EC PAPERS NOVEMBER 2017

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Liberating Arts A ‘conference’-pricing model was also adopted, which is familiar to both trade unions and academics, whereby institutions pay a higher fee by way of a subsidy to the event. Thus it became central to our funding model that trade unions would send funded delegates to the event at the higher institutional price, and that similarly Universities would fund academics to attend. We were then offered the possibility of moving the festival to Exeter University with no venue costs. It was recognised that Exeter is not a perfect venue for an event that aspired to attract delegates from all over the UK but the venue was free and with a maximum capacity of 200 and 2 no accommodation costs, we would be able to offer standard tickets at £69 per person. Although this is not an unreasonable price for what was being offered if you add on to it the cost of travel and accommodation it again rises to over £200 and is still a difficult sell . This was recognised at the time but 3 given the options it seemed a risk we would have to take. In early March Doug met with management at Exeter University and it was agreed that Exeter University would be the hosts of Liberating Arts, at no cost to the GFTU, and that Exeter University Marketing Dep. would help promote the event. It was agreed that a first draft programme would be in place by the end of April. An ‘Open Call’ was put out to academics and creative activists and the Producer began pro-actively contacting professional artists who had been identified by the Organising Group as potential performers for Liberating Arts. It had already been agreed that all professional artists would be paid professional fees and that the GFTU would cover the hotel and travel costs of all speakers/presenters/performers. 4

Ideally Liberating Arts would have been held in Manchester, Birmingham or London. 2

Our prices are comparable to The Battle Of Ideas but tickets for The World Transformed 3 were £10 for 3 days and the Tolpuddle Festival is £38 per adult festival pass + £20 per tent + £10 per car parking.

Other than academics, whom it was assumed would be funded by their universities. 4 4 Producer’s Report 06/11/2017