For 21 uninterrupted years, a music festival in the heart of Guildford was provided for by local businessman and festival-goer Tony Scott, before this year Magic FM’s Live Nation hired Stoke Park and ‘Magic Summer Live’ replaced the usual annual community ‘Guilfest’ event. Unfortunately the Scotty Events Ltd company went into Liquidation after GuilFest 2012 failed to achieve satisfactory ticket sales last year and it seemed that it was an end of an era for the beloved festival.
The festival was originally staged on Stoke Park in July of 1992 and was called the Guildford Festival of Folk and Blues and lasted just the one day. In 1995 it became a two day affair and moved over to Loseley Park, but this was a short-term arrangement and the following year it was back at Stoke Park, but this time with a 3 day line-up. This format did not change for 17 years as the event proved popular and economically viable. Bad weather, the London Olympics and the hosting of the Olympic torch relay in Guildford (just a few days after GuilFest 2012) contributed to a 20 per cent decline in ticket sales for the 2012 event in comparison to the previous year. This left Tony Scott with approximately £300,000 of debt that he owed in taxes and to the Surrey Police, Guildford Borough Council and private individuals as well as others. It looked like Guilfest had been laid to rest in 2012.
However, a Full Council meeting on Thursday 10 October in the Council Chambers at the Council’s offices located at Millmead House proved a pivotal moment in the ‘Bring Back Guilfest 2014’ campaign. A petition with 957 e-signatures was presented to the Council as about 120 members of the public also attended the meeting to hear the Council’s response to the petition. Concerns over this year’s ‘Magic Summer Live’ event were raised such as the lack of local business it stimulated for the area due to the no re-admission policy, it’s refusal to interact with local media and the ‘family’ and ‘community’ credentials of the festival.
Realising the popularity of the feeling towards the festival, all 15 of the members of the public who had asked to speak were allowed to do so and a compilation video was played showing many more supporters speaking openly and frankly about their position on the matter. The council listened to the observations of the townspeople and their pleas and did have some reservations such as the security of the taxpayer’s money after £60,000 had been left unpaid when Guildfest went into liquidation last time round. Although this was not mentioned publicly, it was clearly at the back of the council’s mind. Cllrs Matt Furniss and Jen Powell also thought it pertinent to remind the meeting that it was not the council who had decided Guilfest would not take place this year; no actual application for a GuilFest event from Tony Scott had been received.
However, Cllr Matt Furniss encouraged Tony Scott to apply as no other applications had been so far received for next year and passed a motion stating that they will assist any applicant who wishes to hire a park or open space for a major event. Although this did not mention Guilfest specifically, Cllr Anne Meredith did manage to get an amendment accepted before the motion was put to vote. This amendment highlighted the afore mentioned concerns by introducing the contribution to the local economy, the involvement of performers (amateur and professional) and benefits to local residents to the application process.
Cllr Pauline Searle seconded the amendment by stating “The first point I would like to make is my overwhelming pride and pleasure in seeing the video and hearing the speakers. It made me so proud of being a Guildfordian. I have always thought that GuilFest was something special and this has been shown very clearly tonight. There are so many local organisations that get involved in GuilFest in contrast with other providers. To me, it is not just a matter of going to the highest bidder who might bring big names but a proper festival run by local people for local people. This is our park, the residents’ of Guildford park and it is the localness that we are trying to capture in this amendment.”
Since that meeting on the evening of Thursday 10 October, Cllr Furniss has said that it is his key aim to secure a music festival for 2014 and added, “We have yet to receive any formal applications for 2014. Before we make any decisions, we need to make sure any applications we receive support tourism and our community, and do not incur costs for local council tax payers. Following any agreement to hire a park, the organiser is then responsible for the content, promotion and commercial operation of their event.”
The council will consider all reasonable applications and make a decision by the 31 December 2013 on a summer festival event for 2014 and the Lead Councillor for Tourism, Cllr Jen Powell has also said, “The passionate and articulate support for Guilfest demonstrates the strength of feeling of local people and businesses… We hope that residents, visitors and businesses will be able to enjoy amazing events that will also benefit our borough.”
Guilfest once won the title of ‘Best Family Festival’ in the UK Festival Awards in 2006, and it is that level of commitment to the community that the council are looking for alongside a financial nous that allows for a spectacle that the public can enjoy without paying a price afterwards. Will Tony Scott and Guilfest be just that… we are sure there will be more to follow soon.
James Martin
Image sourced from: http://tinyurl.com/pzpwb2j
