Dear Organiser
We would like to thank all organisations and groups who are planning events as part of this year’s Festival of Chichester. Your event is valued as contributing to the potential success of the Festival and I hope your involvement will be enjoyable.
Dates for the Festival of Chichester 2015 have been finalised as: 13th June – 12th July. I do very much hope your organisation will wish to take part in the 2015 Festival by organising an event and, to this end, am attaching our Event Booking Form.
WHAT WE DO:
Our role is to co-ordinate events, provide general publicity through a festival brochure and the local press, plus ticket sales through a central ticket booking facility. We are not able to fund or produce events directly, but we will provide a framework to showcase the events which you are organising. You will be responsible for all aspects of production for your event, including hiring a venue, health and safety, licensing and insurance. We will publicise your event in the festival brochure and in general terms in the local press and other media, but you will need to promote your event with posters, flyers and press releases, etc.
We will organise central booking and ticketing, available in person, by post and on-line via our ticket agency Chichester Tickets. There is no problem with you selling additional tickets yourself, but do please allow us to sell a fair number so that people can purchase tickets for all events from the Chichester Tickets box office. You will be able to collect unsold tickets if you wish from the box office on the day, after 4pm. You will also be emailed a list of those attending your event.
Ticket Contracts: we will send you a ticket contract for sales which must be completed and returned directly to Chichester Tickets, not the festival email. No tickets can be sold unless you complete and return the ticket contract.
If you have problems with any of the above arrangements, please discuss things with the festival co-ordinator.
WHAT YOU DO:
You must complete a festival entry form, follow festival guidance, book and pay for your own venue, sign and return contract for tickets to Chichester Tickets, follow Health and Safety Regulations, check insurance for your event and publicise your event via press, posters, social media and flyers. You organise stewarding and interval refreshments. You are responsible for all aspects of your event.
The Form should be completed and emailed back to us in a separate attachment as a word document by no later than 31st January 2015. Please be sure to complete each section as clearly as possible. Please do not change the format of the document.It is advisable, for your own purposes, to retain a copy of the form - particularly ensuring you keep a note of your ticket prices and quantity of tickets. The contact name for your event should be the same on both the Festival form and the Chichester Tickets contract.
Images: Should you have any good quality images relating to your event(s) these should be emailed as attachments to by the same date (JPEG format images of 250kb or more only please, as lower resolution images cannot be used). Please note the inclusion of images in the brochure is dependent upon both the brochure design, space available and the designer’s selection, and we are therefore unable to guarantee their inclusion, but will do our best to incorporate your image. Do ensure your image accurately reflects your event.
LICENSING LAWS
Before confirming your event, please ensure that your venue has a Premises Licence for presenting regulated entertainment. Equally, if you plan to provide alcohol at your event – either for sale or included in the price of the ticket, you will need to check the venue has an Alcohol Licence. Information can be found on Chichester District Council’s website www.chichester.gov.uk and link to Environment and Planning, link to Environment and Health, link to Apply for a licence. Alternatively you can contact the Licensing Officer at the Environmental Health Services on 01243 785166.
PUBLIC LIABILITY INSURANCE
The Festival cannot provide public liability insurance. It is your responsibility as an event producer to ensure public liability cover is in place. Venues often have such cover but you must discuss this with them to ensure you are covered. If not, you will need to find another venue or arrange public liability cover via an agent such as Swintons. (Tel 08451202732)
HEALTH & SAFETY AT YOUR EVENT
As you will be aware all event organisers are responsible for ensuring the events they manage comply with Health and Safety legislation. I am attaching some Guidance Notes on health and safety which I hope you will find helpful and which I would ask you to read carefully. Please be sure to follow the recommendations.
VENUES
There are many suitable venues in and around Chichester. A glance at our website at www.festivalofchichester.co.uk will show which kind of events were held where last year. Most venues have websites you can google for details. Here are some:
Assembly Rooms, St John’s Chapel, St Paul’s Church, St Pancras Church, Christchurch, Pallant Suite, Novium, New Park Centre, Chichester Library, Vicars Hall, Chichester Cathedral, Bishop’s Kitchen, Oxmarket, Otter Gallery, Chichester University Chapel, Old Court Room (North St), Guildhall, Ede’s House, Basil Shippam Centre, Bosham Church, Fishbourne Church, Four Chesnuts, Amelie and Friends, Hillier Garden Centre, Chichester Inn, Hole in the Wall, Boxgrove Priory, Graylingwell Chapel, Woolpack, Pallant Gallery, St George’s Church, Clinch’s, Friends Meeting House, Fountain, Grace Centre, Waterstones, Weald and Downland Museum, West Dean Gardens, Zizzi’s, Fishbourne Roman Palace, Merston Gallery, Regis School of Music (Bognor), Alexandra Theatre (Bognor), Richmond Arms, Newell Centre, Singleton Village Hall – but there are many more venues to be investigated.
FESTIVAL CONTACT
Festival Co-ordinator: Barry Smith 07813244731
Email:
Have a great festival!
Barry
On behalf of the Festival Committee
FESTIVAL OF CHICHESTER
EVENT BOOKING FORM 2015
For organisations wishing to take part in the Festival of Chichester, 13 June – 12 July
(This information will be used for the festival brochure and event tickets)
Please complete a separate form for EACH event and return by email to
the Festival Co-ordinator (07813244731) at
CATEGORY of event:
Music – classical ( ) Theatre ( )
Music – jazz, blues, folk, world ( ) Church ( )
Music – rock, pop, light ( ) Cinema ( )
Spoken Word ( ) Cruise ( )
Community Concert ( ) Food & Drink ( )
Art & Craft ( ) Walks & Trips ( )
Dance ( ) Sport ( )
Open Day/Fete ( ) Beyond the Festival ( )
Day, date & time: please type in below as in example: Monday, June 15, 7.30pm.
______
EVENT TITLE
Name of Organisation
(e.g. Chichester Players)
VENUE
(including postcode)
DESCRIPTION of event (up to 50 words max) for printing in brochure
Ticket price £
Concessions: seniors £ students £ children £
DIGITAL IMAGE: high-res jpeg of 250kb+ attached? YES/NO
*Please name picture file with your event title and date
TICKETS
– PLEASE NOTE: it is a condition of inclusion in the brochure that if possible a reasonable number of tickets for your event are sold via our ticket agency,
Chichester Tickets, for which an agency commission of 10% + VAT is charged.
- If this is a problem for you, you must discuss this with the Co-ordinator before application to take part in the festival.
- You can also sell tickets yourself and on the internet as long as you keep a careful check on numbers sold and liaise with Chichester Tickets.
- Free events are perfectly acceptable.
Do you agree for Chichester Tickets to print and sell your tickets? YES/NO
How many tickets?
FESTIVAL COMMITTEE VISITS: it is a condition of entry that you allow 2 complimentary tickets for Festival Committee members if so requested at the box office. This is so the committee can get an overview of the Festival.
Do you agree to make 2 complimentary tickets available? YES/NO
______
MAILING LIST: Do you agree to pass on to your members/contacts details about the whole festival in the form of our web link or address?
This is to help us get the message out to audiences. YES/NO
______CONTACT FOR THIS EVENT:
Name:
Email address:
Telephone:
Postal Address for payment of your box office receipts:
Name on cheque:
IMPORTANT: If your point of contact changes, the signatory above must notify both the Co-ordinator and Chichester Tickets in writing.
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY the Notes and Letter accompanying this form. Festival of Chichester reserves the right not to include any event deemed inappropriate. Please ensure you have completed ALL SECTIONS OF THE FORM.
1) RETURN THE COMPLETED FORM AS A WORD DOC ATTACHMENT TO THE FESTIVAL CO-ORDINATOR BY 31 JAN 2015.
2) EACH EVENT MUST HAVE A SEPARATE FORM.
3) SEND YOUR FORM IN A NEW EMAIL, NOT AS A REPLY.
4) MARK THE SUBJECT AS FESTIVAL ENTRY.
5) BE SURE TO KEEP A SAFE COPY OF THIS FORM FOR REFERENCE.
6) HAVE YOU SIGNED AND RETURNED YOUR SEPARATE TICKET
CONTRACT TO CHICHESTER TICKETS?
FINALLY, many thanks for your entry and have a great festival!
Health and Safety Guidance Notes for Local Societies
and Organisations taking part in the Festival of Chichester
These notes have been prepared for organisers of events advertised in the Festival of Chichester brochure.
The purpose of these notes is to provide advice and guidance upon Health and Safety matters for those managing such events.
Liability Insurance
It is important that all event organisers have separate liability insurance for their activities. This may be provided by your venue, but it is your responsibility to check that proper insurance is in place. The Festival of Chichester cannot provide such cover for you.
Health and Safety Legislation
The scope of the application of Health and Safety legislation to external events depends upon the employment status of event organisers in particular whether events are organised on a totally voluntary basis or whether the organisers are employed by some other body. These notes assume that UK Health and Safety legislation applies in full to all external events but if there is some doubt with this regard the organisers should take appropriate professional advice. External event organisers are responsible for ensuring the events they manage comply with Health and Safety legislation.
Health and Safety at Work Act
This requires that event organisers take responsibility for the health & safety of employees, volunteers, contractors, audiences and the general public affected by their activities.
Risk Assessment
Health and Safety legislation requires that all activities within the scope of the legislation should be assessed according to their risks. A risk assessment is nothing more than a careful examination of what could cause harm to people, so that they can be weighed up according to whether sufficient precautions have been taken to prevent harm. The remaining part of these notes contain a risk assessment guide and an assessment form which should be completed for each event advertised in the Festival. External Event organisers need to be able to show that a proper check was made and that reasonable steps were taken to ensure any remaining risk to participants is low.
PLEASE NOTE THERE IS NO NEED TO RETURN THE ENCLOSED FORM TO US. HOWEVER WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU COMPLETE IT FOR YOUR OWN BENEFIT.
The ‘golden rule’ when completing the form is to decide whether a hazard is significant, and whether satisfactory precautions have been taken to ensure that the risk is small. Don’t be overcomplicated. Hazards occurring during the external events run during the Festival are likely to be few and simple. Checking them is common sense, but necessary.
Five Step Risk Assessment
Step 1 / Look for the hazards / Look afresh at the event what could reasonably be expected to cause harm? Ignore the trivial and concentrate on significant hazards which could result in serious harm or affect several people. Hazards may arise from activities involving for example:q Everyday Hazards. If crossing busy roads it can be more difficult to manage groups of people. Can the route be varied to make maximum use of pedestrian crossings? Does the route go near deep water?
q Premises. Most venue premises are likely to be certificated by the Fire Authority, but do check with your hirer; it is important that numbers involved do not exceed the maximum permitted.
q Electrical Hazards. Little electrical equipment is used but there may be PA equipment etc. Is the wiring suitable, will the equipment be used outside in wet conditions?
q Tripping and slipping. Loose carpets, uneven pavements, trailing wires etc. – have all reasonable precautions been taken?
q Fire escapes. Do any premises used have sufficient means of escape in case of fire? Are fire exits and gangways kept clear?
Step 2 / Decide who might be harmed and how / q Young people. What age are the participants in the event? Who has the responsibility to supervise them? As a general rule parents/ guardians should be present and responsible for their children. Particular care should be taken where road traffic or deep water is present.
q Elderly and infirm. May find it difficult to gain access to events and need particular help if an emergency evacuation is necessary.
Step 3 / Evaluate the risks / Evaluate the risks and decide whether existing precautions are adequate or more should be done. Consider how likely it is that each hazard could cause harm. This will determine whether or not you need to do more to reduce the risk. Even after all precautions have been taken, some risks usually remain. What has to be decided for each significant hazard is whether this remaining risk is high, medium or low. The real aim is to make all risks small by adding to precautions as necessary.
Step 4 / Record your findings / A note should be made of the risks considered and any measures taken to reduce them. Unless some special risks exist this does not need to be anything more than a brief sentence summarising the hazard and measures taken.
Step 5 / Review your assessment and revise it if necessary / If any changes are made to plans do they make any significant change to the position?
Festival of Chichester Risk Assessment Form