Robyn: FESTIVAL

The festival week started energetically: condensing the 24:7 headquarters office into a taxi-load and settling into our new home onsite at New Century House. One day I was out and about collecting supplies from other venues in the North West which were very kindly lent to the festival, and dropping off tickets and clues for our Festival week challenge Treasure Hunt, which utilized the #247treasure hashtag in mystery locations close to the Festival’s heart.

I was interviewed by Laura Gatie as part of her FITD/PANDA placement, and this was a brilliant moment to reflect on what the whole Management Team was about to undertake.

The opening days of the festival were filled with lamination, exclamation, and jubilation. The atmosphere onsite is constantly positive, with at least three writers and actors from this year’s productions to be found at any one time, ready for a chat and full of theatrical beans.

My own tasks through the festival have included bar shifts, more office admin assistance, and making live tweet content from the productions. We are privileged as FITD members by being encouraged to attend as many of the productions as possible between running our own events, and the community has been incredibly welcoming, friendly, and receptive to all forms of commentary.

The Herding Cats Convention and Festival 10^th Birthday Party ran largely as Sarah (From last year’s stellar ‘Billy, the Monster, and Me’) and I had planned, including a cake buffet, comedy Photobooth and expert Panel which balanced the Festival programme in a really lovely way. Halfway through the Festival, our current tasks include collating production reviews, engaging in more office responsibilities, and problem solving on a general scale. I’m now off to help Harry Jelley (other office intern from FITD) with a Poetry Slam event he has produced!

Robyn – July 2014