A Guide to Faire Making
 n every community there lies a wealth of energy, talent and skill which, if given the opportunity to flow and merge, can produce a miracle of the imagination. At such an event as a Faire everyone can be involved in everything, whether it's the practicalities of sewage disposal at one minute or the rehearsal of a play the next.
For the first Barsham Faire at Roos Hall we formed a central committee to take responsibility for co-ordinating things, but the most important job was for individuals to contact others, friends, craftsmen, workmates, local organisations and persuade them to come along and join in. The idea was to move away from the notion that an event or entertainment involves two sections; the active party, the organisers, and the passive party, those who pay their money and get entertained. We knew that unless those who came to Barsham contributed something it would be just another form of mass entertainment.
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We chose the medieval theme as a means of eliminating the synthetic and garishly modern. It served as a form of shorthand for the ideas behind the event. We felt that Medieval Faires must have been free-for-alls and that's what was called for, even down to people not having to dip again and again into their pockets once they had passed through the gate.
Through talking to local craftsmen we learnt that many felt that they were working in isolation. Barsham was designed to give them the opportunity to meet, sell and display their work.
I suppose that if Barsham Faire stands for anything it is a belief in the creative energy of every individual, which is a good enough reason to hold a celebration. Anyone can do it on whatever scale they choose and with whatever modifications suit best. Barsham with its thousands is getting rather large for a small organisation to handle every year, but our hope is that other groups, villages, parishes, even streets will want to launch their own Faires. That is why we have written this small book to offer some practical information as to how we sorted out the problems.
May the Greens of England echo to your rejoicing.
May, 1976
Sandra Bell |
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