So after a really useful chat in the tutorial class with my peers, thanks Nyema and Sophie you were both really helpful. I have the feeling that I would like to consider more the idea of an arts community centre, rather than a festival. It makes a lot more sense, in terms of aligning with my ideas of community building and I feel it’s something that is missing in many cities. A festival is nice, but the festival market is quite oversaturated, so I’m struggling to find a USP.

After talking with Sophie and Nyema, it was clear I didn’t have a USP, just some floaty ideas and I couldn’t figure out how to fit in something that wasn’t clear into an overcrowded market. I decided to shift my idea to a local arts and culture community centre, run by a combination of paid workers and volunteers. This has a much clearer, goal, target audience, and USP. I’m really grateful to Sophie and Nyema for their feedback and helping me realise where the problems lay. I now feel like I have a much better plan. 

Goal: To provide accessible space at a reasonable cost for local people to use and to provide a base for people to meet each other, build networks and community

The space includes:

• Multidisciplinary performance space
• Music studio
• Arts studio
• Cafe/bar

Having a permanent space to operate out of is far better in terms of building community since it’s available all year round and gives people a central space to operate out of. The performance space, music studio and art studio will be available on a sliding scale to keep it financially accessible.