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Ealing Counil to reduce Ealing Jazz Festival to 2 Days.

Disturbing article on the front of the week's Ealing Gazette. It appears that Ealing Council plan to reduce the Ealing Jazz Festival down from 5 days to 2.We are going to have nothing left to enjoy with this shabby run Administration who will definitely not be getting my vote at the next election.

Tony Crumpton ● 3867d5 Comments

Andy You have obviously not been if you think that this festival is/was the preserve of older middle class people.  Although it has not been as good as it was and I don't think that charging helped much - (I wonder whether the costs of charging were more than the takings or benefits of charging).  This festival was a showcase for lots of young musicians as well as older ones - many of them local. Jazz can cover a wide range of music and a couple of days were more blues orientated. The global music was good too.  There used to be lots of youngsters of all ages there but the charging put them off.It does need to be pitched at the broader jazz loving community if you want to interest them in playing as well attending!  We've always loved the finding interesting new players in the small tent.The food stalls were disappointing the last time I went and I hate not having good and interesting alternatives to alcohol on sale.I have never understood whey there is not better advertising of the event on the hoardings or wire netting around it.  I was impressed by the advertising on the tube station turnstiles as you returned home.  It also depends on good weather to be really successful and we have had some awful weather.  And as for the complete lack of coordination of recycling facilities which could and should have been improved year after year with continuity as any other venue would have done...  I am ashamed and I just live in Ealing.

Philippa Bond ● 3858d

Not entirely sure why taxpayer funds should be subsidising this event even if they were not constrained by the current need to reduce spending. There are a wide variety of forms of music that could be celebrated in a festival and why the Council chooses to only support one which is almost exclusively the preserve of older middle class people is a mystery.In addition there seems to be good reason to believe that the festival was pitched at the broader jazz loving community rather than local people. It was usually poorly publicised and now according to Steve Pound ticket sales for more limited festival last year were poor. Clearly time to pull the plug on this one.

Andy Jones ● 3865d

I haven't enjoyed the festival as much since it's been fenced off and 'regulated'. I remember the first one in the 80's (?).

Keith Iddon ● 3865d

Glad to see Tony won't be voting for 'this shabby run Administration' at the next election, by which I assume he mean this Tory government that's cutting public services wherever it can.  This includes taking around £100 million out of LB of Ealing's budgets, so it's hardly surprising they can barely carry out their statutory duties, let alone help out with a jazz festival.

Peter Evans ● 3866d

TBH I think it makes sense to have it as a two day weekend festival

James Feth ● 3867d