Representing BARAC UK at Glastonbury 2016; a report by Parisce Francis

BARAC team at Glastonbury with left to right Parisce Francis, author of this article, Felicia OluTease, Barbara Ntumy (Team leader) and Aaliyah Oke 

Team member for this year's BARAC team for Workers Beer at Glastonbury writes on her experience.

If you are interested in volunteering next year get in touch or watch out for updates.  BARAC.info@gmail.com. 

Glastonbury 2016 by Parisce Francis

I had told myself that 2016 was going to be the year that I finally go to Glastonbury, but I didn’t get

tickets. They sold out in a stupidly small amount of time and I missed out even though my mum, my

friends and I all tried. Needless to say when I saw the BARAC request for volunteers on Facebook I

was beyond happy.

I have been to a few festivals before in the UK and around Europe but I have never worked one

before. Let me tell you I will never be buying a ticket again! Volunteering is the way to festival!

Honestly, my first impressions were not great but that was completely outside the control of BARAC

and Workers Beer Company (WBC). What should have been a 4 hour journey (according to Google

maps) ended up as a 16 hour trip and the majority of that was spent in a traffic jam within 5 miles of

the festival site.

The coach from Manchester arrived in the WBC campsite, known as the village, just as breakfast was

beginning to be served, so my disappointments fell away as my belly filled. During breakfast I met

Aaliyah, a member of my BARAC team. As a group, we had chatted a bit over Whatsapp but not met

in person. Aaliyah showed me about; the showers, portaloos, posh toilets, where to set up my tent

and introduced me to the rest of the team; Barbara and Felicia.

The village is definitely one of the reasons why I’d volunteer again. It is located pretty centrally;

there are hot showers, toilets that flush and somewhere to charge your phone. We were also given

2 meals a day and 2 drinks vouchers after each shift. Within the food/beer tent there was a laid

back, community feel which meant that even if you started off sitting alone charging your phone,

within a few minutes you’d be swapping stories about the crazy people you’d served the night

before. Similarly it was nice to walk around the festival site and see familiar faces.

If I had any hesitations about working at the festival before going, it was about working behind the

bar. I have been at festival bars where the queues are 30 men deep and have seen people get angry

with thirst. But that was nothing to worry about; it was really easy and fun. We had a quick brief

before our first shift and were then put to work. We got a pretty good deal; 2 shifts starting 11am till

5pm and 2 starting at 10pm till 3am. Behind the bar you could still feel the party vibes. Our first shift

was in an old school garage tent and when the DJ dropped little man looking at us you would’ve

thought we were on the dance floor.

My time at Glastonbury differed greatly from my previous experiences at festivals, not only because

I was there as a volunteer, but because of the company I was in. Usually I’d go with my friends from

Uni but as the girls I was with this time are political activists my experience differed due to the topics

of the conversations we had. As 4 black women we discussed everything from the transgressions of

white men wearing afro wigs as fancy dress to vintage clothes shopping, to gender identity of/ in

children. Other people in the WBC village were volunteering for a range of social or environmental

causes/groups so conversation was never dull with other teams too. Being around such politically

active and aware people when the result for the referendum was announced was pretty special.

Now I’m home (and mud free) I think Glastonbury definitely lived up to the hype, it was huge! 2016

was not about headliners (no offence Adele) it was all about grime, seeing Novelist get the crowd to

chant ‘f**k David Cameron’ isn’t something I’ll forget. But even if music isn’t your thing there are 

so many other things going on like the cinema, comedy stages, even a healing circle. I definitely

recommend volunteering and  if you are there next year I’ll see you there!

Go to Festivals including Glastonbury, Latitude and Tolpuddle for free and raise money for BARAC at the same time

Dear BARAC supporter,

Go To Festivals for Free, Work Bars and Raise Money for BARAC UK

Would you like to fundraise for Black Activists Rising Against Cuts (BARAC UK) by working festival bars at Latitude and Glastonbury? 

If so please read all this e-mail first before responding.

Get back to me at the very latest by 2pm on Thurs 10th March with your interest (barac.info@gmail.com and cc :donnaguthrie118@hotmail.com)

Also confirm a good email address you monitor regularly and your latest mobile number where you can pick up texts - a speedy response to information requests is sometimes needed. The same is required NOW of any friends you hope to bring.

We are looking for volunteers to join our teams of BARAC volunteers that will raise funds for our campaign by serving at some of this year’s most popular music festivals. This year there are places available at 3 festivals;  Glastonbury, Latitude and Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival.

Please read the details here carefully so there is no confusion about the minimal requirements of your arrival and departure times.  

Please also check with your employer and family NOW that you can be available for all that time.  The end of this e-mail also summarises what you give and get from the whole experience.

Here’s how it works: volunteers get free entry to the festival in exchange for working shifts (between 4 and 7 hours per day of the event) serving for Workers Beer Company (WBC) and £7.00 is paid to BARAC for every hour you work to help fundraise for the campaign work we do. Free coach travel is included from designated UK points supplied by WBC and you must arrive in that transport to gain access to the festival site.

Glastonbury

Dates required to travel/be onsite: Tuesday 21^st June, and remain onsite until Monday 27^th June 
Total no of days onsite: 7

Latitude

Dates required to travel/be onsite: Weds 13th July and remain onsite until Monday 18th July

Total no of days onsite: 5/6

Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival (very limited places available)

Dates required to travel/be onsite: Saturday 16th July, leave Sunday 17th July

Total no of days onsite: 2

If you want to know more about what working the bars involves and costs see the end of this email

We are just at the stage of putting in a bid but we need firm offers so we know we can deliver the bid. Nothing is confirmed until we get our allocation at the beginning of April.

Glastonbury is extremely popular and you are not guaranteed a definite place by responding to this email.  If you offer to do more than one festival that is great, but you must be able to deliver for all that you offer, unless you specify you can only make one.

Remember our bids are serious, so we have to deliver if we offer so please make sure you are serious about what you can do.  Please do not let us down at the last minute as we have to fill our allocation or be penalised financially, so make very sure you can deliver and we will try and return the favour.

If you hope to come with friends we need their name, e-mail and phone number NOW. Also think of the smallest group size that will go e.g. would you go alone?  Or with one other(name the person etc).

Friends have to be reliable and hard working! You will be representing our campaign and will be seen as a member of it and our reputation at the festival rests with you.  All funding raised will help BARAC in campaigning effectively.  So while the experience is fun it has a serious dimension and requires responsibility.

Remember what you give and get:

·        Bars are organised by the Workers Beer Company and we provide one of many dozens of teams of volunteers, many from the Trade Union movement

·        You have to be over 18 now

·        You get free entry to the festivals

·        You work a shift of between 4 and 7 hours per day of the event -you have no choice about shifts so often miss headliners, but there are 18 more hours of the day to fill and enjoy

·        Secure campsite with showers, toilets, canteen and bar provided

·       2 meal vouchers per day will be issued for use in the canteen

·        2 drinks vouchers will be issued at the end of each shift worked at a nominated bar on the site or in the WBC campsite bar

·       Volunteers will be required to bring all their own camping equipment

·       Transport will be available from all over the country: volunteers are required to use this option. There is no facility for camper vans and car parking can only very rarely be provided

·       You will work hard on the bars (bar experience is NOT required) and spend a great deal of time on your feet communicating with the general public and conditions can be challenging due to the unpredictability of our weather,

·       You need spending money to survive the rest of the festival

·       Our campaign gets £ 7.00 for every hour you work: Thank you for your support

Call if you need advice or have a question. We look forward to hearing from you again soon, please reply to the email below with FESTIVALS in the header.

Kind Regards

Donna Guthrie, BARAC Women’s Officer on behalf of BARAC UK

barac.info@gmail.com  and cc: donnaguthrie118@hotmail.com  - To be used for all correspondence