Festival & Event Programming and Consultancy

Towersey Village Festival
Towersey Village Festival

Alan Bearman has programmed some of the leading events on the folk and roots music calendar for many years, and is probably best known for his work as the Artistic Director of Sidmouth International Festival from 1991 until its closure in 2004.  He is always keen to look at new projects ~ here are the festivals he is currently working on in 2007

Association of Festival Organisers,  
Conference and Concert Showcase programmer
16-18 November '07

Folk Industry Conference and Showcase programmer
March 9-11 '07

Artistic Director (since 1992),
 23-27 August '07

Programme Co-ordinator
Festival of the Peninsula,  
      County Down
 13-16 September  '07

Programme Co-ordinator
Ards International Guitar Festival
      October 11-14 2007


 Festival and Event Consultancy

Current clients include:


Smallworld Music, Belfast;
(holder of event production contract for Belfast City Council and event management for councils throughout Northern Ireland)





Whilst specialising in artistic matters, Alan Bearman Music offers consultancy and support on all related aspects of festivals and together with experienced associates cover the whole range of event management.




      Past Work includes:

      Artistic Director, Sidmouth International Festival 1991-2004

      Event Programmer and Consultant to Mrs Casey Music 1988-2005
      including:
      Evolving Tradition Weekend - Barbican Centre, London

      American Music Weekends - Barbican Centre, London

      Concerts at Royal Albert Hall and Royal Festival Hall

      Farnham Folk Day- Farnham, Surrey

      Easter Festival for The Rank Organisation

Arts in the Parks - Hampshire County Council
     Concert Programmer and Consultant - English Folk Dance and Song Society     1998-2000
     Director Chestnuts Community Festival, Walthamstow, London 1984-1990
     Programme Co-ordinator - Bands in the Park, for Waltham Forest Arts Council 1985-1987


Training Programmes

After many years of leading seminars at Association of Festival Organisers conferences, Alan Bearman Music can now offer training on all aspects of event programming- from a one hour session on Booking Artists for Beginners to a full day on Working with Artists and Agents. An experienced trainer, Alan can produce a programme appropriate to your needs.

Alan recently wrote the Promoters' Guide for FolkArts England.  In November 2006 Alan was a speaker at the Traditional Music Gathering at Glor Traditional Music Centre in Ennis, County Clare and ran a training day for Folk ArtsEngland on Artistic Programming.


Programmes focus on developing a managed approach to artist selection, negotiations, contracting, programming and marketing.

Learn about

Strategies for negotiating with artists and agents.

Avoiding unexpected problems and costs.

Getting the best from your artists.

Working with Overseas Artists

The day covers the booking process from first ideas to the event itself and covers

Preparing to Programme

Negotiations

Contracting

From Contract to Concert

Individual sessions can concentrate on any of the above or related issues

Direct Roots

This essential 400+ page guide to folk, roots and related music and arts
 in the British Isles is devised and edited by Alan Bearman.

Direct Roots was published by Mrs Casey Music in 2001
and was immediately heralded as indispensable.
Direct Roots 2 followed in 2003 and quickly sold out.

Direct Roots 3 is on the horizon !

"Destined to be a bible. The depth of coverage is incredible… Indispensable"
Ian Anderson, fROOTS

"A publication of immense significance" In Touch