Scotland’s biggest community festival, Glasgow’s West End Festival, celebrates its 21st anniversary this year, with a packed programme of events from Friday June 3rd to Sunday 26th.
We spoke to festival chairman, Liz Scobie:
How does the planning for the festival start?
Well, although the West End Festival takes place in June every year, clearly hoping for sunshine, it’s a 12 month a year process by the board. We meet throughout the year to plan and get the finances together.
In terms of themes and what you want the programme to include, is that something that is decided quite early?
Yes, very much so. This year for example we wanted to put quite a lot of focus on events at the bandstand in Kelvingrove which is a relatively new resource to us since it was refurbished. It’s an absolute jewel in the crown to have that open air facility available to us in Kelvingrove Park over the four weekends of the festival.
Are there other venues that you are particularly fond of?
Obviously we’re blessed in the west end to have these two amazing parks as outdoor venues so we try to make as much use of them as we can. Essentially though, any place can be a venue and as a result we have events that take place in restaurants, cafes, bars and places like Oran Mor which are part of the festival programme.
This year we have Belle and Sebastian performing a series of concerts in the Glasgow University Union. There’s the Grosvenor Cinema on Ashton Lane.
Singing seems to be something of a theme to the festival programme and Belle and Sebastian are an obvious highlight.
Well this is the 21st year of the festival and it’s Belle and Sebastian’s 20th year so we thought it was a nice idea to have a bit of a celebration. The band had performed a much talked about gig for the festival in 2004 in the Botanic Gardens to tens of thousands of people.
They are doing various events for us actually this year – they’ll be singing in the Debating Chamber of the GUU, they’re also going to be introducing a season of their favourite films at the Grosvenor. They are also doing a punk-themed keep-fit class, which will be quite interesting. We’re absolutely delighted to have them.
The bandstand will also be showcasing local choirs with a celebration of singing. Within the programme as a whole I think we have over 30 choirs taking part, as well as solo performers.
It’s obviously fantastic news about the Belle and Sebastian gigs and some of the other headliners – they have a strong association with the west end – but the mainstay of the festival is really the local community groups and that’s something to be applauded.
That’s very true, the festival has its roots very much in the community. A couple of years ago the west end won the Best Neighbourhood in the UK Award from the Academy of Urbanism and I know that we were interviewed by their judging panel and were seen as part of that community.
We also rely on volunteers, the whole thing is put together on a shoestring budget. We get a lot of energy and ideas and support from local volunteers.
We get the sense that the west end festival is looking at options and trying to make the events the best fit for what you can achieve throughout the year, would that be right?
Yes, we introduced a winter festival in the Botanic Gardens, a Festival of Light. The first year was hugely successful, the second year was pounded by wind and rain but was still successful. People seemed to like that so we’re just shifting some of the great resources we have here in the west end.
As a result of the second year of the winter festival, did that have an impact on this summer’s festival, is that why there is no parade on Byres Road this year?
It’s one of the reasons. One of the reasons we started the winter festival was to raise funds to put into the summer festival. Over the years our funding has decreased quite dramatically, as has everyone in the arts due to cuts.
The costs of putting on something like the parade are quite monumental. I don’t think people realise how much is involved in closing the road, paying for policing. So I think that definitely contributed to the decision. The parade is on hold for this year and we do hope to bring it back bigger and better.
Is there an element of the festival that you particularly enjoy?
I like around now, seeing people pick up copies of the programme and sitting in bars and cafes, marking off what they are interested in seeing. That always makes me pleased about all the effort that went into completing it.
Certainly the concerts at the bandstand will be special and it’s great to have Belle and Sebastian not just for one gig but working with us at the festival. I think also, this year, because there is no parade, people will actually look at the festival beyond that one day and realise it goes on for most of the month on June. The other thing that we’re very proud of, if you look through the brochure, just the amazing number of events that are free. You could essentially tour the west end festival and find something free virtually every day.
There’s been a lot of new openings in the last few years in the west end but there’s also been pressure on some of the independent traders in the area. What’s your general feeling about the west end right now? Has there been a positive change in the last few years?
I think it’s positive since the Business Improvement District work started around Byres Road and the lanes – you only have to drive around that area to see the work that’s going on like the pedestrianisation of certain streets.
I think the BID proves there is a willingness in the traders and the national corporates in the area to ensure that there’s an uplift in the area, that it’s a welcoming attractive place.
Part of that focus is on more pedestrian areas and more public areas, so you’ll probably end up with more outdoor venues for future festivals.
Over the years we’ve initiated the partial closure of streets and I think that encouraged people to go for the pedestrianisation now. And you’re right, there will be more outdoor venues and safe, traffic free areas for people to enjoy.
I think the whole café culture has added to the area. I’m just thinking about the amount of places that, weather permitting, crowds can spill out into the street during the summer. I think that’s encouraging.