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Communications officer Urban Circle
What was the initial aim behind the festival?
As reggae music lovers, the aim of Reggae & Riddim festival has been to build stronger bonds between Jamaica and Wales. Our aims furthered into encouraging healing and repair through music and experience, and these two aims we will move into the next event.
What was the planning process like?
Planning started at the beginning of the first lockdown. Our senior youth worker was in Jamaica as a student of a natural farming, a course lead by Rastafari Conversations. We developed an event in 2021, which was about a sustainable project that would encourage positive outcomes.
Were you surprised by the turn out and the feedback?
Urban Circle has been doing events for over 10 years now. This was certainly the largest event we have done but with so much time to promote and with new skills learnt during Covid, we applied everything we had and worked hard with our new staff. The scale was expected, so we had to put a cap on the numbers, so the site was maintained and safe to use. We have a responsibility to not burden the infrastructure at the National Trust site.
What was the best part of preparing for the event?
The best part, was the weekly chats he had with the artists from Jamaica, and confirming the visas to the UK as the airports reopened after Covid.
Will it be on next year, and if so what can we expect?
We are planning on a bi-annual major event with cross Atlantic exchange project in between. So every two years we will do the big event and in-between a smaller and intimate cultural and education event. This is so we can continue to learn and grow at a pace that is sustainable and good for the environment. Also it gives us time to raise funds to put on such a large.
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