The 33rd (in 2011) Ipswich Mayday Festival Was a Blast!
After last years total weather wipeout we had a return to the usual Mayday sunshine for this years festival.
Whatever happened to the Urban Stage?
We know that many of our regulars will be disappointed that this year the Festival has reverted to just one Main Stage. There is no doubt that the DJ Urban Stage of the past ten years brought in many young people to the event and proved very popular with them.
This year we were faced with a difficult choice. We had become victims of our own success and the local authorities felt that the Festival was getting too big for Alexandra Park, which is one of the smaller parks in Ipswich. They advised us that if we wished to continue with two stages we would need to move to another park. Alternatively, if we decided to stay in Alexandra Park, we would be restricted to just one main stage. Another Health and Safety issue also meant we could no longer use container trailers as stages.
When the May Day Committee came to consider this situation, we were faced with a number of issues
- The most important - Expense.
- The May Day Festival has always been a FREE Festival and the Ipswich & District Trades Union Council is committed to that. It is FREE because it is sponsored by Trade Unions.
- Any other money comes from a percentage of what is made on the day through catering sales, children’s amusements and pitch rentals, all of which would not be enough to run a Festival that has overhead expenses like security services, additional toilets, rubbish disposal etc.
- Each year the Festival expense is just about covered by the Trades Union sponsorship and sales on the day. Two years ago we ran at a loss and we had to go back to the Trade Unions to bail us out, which we cannot do year on year.
- Moving to a bigger park would inevitably mean more expense.
- Hiring in ‘proper’ stages would mean more expense.
- Secondly – the format
The Festival is a Trade Union Festival and is organised as a celebration of International Workers Day. This gives it a different purpose than the many commercial Festivals that have grown up over the past twenty years. It has to reflect where it comes from – a recognition and understanding that working people and their families have improved their lives through their involvement and actions in the Trade Union movement. It has to reflect all ages in it’s entertainment and music. - A further consideration is the historical link Alexandra Park has with the Trade Union movement. In the days of the General Strike in 1926, Alexandra Park became the meeting place for the thousands of industrial workers on the docks and the nearby engineering factories. Ever since then, it has continued to play that role for striking workers in Ipswich and when the Labour Government of 1978 brought in the May Day holiday, this Park was seen as the natural and traditional place to hold the celebration of International Worker’s Day. Some may say that’s all in the past, but for active Trade Unionists today that tradition is worth preserving and remembering. It’s not as if we don’t need Trade Unions anymore – just wait until after the coming election!
This may seem a long explanation as to why there is no Urban Stage this year, but these are the factors we had to take into account.
The decision was made to stay in Alexandra Park. However, we have diversified some of the music on stage and believe that there is more than enough to keep everyone happy. So enjoy and show your appreciation of some fine talent that’s doing their thing for free, for you and for the celebration!
