From: "Hunter, Kurtis L." <khunter-AT-siemens-emis.com>
To: "'puptcrit-driftline.org-AT-lists.driftline.org'" <puptcrit-driftline.org-AT-lists.driftline.org>
Subject: RE: [Puptcrit] Attracting people to festivals
Date: Fri, 6 May 2005 14:35:53 -0500 



Robert,

I don't have kids, so I can't speak very directly to how hospitable
festivals are to kids.  I have taken a nephew to one regional and one
national festival when he was in grade school and he (and I) had a blast.
That's really not the same situation as a family with kids, though.  What
forms has the hostility that you mentioned taken?  There are a lot of
festival issues that don't have easy or even clear answers, but making
festivals family friendly seems like it should be doable.  I'd like to hear
more from you or anyone else and see if there are any concrete things that
we can do for this year's fest.

Thanks,
Kurt

www.PuppetFest2005.org   


-----Original Message-----
From: puptcrit-driftline.org-bounces-AT-lists.driftline.org
[mailto:puptcrit-driftline.org-bounces-AT-lists.driftline.org]On Behalf Of
Robert Smythe
Sent: Friday, May 06, 2005 1:57 PM
To: puptcrit-driftline.org-AT-lists.driftline.org
Subject: [Puptcrit] Attracting people to festivals


Fred,

There is nothing mysterious about  choosing whether to go to a festival 
for me. I have two considerations:

1) using vacation time to go
2) using work time to go.

Solution (1) means that my whole family uses its vacation time to go to 
a festival. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: festivals are 
not hospitable to children, and I have refused to force my family to 
spend our time together at place where they are not welcome. And I 
don't care what the "official" position on this is: I have seen (and 
heard) too many expressions of hostility aimed at my children and 
others at festivals that no amount of workshops and day care will cover 
up. Face it: why would any parent spend vacation time at a place where 
the entire family is not welcomed all the time?

Solution (2) means I am taking time away from running my company to go 
to a festival. There are many conferences and conventions where 
professionals take time away from their business concerns to congregate 
with like-minded people and expand their abilities to do business. I 
have yet to read of or attend a festival where the time spent could 
legitimately categorized as a business expense.

I have had great times at festivals and I value the relationships I 
formed and deepened while there. I think this is the main reason people 
attend them. However, if you don't already have relationships with the 
puppeteers who regularly attend, or you have other obligations for your 
time at work and with your family, there is really no way to attend 
festivals that makes sense, other than a deep and abiding love of 
puppetry. And sometimes that is not enough.



On May 6, 2005, at 2:33 PM, Angusson-AT-aol.com wrote:

> PofA has upwards of 2000 members +- and has remained at this level for 
> a few
> years. We all know that for every member, there are possibly two other
> puppeteers who do not belong. How do we located these? How do we 
> attract them?  Do
> they even know about PofA? One of the great mysteries.

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