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

Labels: Whitstable, Whitstable Images, Whitstable Oyster Festival 2008, Whitstable pictures

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.

Labels: Events, Whitstable, Whitstable Oyster Festival 2008

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).

Labels: BBC Coast, Whitstable, Whitstable Oyster Festival 2008

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.

Labels: Festival., Oyster Festival, Sponsors, Whitstable

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

Labels: Oyster, Whitstable, Whitstable Oyster Festival 2008

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.

Labels: Art Hewitt, Whitstable, Whitstable Oyster Festival 2007, WOFA

---

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

Labels: Festival Coordinator, Vacancy, Whitstable

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."

Labels: Art Hewitt, Oyster, Whitstable

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.

Labels: Festival., Oyster Company, Whitstable

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!

Labels: Oyster Festival, Whitstable