Rupert,
Just read this and one thing to add without pouring cold water on your idea
is that 5 to 6 days does seem very ambitious for a not tried-and-tested
project. It's not just the loyality base that needs to be built up but it
is difficult to drum up 'mid-week' support from outside when any substantial
travelling is involved. And East Anglia, much as I love it, isn't the
easiest place to get to.
When we were forced to move Sheffied Poetry International to a Saturday
instead of midweek we thought it might be a disaster with people prefering
to see films or go partying or go to music venues on a Saturday night.
Amazingly they didn't but added to that we started getting lots of people
travelling from outside the county who said they would have come to the
earlier readings but couldn't get time off work mid-week. And Sheffield is
a slap-bang centre of the country and as easy access as you can get. I
think Friday night to late Sunday afternoon (giving out-of-towners enough
time to get back home on the Sunday evening) is a more ideal time-span for a
burgeoning festival and you can pack a load of events in during this time.
Anyway just a thought to chew on.
G.
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