# [Sat 21st Sep 2013] Brisfest! (Bristol)



## dervish (Sep 12, 2013)

So who's going to Brisfest then? 

http://www.brisfest.co.uk/

I've decided at the last minute to work it, so I'll be working Saturday afternoon for my ticket, but they are only £35 to buy one so really not expensive. Writing this, I've just realised that the Boxettes are playing which makes me VERY happy. 

So cheap if you have a bit of money, six hour shift if you are skint. Who's coming?


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## JTG (Sep 12, 2013)

Me! Am due on site Monday to do site build, may well stay up there all week to help. Then have volunteered to be artist liaison/runner at the Roots Stage all day Saturday. Sunday is my day off 

Loads of volunteering places available, this is not for profit, community centred, run on a shoe string and absolutely brilliant so please put your hand up if you have time!

What are you doing derv?


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## dervish (Sep 12, 2013)

Dunno yet, stewarding somewhere on saturday probably.


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## JTG (Sep 13, 2013)

I hear from someone tonight that they REALLY need people to lend them hands and everything else to get the show on the road... so please, anybody, take a look at the web site and see if you can give them a few hours


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## William of Walworth (Sep 13, 2013)

This does sound good. I'd genuinely love to offer help if I wasn't off to Alchemy next w/e. Good luck with everything.


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## JTG (Sep 19, 2013)

Right, this guest list is looking a bit spartan, won't be much of a party if it's just me and derv there!

Site build is coming along nicely, bit damp this afternoon but there are stages, bars, fences etc in place so it definitely looks like a festival now!

The Soundclash area looks like it'll be good. Come on, anyone else coming for an end of summer stomp Bristol style? Tickets will be available on the gate...


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## Geri (Sep 19, 2013)

Is it in the mansion or outside?


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## JTG (Sep 19, 2013)

Outside - the bit where the Balloon Fiesta is


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## dervish (Sep 20, 2013)

Weather's going to be good as well. http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/BRISTOL-WEATHER-Dry-weekend-Brisfest/story-19822663-detail/story.html


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## Monkeygrinder's Organ (Sep 20, 2013)

I'll be going. My brother is 'crew' (read: hanger on who's blagged a pass for doing a bit of fetching and carrying) for the Neverlution tent so I expect we'll mostly be there listening to breakcore.


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## JTG (Sep 20, 2013)

Well come round to the Roots Stage and say hi to me Saturday. I can play all day Sunday but it still means missing Amental, DJ Producer and so on


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## wiskey (Sep 21, 2013)

JTG said:


> Right, this guest list is looking a bit spartan, won't be much of a party if it's just me and derv there!



It's alright werv and I are coming now too


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## butchersapron (Sep 21, 2013)

Is it true that the workers are workfare?


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## wiskey (Sep 21, 2013)

butchersapron said:


> Is it true that the workers are workfare?



afaik there's only two paid staff and everyone else is a volunteer?? I don't know how true that is.


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## butchersapron (Sep 21, 2013)

Watch this space!


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## butchersapron (Sep 21, 2013)

Brisfest, or workfare fest?



> Brisfest, a “community” festival in Bristol this weekend appears to be confusing the word community with workfare, as seen in the “community” football club Plymouth FC. When trying to recruit their volunteers on their website they hint at also offeri ng “work placements”. Though people attending the work programme in Bristol have made clear that these work placements are not voluntary and people are being coerced and pushed by Prospects into applying to work for no wages at Brisfest – though other Work Programme providers are also pushing the placements. In the Work Programme where there is a constant threat of benefit sanction, recruiting through the Work programme will never be voluntary. The Brisfest slogan “All for talent. Not for profit” should probably also state “Not for wages”.


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## DaveCinzano (Sep 21, 2013)

It may well be that BrisFest doesn't use any workfare 'volunteers', but responding to a direct question about it with...



> we offered people on jsa the chance to volunteer with no deposit, so that they can gain skills and also enjoy a free festival ticket that they prob can't afford whilst on jsa



https://twitter.com/MsABooKay/status/381116794645520384
https://twitter.com/MsABooKay/status/381116676408082432

...seems oddly opaque.

In the circumstances, a straightforward statement of some kind would make more sense.

Eg

"We do not and never have taken volunteers from workfare programmes where there is any hint of coercion" (ie, it's definitely not true)
"We take the allegation that any of our volunteers have been in any way coerced very seriously, and we have raised the issue with JC+ [or whoever] as a matter of the utmost urgency and await their clarification" (ie we don't think it is true but we are checking anyway)
"We made a mistake and it won't happen again" (ie turns out it is true, we just didn't think, but we're sensitive to the concerns raised)

Certainly it would be a shame to have a dark cloud like this hanging over an otherwise pleasant community event when there is a simple opportunity to clarify the issue rather than obfuscate on it.


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## wiskey (Sep 21, 2013)

I was asking about it earlier and the general consensus seemed to be that litter pickers and site services crew were paid because there weren't enough volunteers but pretty much every one else seemed to be there for free because they wanted to. 

Interesting to read what you posted though.


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## JTG (Sep 22, 2013)

Strange, I've been up there all of the past week and haven't met anyone who isn't there for any reason other than that they want to be and want a ticket.

Will ask though.


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## JTG (Sep 22, 2013)

DaveCinzano said:


> It may well be that BrisFest doesn't use any workfare 'volunteers', but responding to a direct question about it with...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That all makes sense but tbh I doubt very much that they have had any time whatsoever to even think about formulating any kind of response (assuming that there's nothing to hide). There's a show to run and there isn't anyone involved in it that isn't rushed off their feet right now.

I know they've had some disabled workers there last week but didn't have any inkling of workfare involvement until last night when I read this thread. More information would be nice if it becomes available.


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## JTG (Sep 22, 2013)

OK, from Brisfest's facebook page in response to questions:



> Rachael. Your information is complete inaccurate. We are an organisation completely run by and for volunteers. We post our placement opportunities in Job Centre but we absolutely DO NOT use Workfare. It's very upsetting to us that you would post this. We're all volunteers too! None of us working for Brisfest receive a wage, we do it for the community.





> Hi BRISFEST, many thanks for clarifying. It sounds like the Jobcenter or their contractors may be trying to coerce people into taking your placements non-voluntarily without your knowledge? (I believe that the Boycott Workfare campaign have got their info from people who are currently unemployed in Bristol)





> We would never sanction that Rachael. If they are doing it, it is completely without our approval. We will try to get to the bottom of this.



That seems pretty unequivocal to me


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## JTG (Sep 22, 2013)

So, can I ask: what were the 'placements' being pushed on people? One standard volunteering shift or something else/more than one shift? How many people do we know were pushed in this direction and how many people ended up working at the festival?

Was any attempt made to ask Brisfest about this before the story was published? If so, what was their response?

BTW, I shall be up there later and during the week for breakdown. I shall be asking people how they came to be working there. I would appreciate corroborating evidence from the other side if you have it


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## DaveCinzano (Sep 22, 2013)

Who are you asking?


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## JTG (Sep 23, 2013)

DaveCinzano said:


> Who are you asking?


Whoever. I'll pester Boycott Workfare when I have time.

Still really sceptical that this is something deliberate on Brisfest's part - at the end of each volunteering shift they send everyone off to get their deposits refunded and they haven't said anything about there being some people who don't have one due to being placed by the Job Centre etc. Haven't spoken to anyone who isn't doing it because they want to (and I've met loads of workers) and haven't met anyone doing more than one shift who isn't well into the whole volunteer/community ethos of the festival. I'd have thought I'd have picked up on something like this by now.

I know one of the volunteer managers very well, didn't see him today but will pounce when I get the chance. 

Tbh seeing those snidey quotation marks around the word 'community' on that link really bugs me. If the festival were guilty of deliberate involvement in workfare I'd rethink my work with them, but I just don't believe it.


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## JTG (Sep 23, 2013)

Anyway, fantastic weekend  Primal Scream were on fire tonight, Come Together was epic. Bristol's got talent and I'm proud to have been involved in such a great show


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## dervish (Sep 23, 2013)

From the site people I spoke to there was no question, they do not use workfare,  they did post some positions in the job centre however. Sounds like people misunderstanding/looking for a story to me. It was a fantastic festival full of people who wanted to be there to make it a fantastic festival.


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## JTG (Sep 23, 2013)

Boycott Workfare really need to have a serious think about how they operate. Talk about losing credibility with people likely to be sympathetic towards them


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