GALA Festival 2024 Stakeholder Debrief

[fishboy]

I've just received this via email, it's the annual box ticking exercise so that GALA can be seen to be listening to the local community. Interesting that they've decided not to host it 'hyper locally' (their favourite expression), presumably hoping it will deter some people so they'll have fewer complaints to try to fend off. Also interesting they've chosen to host "drop-in style sessions" rather than the usual hybrid meeting, presumably to divide & conquer; easier to brush off individuals than a collective? Might be worth being organised and turning up as a group?

Hello!

We would like to invite you to the Gala Festival Stakeholder Debrief on Wednesday 7th August at Peckham Levels, 95a Rye Ln, London SE15 4ST.

We have decided to host two drop-in style sessions. This setup allows us to have in-depth discussions with each of you about the outcomes, experiences, and insights from GALA 2024. This is an opportunity for us to hear your feedback, address any specific queries, and discuss how we can improve future events.

On arrival at Peckham Levels please make your way to the bar on level 5 & 6 and one of the Peckham Levels team will direct you to The Auditorium.

Lunchtime Session:

Time: 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Date: Wednesday 7th August

Location: The Auditorium, Peckham Levels

Evening Session:

Time: 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Date: Wednesday 7th August

Location: The Auditorium, Peckham Levels

If you plan to attend please could you RSVP to this email to confirm, if you are able provide a time you'd expect to arrive this would be really helpful too. 

We look forward to hearing from you and really hope you can make it.

Best regards,

The GALA team

[Mrs Y]

Definitely  divide & conquer 

[malumbu]

Well why not have your day rather than dismiss the exercise?  Then report back.

[OutOfFocus]

22 hours ago, Mrs Y said:

Definitely  divide & conquer 

I tend to agree. I will address my concerns to councillors direct.  Or as well.

[Dulwichway]

Well, they seem to be making loads of effort in making the park dryer underfoot for future events.

[Burbage]

1 hour ago, Dulwichway said:

Well, they seem to be making loads of effort in making the park dryer underfoot for future events.

Not quite.

They (i.e. the council, and Thames Water) are doing more or less what they did in Dulwich Park a few years ago, which is to build up some earthworks around the central portion to capture water running off from surrounding roads, effectively turning it into a lake.

To stop it being entirely lake-like, they'll also be burying some "geocellular" storage tanks (a bunch of rocks in cages, but pricier) which is where excess water will allegedly be stored until Thames can be bothered to open a sluice. Unless there's more water than will easily fit, in which case it'll sit placidly on the surface.

It isn't entirely clear how or whether this will make it dryer underfoot, but it's not one of the specified aims of the project, as it wasn't in Dulwich Park, so I don't suppose it will. Happily, though, there don't seem to have been any proper reviews of the Dulwich Park works, or their effects, which is surely as it should be.

https://www.southwark.gov.uk/environment/flood-risk-management/flood-management-projects?chapter=3

 

[tomskip]

Out of interest, how close do you have to live to the park to get this sort of consultation? 

[sunbob]

I live approx 40 yards from the main stage, sent in an objection, have attended previous meetings and still not included in this or various other ones that people post about on here.

[Curmudgeon]

RSVP and say you’re attending 😀

[Cyclemonkey]

They they can't do right for doing wrong for some people can they?

Two sessions is surely to allow as many as can attend, some people may find evenings difficult due to work or caring commitments.  Longer drop in sessions rather than one meeting at a specific time also helps people with constrained time or those who may feel intimidated by the thought of speaking up at a large meeting, planning consultation  sessions are often held this way.   

Peckham levels is local surely - it's about four bus stops from the Peckham Rye area or a nice summer evening  stroll away.

Anyone would think some people were determined to find fault in everything. 

Edited July 22 by Cyclemonkey

[Penguin68]

1 hour ago, Cyclemonkey said:

Two sessions is surely to allow as many as can attend, some people may find evenings difficult due to work or caring commitments.  Longer drop in sessions rather than one meeting at a specific time also helps people with constrained time or those who may feel intimidated by the thought of speaking up at a large meeting, planning consultation  sessions are often held this way.   

There are pluses and minus's here. The major minus is that any general disquiet is somewhat diminished by there being no 'open' session - and no one to keep tabs on what is being said to individuals or groups. In a Southwark session on CPZs for instance my partner was told that the probable time for being active would be weekdays from 12.00 to 2.00 - which wasn't even on offer when the questionnaire was finally published. This isn't by the way a CPZ issue, so don't rise to it, but an example about the way this sort of consultation in general can be manipulated. On the plus side it can involve more people - which is clearly a good thing.

Edited July 22 by Penguin68

[fishboy]

Ok, for clarity, this meeting is being organised by GALA and will be hosted by their PR team. It is likely there won't be any councillors or council officials in attendance. If you've been to the previous format meetings you will know that they will listen to your complaints / praise / suggestions, nod their heads, make the right sounds, make promises and assurances that they'll do better next year, then just do the same as last year. I'm being realistic, not negative - why would it be any different from previous years? Except rather than facing ten or twenty engaged, experienced locals it will be three or four of them against individuals - much easier to manage!

As for location, I presume these meetings are supposed to be for the very local people who are most affected by it, there's any number of closer venues (that they've used before) so why make it a long walk / short bus trip for us? 

And the middle of August? No one's on holiday then, are they?

If anyone didn't get the email and wants to go, write to [email protected] I'm sure they'll be happy to accommodate you...

 

Oh also, the works going on now have got nothing to do with GALA or attempting to make the ground drier. It is to create flood containment areas to cater for a "once in a 100 years" storm event. So once they're complete, unless this dreaded storm occurs, it will look much the same as before but with some small "bunds" (metre high earth barriers) on the NW perimeters of park & rye...

[OutOfFocus]

On 19/07/2024 at 15:32, fishboy said:

and discuss how we can improve future events.

Imrove future events by not having them. 

[Cyclemonkey]

It does sound like you are finding things to complain about - the event was held in Peckham, they are holding the consultation in Peckham.  Peckham Rye to Rye Lane is not a long walk for goodness sake.  For those with mobility issues there are plenty of buses.

I understand and appreciate the concerns people have,  but the eyeoreish determination to relentlessly criticise a generally well run festival that is keen and willing to engage with the community seems a bit baffling to me.

[first mate]

It would be better to hold a meeting adjacent to the venue, as has been done in the past. Let's not pretend that holding the meeting further away from the venue is not a useful deterrence to attendance.
 

Holding a series of smaller meetings  is just another way to divide and rule. This smacks of a tick box spin exercise, where the aim is to control the narrative rather than make significant changes to the event. If there is to be no council representative attending then that is even worse. It is the council that truly call the shots on all this.

[Angelina]

One could naively think that setting up a meeting with invited locals to discuss issues arising from the recent Gala is the correct approach and we should commend the organisers for being so proactive.

Sometimes you need to think about what should happen and see how far apart they are.

To have a proper review, with full intention to follow up on any lessons learned, there should be a full fact find.

This should be accessible to ALL residents (not just those invited) and should embrace other methods than one in-person session (they could send out a survey via Southwark website, or local social media). The council should be involved as well.

There should be a compilation of the main issues raised and importance. 

Follow up should be based on addressing each point. The council should be involved. There should be accountability and a clear way forward, as agreed by all.

So - the gap between what has been set up as a one day by invite meeting, is far, far away from what it should be, if the organisers truly wanted to listen and make improvements.

Perhaps a clue would be that the meeting is set up by the Public Relations team - it's just a tick box. to be seen to be doing the right thing.

Edited July 23 by Angelina

[malumbu]

Go to the meeting, state all these things that you are unhappy with, ask them how they will respond and how they will personally engage with you.  Alternatively you can complain on social media 😉

[kiera]

Cyclemonkey - the event is not held in Peckham - it's in East Dulwich.

Gala try to assert that their amplified music event in these fields in Peckham Rye Park are part of the Peckham music scene, whereas, in fact, these fields are in a quiet park in East Dulwich bounded by residential streets and much used by these residents for walking, family activities, picnics, ball games, sitting and reading and other non-intrusive leisure activities.

Gala have previously held these de-briefing meetings in a venue close to the residents who are affected by the Gala event.  Why can't they hold it in a building in the park rather than trying to push us out of our comfort zone into the Peckham clubbing and entertainment area.

 

[first mate]

1 hour ago, Angelina said:

One could naively think that setting up a meeting with invited locals to discuss issues arising from the recent Gala is the correct approach and we should commend the organisers for being so proactive.

Sometimes you need to think about what should happen and see how far apart they are.

To have a proper review, with full intention to follow up on any lessons learned, there should be a full fact find.

This should be accessible to ALL residents (not just those invited) and should embrace other methods than one in-person session (they could send out a survey via Southwark website, or local social media). The council should be involved as well.

There should be a compilation of the main issues raised and importance. 

Follow up should be based on addressing each point. The council should be involved. There should be accountability and a clear way forward, as agreed by all.

So - the gap between what has been set up as a one day by invite meeting, is far, far away from what it should be, if the organisers truly wanted to listen and make improvements.

Perhaps a clue would be that the meeting is set up by the Public Relations team - it's just a tick box. to be seen to be doing the right thing.

I agree and I'll bet the invitation list is a carefully curated mix of those for and against to maximise the narrative Gala wants.

It should be an open meeting, available to all local residents.

[Cyclemonkey]

Oh come on "being forced in to the Peckham clubbing and entertainment area", however will you recover from the horror of having to go to *gasp* Peckham on a weekday lunchtime.    You are just taking the piss now.

Also Peckham Rye has an SE15 postcode so it is Peckham *bangs gavel*

More seriously, as a veteran of running and taking  part in these types of events,  I suggest that all of these concerns are sent to the Gala team part of your feedback - including fears of going to Peckham.  I would also venture  as is not the King's Garden Party,  if you were to forward on the invite to interested friends and neighbours who would also like to attend, it probably won't be an issue.

Edited July 23 by Cyclemonkey

[Angelina]

little bee in your cycling helmet?

 

[first mate]

The only person actively taking the 'p' is you, Cyclemonkey.
 

This is a serious issue for some locals and I do not think anyone has expressed a 'fear' of going to Peckham, so kindly cease the misrepresentation.

You say you are a veteran festival organiser and attendee of such events, are you involved with the Gala event and organisation in some capacity? 

[Cyclemonkey]

No involvement with Gala at all.  For full disclosure I have attended Gala as a punter and enjoyed it - I have also attended many other festivals and events in various local parks . 

I never said I was a festival organiser - I said I have been involved in public consultation events over the years both as an organiser and attendee and gave my view that the way this is being run is pretty normal and not some sort of conspiracy.

Anyway I will leave you guys to you misery and carping.  You seem to enjoy it.

 

 

Edited July 23 by Cyclemonkey

[first mate]

Thanks for the clarification. If I have understood, you have lots of experience in organising and attending feedback sessions after these sort of park events, but you have no stake in this one? Will you be attending this Gala feedback meeting? I cannot remember if you are local or not?

It is worth considering that objections to this event are not born of a hobby of revelling in misery and carping- as someone who says they have organised and attended feedback sessions it is surprisingly narrow-minded of you to frame objections in this way.

I am sure the event is enjoyable for those attending, I doubt they'd pay if it were not. But, that personal pleasure is at the expense of access to a lovely part of the park for many others, also impacting the park in terms of damage.

Out of interest, do you support Gala's aim to extend the event? Would you like to see the park hired out for further events, as has been done with Brockwell Park? 

 

[Jules-and-Boo]

There is always one who trolls, to provoke and get a reaction and change the tone of the message and conversation.

Don't let that happen. The concerns raised about the way the feedback has been arranged seem very valid.

Perhaps a way forward would be for a list of complaints to be compiled (and any suggestions to deal with those points) and emailed to the Gala organisers, the council, the newspapers, and as many show up as can to get answers - even if only to be able to record the answers and again share with the council, newspapers and larger local community.