipment, and switch to renewable energy sources if possible.
Reduce Waste: Avoid single-use plastics. Provide ample recycling and compost bins and ensure proper waste disposal.
Eco-friendly Banking: Consider moving to an eco-friendly bank to support sustainable financial practices.
Promote Sustainability: Encourage everyone to follow green practices and highlight the festival's sustainability efforts. Support and collaborate with local sustainable projects.
Advocate for Climate Justice: Promote sustainable practices to your patrons and advocate for broader environmental changes in your business 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!