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Find good examples
Going to big events helps you understand what a good festival looks like. But only from the viewer’s point of view. You see that there’s a nice atmosphere and people and good music around. But that’s not enough to start something of your own.
At foreign festivals I often ask the organizers to give me some details and let me into the backstages. It helps to learn something new and understand how to use it. But it does not save me from mistakes and difficulties.
In a couple of years of organizing, everything falls into place. That’s the length of time it takes to start doing something more or less normal. It’s harder with gaining experience from festivals. There are no moments that you look at and think, “Why didn’t anyone do this before.
Follow the trends
Organizers should have a sense of time. You can’t have the same festivals from year to year – everything changes. Some things are harder to feel over time due to age, but there are trendsetters and people to consult with for that. Stereoleto has a night scene with electronic music. It has its own curator who has experience with similar events and knows the musicians. It’s okay to listen and get people involved.
On top of that, there has to be an internal feeling that you’re doing it right. Regardless of your age, you can always tell if it’s relevant or not. Even if you’re not exactly on topic.
Find a venue.
The venue should be chosen from the options that are already available in the city. Doing it yourself is too long and expensive. When found, with minimal means adapt the site for the festival. The physical condition of the site must be at least satisfactory. There are many old abandoned plants and factories, but to hold an event there, you need to invest millions. Not even to make them comfortable, but just for safety.
But it’s easier to find one than to negotiate. There are great venues, but they’re run by people who aren’t willing to make contact. In most cases, you have to talk to the administration or organizations that manage the site.
Sometimes it is easier to negotiate with officials than with some structure. It depends solely on the person. It is believed that you can come to an agreement with the city only by collecting a mountain of paperwork. This is a myth. If there is interest from their side, everything will go well. If not, even with a stack of documents no one will provide a site.
