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In response to "the blueprint" released by the partnership of the Country Music Association of Australia, Events NSW, Tamworth Regional Council and Tourism Tamworth, the Stakeholders Group has put together a detailed response which has been delivered to "the partnership" and can be found on this website.
In support of our response, we are compiling a series of articles looking at the various aspects of major concern, this is the first article...
A suggested Tamworth Country Music Festival structure for the future
The Tamworth Country Music Festival is owned by the community and not by any one organisation. It is not a ’Äúgated’Äù event controlled by one entity. It is open to all and there are literally hundreds of ’Äústakeholders’Äù.
Sure, there has been wide community consultation about the ’Äúblueprint for the future’Äù released recently by a partnership of the Country Music Association of Australia (CMAA), Events NSW, Tamworth Regional Council and Tourism Tamworth.
But who makes the final decisions?
At the moment, this power apparently lies with ’Äúthe partnership’Äù that is not representative of the people who make the annual Tamworth Country Music Festival happen. The question is therefore not so much about its content but about the process and lack of transparency that has led to the creation of ’Äúthe blueprint’Äù.
Instead of seeking genuine community representation, the four partners were self-elected to make decisions affecting the entire event.
While Council and Tourism Tamworth are obviously local, the Board of the CMAA includes only two Tamworth members and staff and Events NSW is, of course, Sydney based.
So where are the representatives of the local businesses and organisations that actually create the Festival year after year? Despite an earlier offer for the Stakeholders Group to be represented at ’Äúpartnership’Äù meetings, this did not materialise.
Now, in looking to the future we would like to see, in the first instance, a new Festival umbrella organisation in place.
Following is an outline of our suggestion to the ’Äúblueprint’Äù compilers:
Vision or Mission Statement: A body which would nurture and oversee the general operation and direction of the annual Tamworth Country Music Festival.
It should have a general membership representative of ALL stakeholders, elected executive and office bearers and ultimately a paid co-ordinator.
It should be constituted as a co-operative, trust or statutory body or possibly a Community Management (s355) Committee of Tamworth Regional Council.
It should be empowered by Council and other community organisations to make decisions on matters concerning all stakeholders but would preserve the rights and responsibilities of individual organistions to ’Äúdo their own thing’Äù under the umbrella.
Details of structure, funding, responsibilities and membership can be discussed in detail once the principle of an independent, representative, body is established.
Principles:
’Ä¢ The independent body’Äôs function should be to co-ordinate and work with all the many individuals and organisations which create the festival. It would define areas of Festival responsibilities. It would determine questions that affect all these players.
Its prime role should be to create a fertile environment where entrepreneurs and stakeholders are encouraged and motivated to maintain established events and innovate and run appropriate, successful and financially viable events within the Festival framework. For example, fix dates, support and contribute to Festival publicity and promotion, negotiate with other bodies over sponsorship issues, encourage new players, discuss and try and solve existing problems such as accommodation and entertainment costs and trouble shoot and represent stakeholders concerns over issues like artist access, etc.
Its funding, if and when it is decided to employ a paid co-ordinator, would come from a number of sources including community sources and member contributions. However, funding cannot be derived from activities which in any way encroach on those already employed by its members.
’Ä¢ It must not be involved in directly organising events. If it becomes an operator itself or is involved in selling or servicing sponsorship, it will forfeit its impartial status and will quickly lose support from stakeholders, some of whom it will inevitably end up competing against.
’Ä¢ The body must be totally representative of all stakeholders (including, of course, major players Council and Tourism Tamworth). It should include, for example: the Hoteliers Association, local media, Moteliers Association, CMAA, Chamber of Commerce, independent artists, involved businesses and other groups.
’Ä¢ Each of these players would continue to focus on doing their own thing, promoting or running their own activities within the framework provided by the ’Äúumbrella group’Äù. Council would continue to hold responsibilities for its own venues and precincts while Tourism Tamworth would continue to exercise its overall promotional activities for which it was created by the community.
’Ä¢ Because of its broad representation and transparent nature, the ’Äúumbrella group’Äù would have the moral authority to make decisions that affect everyone.
’Ä¢ However it would not have the direct authority to dictate to any individual Festival participant.
’Ä¢ It could have a paid Festival Co-ordinator to work with Festival participants.
’Ä¢ It must be a totally transparent organisation with local media access at all times except on issues affecting individual members financial or legal matters.
’Ä¢ To work it must have total Council and Tourism Tamworth endorsement and authority behind it.
’Ä¢ It could act also as a catalyst in bringing local industry groups together to support the Festival again, support which has diminished over the last few years.
Tamworth is not like any other Festival. It is a complex, self-perpetuating organism where energy, passion, finance and expertise are channelled into the overall event by many different commercial and non-commercial operators.
Under this template, an independent entity would encourage and support these existing and new players without competing with them.
Being broadly representative of the stakeholders, it could have a tremendous beneficial influence on the future of the event.
Next in this series: What is our real Festival market?