The blackboard of targets

We're sitting in the Mayfest office on College Green in central Bristol. It's above an empty shop and is lent to us by Bristol City Council for free as part of their brilliant scheme of offering arts organisations use of empty buildings. Our desk is a trestle table pinched from Bristol Old Vic. The wall we face was painted black by the previous tenants, and we're using it as a blackboard to scribble down ideas for the festival. At the moment it is covered in names, groups and websites to target for our wefund campaign. We've even drawn a little Blue Peter style counter where we're chalking up our progress. It's hard work, this fundraising lark. We're learning quickly that the key to success is a constant stream of near-bullying of friends, colleagues and people you've never met before. And we're trying combine this with organising a festival in a few weeks time. So what's happened since we uploaded the project? 1. We've been bowled over by the support we've received in just one week - although we still need MORE people to donate. 2. We've been plotting our free opening party at Bristol Old Vic on Thursday 5 May 3. We've announced our first commission with Theatre Bristol - a two-week semaphore soap opera called Saved Me by Bristol-based company Search Party. 4. We've updated our rewards: the photographer Bex Wade, who took some beautiful photos of our venues last year offered a print of one of the photos for anyone who donates over £250. 5. We've developed the concept for the Basement theatre at Bristol Old Vic, which will become a late-night cabaret venue during the festival 6. We've *almost* finalised the programme 7. We've eaten 1 packet of Viennese fingers, 1 packet of Hob Nobs, 1 bag of fruit pastels, 5 bananas, 6 apples, some apricots, a bag of giant chocolate buttons, some cashew nuts, 1 packet of Thorton's Millionaire Shortbread, some skittles sours, lots of tea and coffee, until George broke the kettle. 8. We've been cooking up some exciting plans for our participation programme with Theatre Bristol. The list goes on... Please, please keep on circulating this project to your friends, family and colleagues. We really need to meet our target, and we haven't got long to do it! Over and out Team Mayfest