Following the Pride feedback meeting on the 21/9/10 at the Queens Hotel - I am left feeling as if nothing really has moved on from what can only be described as a community fallout regarding this years Pride.

Calabash almost didn’t happen this year. Along with the Women’s Performance Tent, we felt that the way in which decisions were being made, contracts awarded and the absence of partnership working with community groups resulted in a breakdown in relationship between Pride and our selves. For us it was about credibility of the event, which was quickly going out of the window, caused by a production company that did not appear to have a clue about what we or Pride was really about.

Contrary to what was said at the feedback meeting on the reason the Women’s Performance Tent and Calabash Tent almost didn’t happen this year was not just down to the apparent doubling of our budget overnight by the production company but down to how Pride and its contractors who work on their behalf, conduct their business. The lack of clarity and openness about how and when decisions were being made were more of the reason. To the extent that we had to ask ourselves the question as to whether it was possible to work in this manner.

The event itself was awful for us. What could have gone wrong did go wrong. Without going through the individual details what was provided to us was not sufficient for our needs and for the needs of those attended. There was a catalogue of errors that made the management of the event near on impossible, but we still provided an amazing day for those who attended. But a realisation for us was that we do not want to work in this way again.

It goes without saying that I have given the minute detail to the Council, Pride and Fisher Production - of which I am still waiting for my specific issues to be answered. 

At the feedback event it felt as if Pride are not really interested in taking stock of where they are but want to focus how they can move forward on to next year. At best I feel this naïve and shows a lack of self-awareness. So for the record here is where I feel Pride is going wrong.

•    Public confidence in Pride is at an all time low. Issues that were publicly raised are still rumbling with Pride visibly trying to deal with them. 

•    There is a lack of transparency in terms of where Pride is financially. I am still unclear whether Pride has a deficit and whether the shortfall will potentially make next year’s event viable. Financial transparency needs to go as far as making Pride accounts public.

•    The data used by Pride to gauge the level of success of this year’s Pride is questionable. In the press, Pride regularly state that over 150,000 attended yet the full capacity of Preston Park, when there is nothing else in place is 85,000. To have over 150k people on the park would make the event impossible let alone unsafe. Pride is keen to focus on spin rather than focus on the reality that faces them.

•    We are now in to October are we are still no nearer to a decision on the format of next years Pride. Planning for the park, agreements and assurance of production companies need to be in place by the latest November. From the feedback meeting it appeared we were no where near where we need to be at this stage to make next year’s event possible.

•    Pride lost years of experience over night by getting rid of their previous contractors under the guise of open tendering. What they were left with was a company that in my opinion failed to deliver adequately and caused more damage in the process. Pride has numerous issues with Fisher production but is contractually bound, so is unable to give any assurances that Fisher will not be providing the event next year.

•    Pride is now a charity and is therefore answerable to the Charities Commission. In the process it appears to have lost it accountability to the community and the community need to reclaim their Pride. But the nature of Pride now has resulted in an organisation that people don’t want to be associated with.

•    A trustee board that is reflective of the community would improve public confidence in Pride. Unfortunately the amount of damage that has been caused over the last 18 months, much of which could have been managed better by Pride, has resulted in an organisation that I fear is beyond repair.

I have no issue with any particular individuals within Pride and have worked positively with many of them for a number of years, but I do have a major problem with Pride the organisation as it stands now.

I do not think the current issues that face Pride make the organisation or the event sustainable and for Calabash we have had to make a decision as to whether we want to work like this year again. The answer is NO.

The issue for us is about integrity and credibility; this is not possible with the Pride as it stands. As a consequence I cannot see how Calabash can be a part of Pride unless there are some major changes. So it saddens me to say that Calabash will not be a part of next years Pride.

Affy Wajid
Calabash Coordinator on behalf of the Calabash Crew.