WestEustonPurplePoets A Poets Calendar Planning a Poetry Festival or Conference ........................................................................... Kim Morrissey's FESTIVAL PLANNING Which culture is friendship? What colour is laughter? We're one family And we learn from each other.           -- Purple Poet "Babushka" .................................................................................................................. Safe Assumptions To Make about Poets* 1.      Poets rarely have any money. 2.      If you move poets from A to B,          half end up at C          and the rest end up at D. 3.      Poets like to talk to each other. 4.      Poets find it almost impossible to make choices at a Conference. *poets, playwrights, fiction writers, biographers, journalists, artists, musicians, academics etc. FOR A CONFERENCE, IF POSSIBLE: Offer Billets. (ASS. 1). Offer free or cheap accommodation. (ASS. 1) If possible, offer the accommodation in the same  building or hotel with all the other poets. (ASS. 1,2,3) Where-ever possible, combine the accommodation with the Conference Rooms, so that if the poets get lost, they're still in the same building. (ASS. 2) Give every poet a name tag which attaches to them in some way, with the name, address and phone number of their accommodation on the back of the name tag. (ASS. 2) Never include more than two events scheduled for the same time. (ASS.  4) It is preferable to have only one event, so poets don't have to make choices. Leave time between events for people to talk/eat/etc. (ASS. 3) Leave time at the end of each evening for the party. (ASS. 3) If the poets are travelling separately, arrange for someone to meet the poet at the airport/train station/coach station and arrange to have someone take them back to the airport/train station/coach station in time to get on the plane/train/bus. (ASS. 1 and 3). Offer free or cheap food throughout the Conference and check that there are free or cheap drinks available, and assign people to check that the toilet facilities are adequate throughout the Conference (including an hourly check on necessities such as soap and toilet paper). (ASS. 1, 2, 3,4) This is an educational site. © resides with Kim Morrissey. All rights reserved. For permission to use any of this material please contact the West Euston Time Bank. poetry by the WestEustonPurplePoets London Time Banks are supported by The Community Fund, the Association of London Government, the King's Fund and Bridge House Estates Trust