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Åmål’s Blues Fest
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INTERREG IIIC – SUSTAINING SMALL EXPANDING TOWNS (SusSET)
: PROJECT ‘BEST PRACTICE’ proforma
Theme: Tourism Town & Country: Åmål, Sweden
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Project Title: Åmål’s Blues Fest organized by Åmål’s Blues Förening (=Association) |
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Description:
Oldest & largest Bluesfestival in Sweden since 1992. Blues-music in all styles, all over town; streets, restaurants, pubs, cruises with ship & train, exhibitions, clinics, 2 main stages with international artists and visitors. Budget approx. 2 million SEK, no EU funding. |
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Objectives:
A homage to Afro-american music culture, for over hundred years the foremost notable music platform for modern western music. Also treated the most unfair of all styles of music by the white society (media). |
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Process/Stages:
Started 1992 without no experience of organizing a festival. Self taught, learning by doing, looked at other festivals and events. The meetings with people in all different skills, occupations and levels was one of the best ways to learn what to do and not to do. After 6-7 years of organizing the organisation begin to grow into the form that we have today. Better place to build the main stages (Hamnterminalen) and increasing understanding and acceptance for the work we do at the authorities. Learn the hard way. |
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Outcomes/Results:
From an amateurish party to Sweden’s no. 1 blues event.
From budget SEK 100.000 to over 2 million.
Business in Åmål’s town, as measured by the Board of Tourism in Västra Götaland 2001, approx. 10-14 millions. Beware! This is only counted over 2 days, we have visitors that arrive in Åmål the weekend before, as we extended the blues music in the pubs/restaurants from Monday to Sunday.
Sponsors is hard to get. But its more of a national problem. No tax reduce for sponsoring culture in Sweden. |
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Learning Points:
Grow slow and it will succeed. You can’t always have nice weather!
Hard to convince the authorities & companies what will be the outcome of a blues fest.
Create contacts with all & everyone – the best ways for PR are mouth-to-mouth.
Work hard to convince all the other associations what benefit they can get.
Never lay back and think this is `enuff of the stuff´. Improve all the time. |
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Contact Information:
Åmål’s Blues Förening / Nils Lönnsjö, cellphone: +46 (0)706 64 80 18
bocklarud@telia.com
www.bluesfest.net
www.amal.se/Eventsite
BLUES OFFICE, Kyrkogatan 10, SE-662 31 ÅMÅL, Sweden, phone +46 (0)532 71398
info@bluesfest.net |
Notes:
- Describe the project in one or two sentences (including costs and whether EU funding)
- List the key aim and/or objectives in no more than 30 words
- Describe the key stages of the process, including timescale and if drawing upon best practice from elsewhere
- Summarise the key results and learning points in one to three bullets
- Give contact details, e.g. person, website, organisation, link to others
- Keep to a single page
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