Congleton Unplugged and Congleton Jazz and Blues 2021
We have received some enquiries about what we are planning for our 2021 events, please be assured we want to get some great music and a fab festival atmosphere to you. We are already looking at options for CJAB 2021 which we will plan to take place August 28th and 29th. In the meantime here is our view of the situation as it stands today.
A couple of notes first;
HOW WE OPERATE;
Our main festival offerings are based upon FREE entry gigs, this means that we need to maximise the numbers of people (usually inside a venue) in order to make this viable, this goes against the current HMGOV CV19 guidelines for the hospitality sector which is based upon reduced numbers in venues in the Tier 1/2 option (England), Tier 3 closes venues.
.........So we need the CV19 situation to change so that we are back to maximum numbers of people in venues, OR we need to review how our festivals operate ........we are doing this review now.......
Where we have offered ticketed gigs (usually at Unplugged) we need a high attendance to make these work. We would consider a subsidy to cater for a smaller audience, where we can get sponsorship/funding, however all this adds a high degree of complexity and costs to organisation of these events. While there is a risk of change in the CV19 situation and its impact on venues/ticketed events we feel we cannot plan any ticketed events at this moment. We will review this situation.
CONGLETON UNPLUGGED - MARCH 5, 6, 7 2021;
It is very difficult to plan for this event over the first weekend in March 2021 given where we are with the current CV19 situation, it sounds like restrictions (such as Tier 1/2) in the hospitality sector may continue after the current lockdown has ended. Essentially anything we plan for Unplugged in March 2021 would be at a high risk of not going ahead. We will keep a watch on this situation.
CONGLETON JAZZ AND BLUES - AUGUST 28, 29 2021;
We are very much more hopeful for August 28, 29, the Saturday and Sunday of the August Bank Holiday weekend. We may need to plan the event in a different way to make this happen, we are already looking at options of how to run the event and to deliver it on a much shorter plan timeline. It usually takes a year to plan this event, we think we will need to deliver a programme and promotion plan within a few weeks of August 28/29 rather than the months we usually take! Whatever we do will need to be flexible in case we need to work to any changed circumstances.
WHAT'S NEXT
We need to talk to venues and artistes, ask them what they are thinking of doing and keep them abreast of our thoughts, we have started that conversation................... and we need to talk to you...... our audience.....!
Updated 20/11/20
Congleton Jazz and Blues 2020 Videos
CJAB 2020 Virtual festival, the links to the Virtual Festival and the documentary charting the early days to current of the festival are here for you to look peruse at your leisure. The documentary is 51 minutes long or you can view it in bite size chunks;
CJAB 2020 Virtual festival (1 Hour 16 mins);
The Alex Clarke Quartet
Robin Pierce solo
Jim Kirkpatrick and Heavyweather
CJAB Documentary;
Full documentary (51 mins)
