Tally
counters were in use at the three entrances between 1:30pm and 4pm.
They counted 1609 entries. We guess that a further 400 arrived at
other times, making about 2000 visitors. Visitor feedback forms were
available from information points or enclosed in the programme. They
were mainly filled in by prompting from an interviewer, but many were
'unsolicited'. 64 forms were returned, representing 206 people, 10%
of the total attendance. Totals do not sum to 2000 because of
rounding errors. It is unlikely that the figures are reliable beyond
the first significant digit.
Sex
[sample 206] 1200 (58%) female, 840 (42%) male
Age
[sample 206] (adjusted to the age ranges of grant applications)
AGE
NUMBER
AGE
NUMBER
0-
4
150
0-
5
170
5-14
400
6-10
200
15-24
430
11-16
240
25-59
910
17-18
90
60+
120
19-25
300
26-59
870
60+
120
About
600, many more than expected, were children under 16. 56% of forms
were from groups with children, averaging 2.1 adults and 1.7 children
per group. Those without children averaged 2.5 adults.
Ethnicity
[sample 191]
ETHNICITY
NUMBER
White
1700
S
Asian
70
E
Asian
90
Black
50
Mixed
60
Other
0
There
were a number of S Asian attractions, but attendance was less than
predicted. There were fewer black people than expected. We have
noticed at previous festivals this year that it is difficult for
organisations to attract visitors outside their own cultural group.
Perhaps better targetted publicity, with events more relevant to
other minorities, is needed. The Council could help to jointly
promote these festivals, especially in the right media, presuming
they have more expertise and contacts than any individual group.
30%
of respondents considered themselves pagan, about 600 people. One
respondent declared himself “half pagan”, being so
impressed by
the festival!
Disabled
6
respondents considered themselves disabled, extrapolating to 60
disabled visitors. These included non-obvious disabilities.
We
asked
visitors what they liked, disliked, and what they wanted to see in
the future.
The
commonest like was 'everything'. The venue and atmosphere were
praised, eliciting more than just an answer. The various dance and
music events were well liked. The sacred space, kids' stuff and
Vikings were also appreciated, especially the free attractions.
There
were few dislikes, the overwhelming response being 'nothing'. The
lack of choice in food and drink,
and the paucity of toilets
(there were 3) received a few comments.
These
two topics were emphasised in the 'future' section, where the
commonest response was 'nothing' or 'more of the same' Although not
figuring in the 'likes' section, people wanted more workshops. This
is probably a reflection of the small venue used for workshops. Some
people missed events and requested repeating them during the day.
This may be better solved by better pre-event publicity and a more
rigid schedule The complaints about the lack of publicity were few
but strongly put, and well founded. The requests for amplification in
the music and poetry area identify another problem. Other suggestions
included putting on a play, involving local schools, and making it a
two day event!
A
sample form and some feedback forms from visitors and emails from
participants are enclosed.
How
did you hear about us? [63
forms]
SOURCE
PERCENT
Word
of
mouth
51%
Walking
through
14%
Press
11%
Flyer
10%
Library/Tourist
Info
6%
Museum
Events Guide
5%
Web
3%
Many
of the
'walking through' people had obviously stayed to explore the festival
judging from the wide range of attractions mentioned by them.
