We have listed many of the Frequently Asked Questions below. We hope it answers your question about Rhythms of the World....
Rhythms of the World (ROTW) is a registered charity number 1090835. The Rhythms of the World festival, originally organised by the local Oxfam campaigns group, is now organised entirely by volunteers. Since its birth in 1992, the festival has evolved into one of the biggest world music festivals in the UK with more than 31,000 people in attendance over the two days in 2011. People come from all sectors of the community and the event features music, arts, dance and cuisine - both from around the world and the local community. ROTW became a Limited Company in 2000 and gained charitable status in 2001.
A community festival is a fun, creative and inclusive way of achieving our charitable mission and objectives, these are:
•To provide an opportunity for people to engage in community activity.
•To provide a bridge of common interest and meaningful interchange between different age, race, ability and economic groups in the community.
•To provide a stimulus to the arts in the region.
•To provide an outlet for the energies of young people.
•To educate our audiences, our volunteers and our artists.
•To raise the national profile of the area as a cultural and commercial centre.
•To bring together people of all ages, races and genders for an enjoyable weekend watching and participating in music and a wide range of arts performances.
The festival is a massive undertaking and a Committee of volunteers work year-round to ensure it is successful. In addition, as the charity has become more financially stable we have begun to develop anOutreach programme 'Rhythms in your Community' which aims to bring the essence of the festival to people who might not be able to attend. We also work with schools and other community groups on our art projects and have launched a series of ‘Rhythms of the World presents’ events which showcase festival acts year-round. Each year the festival makes a healthy profit , we aim to develop these sides of our work further. Take a look at our News page to see what has happened recently and what’s coming up.
Over the course of two days we host around 140 music acts from all over the world and the local community, there is a chance to see community arts projects; relax in the chill out area; sample food from around the world; support and find out more about local community groups; buy a wide range of products from the craft stalls on site and get involved in an array of games in the arena. The weekend offers something for everyone - whether it is the music, enjoying our multicultural community or simply trying something new.
Ticket prices for the 2012 festival were priced at £10 for adults and £5 for youths (6 to 17 year olds). Children aged 5 and under were free when accompanied by a paying adult.
Once you leave the festival site you won’t be allowed back in unless you buy a new ticket. It is a condition of the licence that there is no re-admission to the site. No exceptions can be made, so please make sure you’ve brought all you need for the whole day, although there are lots of stalls on site.
Yes. Everyone is allowed to bring in their own food and those aged 18 or over can bring the equivalent of 750ml of wine (in a plastic container) or four normal sized cans of STANDARD strength beer or cider onto the Festival site. Spirits cannot be brought on site as no glass is allowed, however you can bring in 4 cans of pre-mixed spirts eg. Gin & Tonic but NO home mixed spirits. Please note the festival operates a strict Challenge 25 policy so please bring ID with you. There are a variety of bars, selling a wide range of alcoholic beverages and soft drinks, open on site for the duration of the event. There is also a general store selling soft drinks and other items such as nappies and suncream as well as a huge variety of food stalls from around the world.
Yes. The festival is run solely by volunteers and over 800 people volunteer their time to support the charity. We are always looking for more people to get involved. There are a range of opportunities, from helping out over the weekend by stewarding for a minimum of four hours to helping to co-ordinating the festival throughout the year - such as by booking acts, managing ticket sales, promoting the event, designing artwork, managing the website and much more. You can give as much or as little time as you like; any contribution is valuable. Please see our volunteering page for more details.
There are many reasons why people volunteer for ROTW - gaining work experience, sharing professional skills, looking to give something back to their local community, meeting new people and simply having some fun. As well as receiving refreshments while you’re volunteering, as a thank you for getting involved you’ll get free access to the festival for the rest of the day and receive a special Volunteers T-shirt.
Visit the volunteering page to find out more, or for a chat about how you can help, please contact either of our volunteer coordinators: Alison Watt - 07834 363626 or Jo Winstanley - 07879 487445 or email them. Alternatively, pop along and see us in the market square on the four Saturdays leading up to the event or contact us via Facebook and Twitter
If you notice a lost item after the festival please email us with your name, a contact number, email address and a clear description of the item. We receive hundreds of enquiries so please only email once and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Lost property claimed has to be picked up by the owner from an address that will be provided if the item is found. We are not able to post or deliver any items found and we do not take responsibility for the safekeeping of lost property. Any property that has not been claimed by 17 August will be recycled if possible or otherwise disposed of.
ROTW is a special event. It draws people, not only from Hitchin, but from across the county, the east of England and further afield. ROTW provides a fantastic opportunity for your company to be seen supporting the local community, different cultures and the arts. This award-winning festival prides itself on its ethical approach and is world renowned. To promote your company through the festival will provide you with good brand awareness, an opportunity to meet your corporate social objectives, a chance for your staff to volunteer their time and a platform to speak to a captive audience of up to 30,000 people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds. Previous sponsors have included HSBC, The University of Hertfordshire, =LV and John Lewis, as well as a range of local companies. Find out more on our sponsoring pages.
We have sponsorship and advertising packages to suit every budget and are always looking for donations of products and services to reduce the costs of hosting the festival. Please contact our sponsors team.
Yes. ROTW is a registered charity and we rely on the generosity of individuals to continue our work. Ticket sales contribute towards the running of the festival but we need donations to meet the full costs of the event, achieve the aims of the charity and truly benefit the community all year round. Please visit our Donations page for more info.
Yes. The pews from St. Mary’s Church are brought onto the festival site for people listening to acts on the St Mary’s Stage. A number of the bars and food stalls also provide seating. However, with up to 30,000 people on site over the weekend, we highly recommend you bring your own, portable chair to guarantee a seat.
No. Parking is strictly limited and restricted to essential vehicles only. ROTW cannot be held responsible for anyone who receives a parking fine for parking illegally.
Sign up to our Facebook or Twitter pages, use the Expression of Interest forms on the Get Involved pages or see the Contact Us page of our website. Please note – everyone involved with ROTW is a volunteer so we may not respond immediately. Please be patient. Thank you.
We regularly send out information about the festival, fringe events, artist line-up and calls for help. If you are interested uin any of these things please signup.
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