Strawberries and Dream... Strawberry Fair is such a wonderful event for Cambridge and the surrounding
areas, and the kids area is brilliant. It's a perfect opportunity for
us teachers to talk to parents in a relaxed atmosphere, while knowing
that our own child is also happy and safe. We were able to talk to many
parents about why we are opposed to the government's plan to test 4
year olds, many of them had not heard about the plans or our campaign,
and our stall at the fair was a wonderful opportunity to inform them,
as well as to recruit new teachers. *** It was brilliant! We had 5 young members running the stall as well
as some not as young, we spoke to about 250 people and gathered petitions
for a living wage at the County council. We sadly ran out of application
forms but hopefully got some members out of it. It went all too soon! *** Thanx for the opportunity for allowing us to have our
own stall at Strawberry Fair, without you we wouldnt have taken
part! Thanks so much - it was a brilliant day and the Tree stage was great
with the river view behind. Very cool.
*** Ben's band is becoming more confident every time they play, thanks so much for all the opportunities you give all these young people, it helps them in so many aspects of their lives, not just their music. It was great to see Ben achieve something that a few years ago he wouldn't have dreamed of being able to do due to lack of self-confidence and opportunity. It has increased his confidence and awareness of opportunities outside college that are worth getting involved in to develop musical talent and personal skills. And Love Music Hate Racism is such a brilliant cause... I bumped into some of my year 10 students at the fair and I am now a 'cooler' teacher than before!
*** We did enjoy the Fair on Saturday! I was very sorry we had to leave early, I could have happily stayed for the whole set, thank you for organising.
I was extremely proud to see my son and daughter and his friends performing. It's really impressive that they can work together to cover songs and even write their own when they have practised together only a handful of times. The reason Johnnie wanted to learn guitar was because he wanted to perform and be in a band, so having the opportunity to play live really gives him something to aim for. Being in a band has taught him a lot about commitment to his fellow band members, and I think that he has learned to be quite responsible about organizing practice sessions and learning his music. He really enjoys performing and I think that having this chance has helped to grow his confidence.
*** It's very fun to show off our music to others our age,
and to listen to theirs. Before playing I saw some kids much older than
us and I got quite scared and nervous. After I was very proud and couldnt
wait for the next time we go onstage. We will continue to write our
own material and to show it off to the public. *** The Love Music Hate Racism stage at strawberry Fair is such a good
platform, not only for new and established bands to showcase their music
to a diverse audience but also to support a very worthy cause. It is
fitting that Cambridge, as a beautifully multi cultural city, leads
the way in highlighting how music can unite communities against racism.
This is what Munik have to say individually about the
day...
"It is important to have stages like this one because
they actually mean something and a cause like this brings people together
" Stephen
***
Well I personally thought that when the opportunity to play at the stage was a great way, not only to get our music heard on a fun and chilled out platform, but it was also a really good way to reflect on how there's a whole lot that can be done in the name of good by playing on a stage such as this which promotes such a positive message, and to be a part of that is always good opportunity and always a fun way to spend an afternoon .
*** Standing Like Statues were really happy to be asked by Richard Rose to headline the stage for Love Music Hate Racism at Strawberry Fair 2015. It was an intimate affair, much quieter than the other stages, and still managed to attract a decent crowd who appeared to really like the atmosphere and diversity (both in age and genre) of the stage. It was great to be able to mull about the fair and enjoy all that it had to offer, and then play a chilled out set in the evening up in Scarecrow Corner. I think it would be great if the stage could grow in size, it would certainly attract a decent amount of people if the sound could be louder and have a better clarity. I think that Love Music Hate Racism is an important part of the Strawberry Fair ethos, and that it should be given more recognition considering that.
*** We, Inter City Crazy Train, had a great time at Strawberry Fair 2015 and had the opportunity to play on the Love Music Hate Racism stage. The stage was handled well by the organisers and had a consistently welcoming atmosphere to all the bands that played, as well as the diverse audience who liked what they heard throughout the event. We thoroughly enjoyed playing with not only younger bands and budding musicians but also some terrific local stars who all appreciate the purpose of the Love Music Hate Racism stage; to raise as much awareness of the inequality and prejudice propagated in our community so we can fight back. We support this cause and would love to play again in Strawberry Fair 2016!
*** Cambridge Love Music Hate Racism and R*E*P*E*A*T would like to thank everyone who made this day possible, including the organisers of the Fair and the stall holders, whose kind donations helped fund the stage. Special thanks to the NUT, UNISON and NUJ for their support, plus the man from HSS who went out of his way to get us power...
More pix here
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