Sark folk festival 'outstanding'

SARK has been given another string to add to its tourism bow if the outstanding success of its first folk festival is anything to go by.

The island's population was probably treble its usual 600 or so at times during the three-day event and on occasions such as that there is often a moan or three about something – particularly from the small minority who believe that tourists spoil their idea that Sark should be like an idyllic English village but without the cars.

However, on this occasion I have to say that there were no complaints at all that I heard of and everyone who has spoken to me about the event – residents and those who simply came over to enjoy it – is looking forward to a repeat performance next year.

It is the sort of tourism Sark welcomes – well-behaved spectators and, it must be said, absolutely brilliant organisation, as well as some first-class entertainment – and it is to be hoped that all those who worked so hard to make last weekend such an incredible success (that includes local businesses and those involved officially, such as the police, as well as the organisers) will be encouraged to make the Sark Folk Festival an annual event.

Another initiative that will almost certainly bring some publicity to Sark is the choice of the island as the location for the Artists for Nature Foundation's 20th anniversary project.

Sark artist Rosanne Guille is the driving force behind the project and the objective is to serve to highlight Sark's rich natural and cultural heritage as portrayed by some of the world's leading wildlife and landscape artists.

As Rosanne explained to me, by happy coincidence the ANF's first project in 1990 centred on an island off the coast of Holland – the country in which the organisation was founded – which is similar to Sark in many respects, with about 600 inhabitants and no cars.

'This is very much a first for the Channel Islands and from this island's point of view it will bring us some valuable publicity but, more importantly, raise awareness to a very large audience of how Sark is unique in so many respects,' she said.

There are about 130 artists in the foundation – a non-profit-making charitable organisation – and many of them will be spending time in Sark, firstly in the spring of next year and then in the autumn/winter.

Workshops are planned and there will be daily opportunities for the public to view the work and talk with the artists. There will also be sessions at Sark School to encourage pupils to develop their artistic skills.

A book will be published at the end of the project and Rosanne showed me a collection she has of those produced for previous ANF projects. If the one featuring Sark is anything like the quality of those she has, then the island will benefit from some extremely favourable publicity indeed – just the sort we need.

Rosanne's website – sarkpaintings.com – has more details on the project, as does the ANF's at artistsfornature.com and she can be contacted by email at rosieguille@hotmail.com or on 07781 122385.

Chief Pleas will have met by the time this article is published. The good people of Guernsey may be interested to know that despite their long wait for comprehensive animal cruelty legislation, Sark managed to persuade the Law Draftsmen to knock out a swift bit of legislation in a matter of days aimed – so many here think – at stopping Sark Estate Management from laying moorings for visiting boat owners in Dixcart Bay.

They needn't have bothered. SEM lifted the moorings as soon as it learned of the planned legislation. Who's the loser there, I wonder? Sark's image and economy spring to mind, yet again.

* The email address for comment is fallesark@sark.net