WOFA News

Images of Whitstable Oyster Festival

2008-07-21T23:19:00.007Z

Now that the Whitstable Oyster Festival is well under way many people have started to post Festival photographs and videos on their personal blogs web sites.

In collaboration with InCT5.co.uk everyone can now view their favourite memories of the Oyster Festival to the collection at Images of Whitstable.

The images donated will form the basis of the archive of Whitstable images to be made freely available as part of future Festival publications for the benefit of the town and its visitors.

Stop Press: The Whitstable Wishes event, where 500 lanterns were released from the beach carrying wishes to the heavens, took place on Saturday 27th July. A short video has been uploaded on youtube so that everyone who was unable to attend can see their Wishes going skywards.

Whitstable Oyster Festival - Whitstable Wishes video.

Still images of all events are at www.inct5.co.uk/gallery

2008 Whitstable Oyster Festival programmes.

2008-07-04T21:49:00.005Z

With the 2008 Whitstable Oyster Festival just two weeks away the much sort after programmes are now available around the town.

To control the distribution the Whitstable Oyster Festival Association have placed supplies with the shops and businesses who have provided sponsorship and support to the Festival. A list of these Sponsors and Festival Friends can be found on the Festival web sites.

In addition, copies are also available from Community venues such as Whitstable Library, Whitstable Museum, the Umbrella Centre, the Horsebridge, and local Post Offices.

The 2008 Whitstable Oyster Festival has many new events along with the historic events that portray its roots. 19th to 27th July 2008.

Oyster Festival to star on TV

2008-05-07T00:24:00.003Z

This year's Whitstable Oyster Festival is attracting more attention than ever before thanks to a huge interest from television.

Meridian Television is currently putting together a special feature about the festival and will be filming on several dates during the festival, include a live broadcast on Friday 25 July.

And the popular BBC programme Coast, seen by around 3.5 million people, will begin its next series later this year with an episode focusing on Whitstable. The programme will be concentrating on the Oyster Festival and filming is scheduled for Saturday 19 and Thursday 24 July.

Festival Coordinator Mair Stratton said the interest in the festival from television is proof that the hard work involved in promoting and developing the festival is paying dividends.

She added: “In recent years the festival has gone from being a small local event to something that people across the country are beginning to recognise. It continues to go from strength to strength and has proved itself a real asset to the community and the town’s businesses.”

This year’s festival takes place from Saturday 19 to Sunday 27 July and features an eclectic mix of events, from traditional pageantry to numerous arts and community activities, with an increased focus on food and drink.

Whitstable Oyster Festival is funded by Canterbury City Council and organised by the council in partnership with the Whitstable Oyster Festival Association.
(Original post from Canterbury City Council).

Whitstable Oyster Festival takes shape.

2008-04-24T20:14:00.003Z

This week Mair Stratton, the Festival coordinator, praised the enthusiam and passion of the people of Whitstable in the Oyster Festival.

The full programme details will be released in a few weeks, once all the events are agreed. This year more local and national sponsors have seen the benefits of aligning with the Festival, seen as a great, wholesome and unique range of events.
Whitstable Oyster Festival Association secretary, Brian Baker, thanked the residents of the Town in welcoming Mair saying, "WOFA members constituted the majority of the interview panel when we were looking to appoint a new coordinator. We chose Mair as the person best able to help us develop the sustainability of the Festival into the future.

"The massive amount of hard work she has put into forging new links with all sectors of the local community together with the new ideas she has developed jointly with the townspeople bode well for this and future Festivals.

"In working alongside Mair, and with the professional support of Canterbury City Council's Arts and Creative Development team, Whitstable people have forged partnerships that are not only giving local people more say and involvement in their own town, but paving the way of the continuation of such events in regard to current legislation."

WOFA is always keen to talk to any residents or businesses who have ideas for the Festival, or wish to get involved in supporting, planning or delivering the Festival in any way. WOFA can be contacted through it's website www.wofa.org.uk

Whitstable Oyster Festival Business Meeting

2008-02-05T00:42:00.001Z

Held on Monday 4th February at the Crab and Winkle Restaurant, Whitstable Harbour, this meeting allowed WOFA to meet local business owners and outline their plans for the 2008 Whitstable Oyster Festival.

Introduced by WOFA Chairperson, Brenda Welch, the Festival Co-ordinator, Mair Stratton explained the direction of the Festival; its standing within the community and its far-reaching coverage.

She continued by detailing the benefits of developing partnerships between the Oyster Festival, the community and businesses and how association with the festival provided opportunities that could produce results throughout the year. She explained how she could work with businesses to design a plan that would target and enhance their specific marketing objectives.

WOFA secretary, Brian Baker, spoke of his involvement in the last festivals, as part of the organising group and also by running events. He said that the festival was a different thing for different people, but he viewed it as a celebration of the Whitstable Natives – The oysters and the people. The themes running through every aspect of the events were people, community and partnerships. He also suggested that residents took a step back and looked at the town through the eyes of visitors – only then would they truly appreciate those things they took for granted and realise how fortunate they were to live here.

Before and after these talks people mixed with the WOFA members and discussed individual ideas and plans. Each participant was given a presentation folder outlining festival facts, sponsorship and support options.

Footnote:
Additional packs have been produced. If you wish to receive one, please let us know via the Contact page.

Oyster Festival Open for Business

2008-01-16T20:35:00.000Z

The organisers of the Whitstable Oyster Festival will be holding a special reception for local businesses on Monday February 4^th 2008.

Festival Coordinator Mair Stratton explains, " The support of the local business community is vital for the Festivals success and future development so we are hoping that a really wide range of business owners will take this opportunity to meet the organising team. For our part, we want to find out how the festival can more actively help businesses in the area and of course we want to explain exactly how businesses can help us."

The informal reception, which is being funded by Canterbury City Council, will be held at the Crab and Winkle Restaurant in the harbour, and begins at 6.00pm. Business owners who are interested in attending are invited to contact Michelle Moubarak on 01227 862048 to be added to the invitation list.

2008 Whitstable Oyster Festival date announced.

2007-11-25T20:27:00.000Z

The date for the 2008 Whitstable Oyster Festival has been announced.

It will run from Saturday 19th July to Sunday 27th July 2008 inclusive.

With this announcement local clubs and societies can now start planning their involvement in the Festival, visitors allocate their holiday schedules and programming can start in earnest.

New Oyster Festival Co-ordinator appointed.

2007-11-06T22:22:00.000Z

Press Release:

New Whitstable Oyster Festival Co-ordinator appointed.

The Whitstable Oyster Festival Association (WOFA) has appointed Mair Stratton as the Festival's new Co-ordinator.

Brenda Welch, WOFA's Chairman said, "The increasing popularity of the Oyster Festival resulted in many high profile applications for the post. The appointment of Mair has shown our commitment to the continual development of the Festival as part of the celebration of Whitstable's cultural heritage, whilst acknowledging its wide reaching appeal as an attraction for visitors to discover the enchantment of our town.

Mair's record speaks for itself and we feel that her personality will endear her to the people of Whitstable when they put forward their views and ideas to her as we start planning the 2008 Whitstable Oyster Festival."

The Whitstable Oyster Festival, which began in 1992, based on local celebrations going back several centuries, now attracts audiences of over 75,000. The Festival's core funding is provided through Canterbury City Council, with additional support from businesses in the town.

Commenting on her appointment, Mair Stratton said "I am very excited by the prospect of co-ordinating this Festival. I have already met a number of people who are brimming with ideas and enthusiasm, and I am sure this is just the tip of the iceberg. This kind of dedication and community spirit, coupled with Whitstable's unique character and traditions is what makes the Oyster Festival such a success with the town and its visitors. I hope that we can soon generate even more support from the townspeople and traders to take the festival to even greater heights".

Note to Editors:

Mair (pronounced My-ur) Stratton, BA(Hons), BSc(Hons), has a website showing her biography and client examples at www.mairstratton.com.

The Whitstable Oyster Festival Association (WOFA) comprises of local volunteers who, with the support of the Arts and Creative Development team of Canterbury City Council, organise the annual Whitstable Oyster Festival. Web: www.wofa.org.uk. Email: info@wofa.org.uk

Thank you , Art Hewitt.

2007-09-07T22:30:00.000Z

At a meeting on Thursday evening, held appropriately at Dredgerman's Court, Art Hewitt, Festival Coordinator, and the members of WOFA, thanked the many local residents and businesses that had supported or taken part in, the very successful 2007 Whitstable Oyster Festival.

As this was also Art's last public appearance before leaving his post it was also an opportunity for the guests to thank him for the fantastic job he had done over the last three Festivals.

Art spoke of his hope that the Oyster Festival would, in the partnership between Canterbury City Council and the people of Whitstable in the form of WOFA, continue to evolve whilst remaining true to the foundations on which it was based. He now felt that the Festival was embedded back into the heart of the town with the residents, particularly this year, having realised that once again the Festival belonged to them.

Art thanked the support he had received from the Council's Creative Development team and the local knowledge he had gained working alongside the members of WOFA.

Brian Baker, WOFA's Secretary, said that although Art was moving on, the infrastructure that he had built was remaining. WOFA members would be sitting on the interview panel for the Coordinators position and would be building on the links that Art had made. In the time that Art had been coordinator attendance figures had increased year on year, more events aimed at the local community had been instigated, and the awareness of Whitstable, Whitstable Oysters and the Whitstable Oyster Festival had grown to new levels, both nationally and internationally.

Brian went on to thank Art for all he had done and, on behalf of the Wofa members, presented Art with a pair of silver oyster shells and a theatre voucher. Additionally, WOFA member and artist, Jon Bird, presented Art with a picture he had painted depicting Art relaxing in a Whitstable beach-hut.

WOFA would like to thank everyone who was present and the directors of the Whitstable Oyster Fishery Company who provided the historic venue.

Seeking new Oyster Festival Coordinator

2007-08-28T20:13:00.000Z

Consultancy opportunity

Whitstable Oyster Festival Coordinator

Chief Executive's Department

Fixed term contract: 1 October 2007 to 30 September 2008 (Fixed Fee £15,000 inclusive of expenses)

Canterbury City Council in conjunction with Whitstable Oyster Festival Advisory group (WOFA) are looking to appoint a dynamic and creative individual/organisation or consortia to coordinate the world famous Whitstable Oyster Festival 2008.

The festival is a nine-day programme of arts, heritage and sports, designed to celebrate the unique identity of Whitstable, engage the support and participation of the local community and promote the town to visitors.

The purpose of the consultancy is to:

Research, develop, implement and oversee the effective delivery of the Whitstable Oyster Festival for 2008.

The successful applicant will be required to undertake an enhanced disclosure check through the Criminal Records Bureau.

To apply

For an informal discussion please contact Debra McGee, Arts and Creative Development Manager on 01227 862 085. For full consultancy brief www.businessportal.sece.gov.uk

Closing date for receipt of submissions of scoping proposals and CVs: 12 noon Monday 3 September 2007
Interviews will take place on Friday 28 September 2007

Whitstable says "Thank you".

2007-07-29T21:46:00.000Z

As the 2007 Whitstable Oyster Festival comes to a close we would like to say a very big Thank-You to everyone who was involved in the Festival, as a participant, event producer, partner, sponsor, resident or visitor.

When all the reviews, attendance numbers and coverage of the Festival is fully analysed it looks certain to equal or surpass the record breaking 2006 Festival.

There is still more to come in terms of photographic records and the seeds of ideas implemented during the past nine days that will yet flourish into benefits for the people of Whitstable.

On top of this, we all had a helluva good time!

The Whitstable Oyster Festival Association will be arranging a meeting in early September where those involved can be thanked personally and those thinking of getting involved can also join in to discuss the way forward to WOF2008, the 2008 Whitstable Oyster Festival.

This meeting will also be the last that Art Hewitt, the Festival Co-ordinator for the past three Festivals, attends in his role before he moves on to new challenges. We are sure that the many friends that Art has made among the people of Whitstable would like the opportunity of showing their appreciation of the fantastic job he has done for us and to wish him the very best for the future.

Further details will follow as arrangements are made.

Our Oyster is your World!

2007-07-23T08:08:00.000Z

As the 2007 Whitstable Oyster Festival ends it's first weekend, images of Whitstable and the Festival events are appearing around the world on the Internet.

The quality of the images are excellent and bring out the spectacle of the opening days filled with colour and rhythm.

The international appeal of the Festival was evident with visitors from around the world including many who took part in the annual Oyster Eating Competition.

Here's a pick of the bunch of early images:

David Spitz

Sue Lovell

My Whitstable

WOFA

Laine

Christina Burrows (Whitstable Photos)

Art lost at Whitstable Oyster Festival

2007-07-22T19:05:00.000Z

Art Hewitt, the co-ordinator of the 2007 Whitstable Oyster Festival, entered the Oyster Eating Competition held today at Whitstable Harbour. Unfortunately the showman in him got the better of his competitive instincts and he managed to record what will go down in the annals of Whitstable history as the slowest time ever recorded in this annual competition.

Interviewed afterwards Art said "If I've learnt anything whilst working here amongst the people of Whitstable it's that there's no need to rush anything."

Here we go!

2007-07-21T08:33:00.000Z

After 12 months of planning the 2007 Whitstable Oyster Festival has officially started. See the programme and website for the great list of events to come in the next 9 days.

2007 Whitstable Oyster Festival Programme online.

2007-07-17T18:05:00.000Z

Printed copies of this years Whitstable Oyster Festival Programme are moving fast. The organisers have distributed thousands around the town but are holding back a few thousand to hand out to residents and visitors during the festival.

Don't worry if you don't have yours yet. You can now download the programme in PDF format online at http://www.whitstableoysterfestival.co.uk/assets/wof2007.pdf

Whitstable in the Times

2007-07-06T22:13:00.000Z

The increasing strength of the Whitstable Oyster Festival as a recognised high point of the summer was once again illustrated today in a feature in The Times on sea food.

Introducing the piece with the mention of St James, the patron Saint of Oysters, the article continues with mentions and links to the Whitstable Oyster Company and Wheelers Oyster Bar.

This is indicative of the way that a continuing successful Oyster Festival constantly keeps Whitstable on the map and benefits local companies by their association with it.

Other Press coverage has included Kent Life magazine, other national titles, internet event and food guides.

The Whitstable Gazette newspaper, part of the KM group, has also been keeping local residents informed of the Festival with interviews and quotes from WOFA members and Art Hewitt, the 2007 Festival Co-ordinator.

Oyster Festival Programme now available!

2007-06-28T19:31:00.000Z

The much sought after Whitstable Oyster Festival Programme is now available.

You can get your 2007 copy from the Whitstable Information Centre, the Whitstable Improvement Trust and at many retail outlets throughout Whitstable, Tankerton, Seasalter and Swalecliffe.

Best of all - It's FREE!

2007 Whitstable Oyster Festival - Programme Listing

2007-06-12T22:20:00.000Z

The complete programme for the 2007 Whitstable Oyster Festival is now available on-line at www.whitstableoysterfestival.co.uk
The listings shown match those now being prepared for the popular printed programme. Keep an eye on the website for late and additional events that may have missed the printing deadline.

World Debut Samba Performance for Oyster Festival

2007-05-14T17:55:00.000Z

SAMBA PELO MAR

(The Whitstable Community Samba Band)

Since February this year rehearsals have been taking place in preparation for the world debut performance by Samba Pelo Mar in the opening procession of the Whitstable Oyster Festival. A group of nearly 60 people from across the district, of all ages (7-70), have come together to form the band. We have been learning a repertoire of uplifting and dynamic samba rhythms under the expert guidance our Maestra Ann Day.

For more information contact Douglas and Imogen Noble 01227 771 656

doug&im@querico.fsnet.co.uk

Whitstable Oyster Festival Food & Produce Fair News

2007-05-05T15:11:00.000Z

In preparation for the Food & Produce Fair during the first two days of the Whitstable Oyster Festival the WOFA website, in conjunction with Canterbury City Council, has today published a series of documents for intended paticipants.

These include a Stallholder Booking Form as well as guidance and hygiene documents which participants can use to apply for a trading space in what is likely to be one of the busiest events of the season.

The Booking Form and other Forms can be downloaded from the Documents section of the WOFA website at www.wofa.org.uk

Whitstable companies support local community.

2007-04-26T04:26:00.000Z

The Whitstable Oyster Festival Association (WOFA), organisers of the popular Whitstable Oyster Festival, today announced details of a sponsorship opportunity for businesses participation.

In addition to the existing support listings that appear in the Festival programme and website, http://www.whitstableoysterfestival.co.uk/, companies are now able to show their support for the local community with a range of packages that put their name before thousands of residents and visitors to the annual Festival.

Opportunities exist from funding individual logo enabled items to sponsoring events, in categories that include food and drink, historical, entertainment and fun, art, music, street theatre and those specifically provided as community events.

To discuss these options, businesses can contact Brenda Welch on 01227 280969 or through the WOFA website - http://www.wofa.org/.

Whitstable Oyster Festival Forum announced.

2007-04-22T22:12:00.000Z

An addition to the Whitstable Oyster Festival Association's website was announced today in the form of a Public Forum for users to post ideas, constructive comments and discuss aspects of this year's Festival.

This enables residents and visitors to get involved with the Festival and provide feedback in a way not previously possible. A forum board is also included to allow registered users to display their pictures of this year's or previous Festivals.

WOFA Secretary, Brian Baker, said, "The provision of this new resource is indicative of the way that WOFA is reaching out to the local and wider communities to include everyone and shows the transparency of its decision making process."

The Whitstable Oyster Festival Forum can be found at http://www.wofa2007.xterm.org/

2007 Festival Programme & Web listings Deadline.

2007-04-20T23:22:00.000Z

The deadline for receiving applications for inclusion in this year's Whitstable Oyster Festival programme and website has been set for 30th April.
The programme run of 15,000+ and the popular Festival website www.whitstableoysterfestival.co.uk, not only give coverage during the festival, but are a useful source of information for residents and visitors alike during the whole year.

Listings are categorised under restaurants and galleries, plus, new for this year, shops and businesses. Participants can obtain listings in the programme and on the website separately, with the web listings linking to the company's website if it has one.

Owners of paid listings will receive a window sticker showing their support of the local community via the Oyster Festival and in addition those contributors, or sponsors, with web sites will be licensed to use the official Festival logo as evidence of their support.

If you wish to purchase a listing or are considering sponsorship or donations please check out the documents section of the Whitstable Oyster Festival Association (WOFA) website, where you can also contact the association's members to find out more.

The income derived by WOFA from the listings, sponsorship and donations, directly funds community projects and events for children during the festival.

You can find the WOFA website at www.wofa.org.uk