Eisteddfod Guernsey LBG aims to revolutionise its festival
A NEW website and changes to the charity’s set-up are two of the ways in which the newly-branded Eisteddfod Guernsey LBG hopes to revolutionise its arts and culture festival.
The charity, previously known as the Guernsey Eisteddfod Society, held an EGM last week, during which members approved a transition to becoming a limited by guarantee charity.
In addition, a new website, complete with new branding and a digital entry system, has gone live.
Charity chairman Owen Cole said that the changes were part of a modernisation programme designed to bring the Eisteddfod into the 21st century.
‘Over the next six to 12 months we will seek to increase our press coverage as well as implement a range of other changes.
‘The old website had become old-fashioned, and we were still only accepting paper-based forms of payment such as cheques and cash. The new site has more information and makes it easier to enter the Eisteddfod.’
He added that paper-based entries would continue to be accepted on top of the new digital method. The charity’s change in set-up to an LBG charity sees four directors appointed, with an executive committee of between 25 and 30 members also involved in decision-making.
‘Credit has to go to the committee for seeing the need for change. Most charities on the island are now LBG,’ Mr Cole said.
Further changes the charity hopes to make include reforming some of the sections of the Eisteddfod, particularly the arts and crafts section.
‘We tend to only attract participants of an older age to this section, so we are looking at how to attract younger entrants, perhaps through the inclusion of a new class of phone photography as young people are particularly tech-savvy,’ Mr Cole said.
‘There are about eight or nine classes in the arts and crafts section but many are considered to be old-fashioned and lacking relevance.’
He added that a working party from the charity would also look at ways to modernise the section.
‘We still get thousands of entries all across the Eisteddfod but we are always keen for younger people to get involved. It’s brilliant for children and teaches them so many important life skills.’
He also said that the charity had faced financial difficulties due to a reduction in sponsorship and increasing costs, and so were having to increase entry fees in line with inflation.
‘I’m confident we will get there in terms of increasing our sponsorship thanks to the changes we plan on making. I’ve been impressed with our older members who have recognised the need for us to modernise and have embraced that. I’m sure we will go from strength to strength in the coming years.’
n The Eisteddfod’s new website is available to view at www.eisteddfod.gg.
