B.O.P. Fest - Building Our Planet

Aim

We are raising money to support a group of young people to produce a free climate focussed music and arts festival for their local community

Building Our Planet Festival is a free, family friendly, climate action festival, delivered by the Jack Drum Arts Youth Board made up of 13 young people aged 13-19 from the local area. The first B.O.P Fest took place on the 14th of August 2022, at Glenholme Park in Crook. 

The sweltering day was jam packed with over 17 performances, workshops, activities, stalls, and safe spaces all of which were accessible and enjoyable for the whole family. With a family zone, sensory tent, rock wall and crafting workshops there was something for everyone regardless of the heatwave.

 With over 2000 attendees in our first year, it was a fantastic day but don’t just take our words for it, here is some of the feedback from B.O.P Fest 22

• ‘B.O.P Fest was lovely and friendly, it had an inclusive atmosphere and staff were all welcoming to everyone, there was a good range of activities and entertainment with lots of nice artistic details’.
• ‘I loved all the different things you could do. The music was great it was all well put together’
• ‘Lots of family activities at a cheap cost or free to enjoy. Bringing the community together’
• ‘Families arrived with the ambition of staying, bringing camping chairs, picnics, gazebos, and cool boxes full of ice. They placed their trust in the hands of JDA, the Youth Board, and BOP fest, and committed to having a good day.’

Since August, B.O.P Fest has won the NE Youth Projects with Pride Best Social Action of the Year, Best Volunteer Group at the County Durham Environmental Awards and a County Durham Community Foundation High Sheriff Award.

Our plan for 2023 is to grow B.O.P Fest, to involve more young people in the organising and producing of the festival, to widen our reach and provide the highest standard of information about the climate emergency, opportunities of how to get involved and have your voice heard, alongside lots of fun entertainment for our community.

B.O.P 2 Fest will take place on Sunday the 13th of August, from 11am to 8pm in Glenholme Park, Crook, DL15 8LH and will be a free, family-friendly and most importantly FUN festival!

 All funding raised through this crowdfunder will be used to cover costs including volunteer tranpsort, artist fees and materials for workshops, first aiders on site, a water dispenser so people have access to drinking water and a photographer to document the day.

EVERY donation towards this community crafted festival counts and will help us achieve our mission, to provide equitable access to climate action knowledge through sustainable and engaging entertainment.

Jack Drum Arts is a social enterprise providing creative opportunities for the communities of South West Durham with a specific focus on Crook, Willington, Tow Law and the surrounding villages. 

Central to our mission is to improve the lives of those who are disadvantaged, promoting improved wellbeing and resilience whilst tackling loneliness and isolation. We do this through delivery of high quality, engaging and fun arts activities that improve the mental health and resilience of all those we work with, building skills and confidence, whilst supporting individuals to make a positive contribution to community cohesion, pride and promote social change.

The Jack Drum Arts Youth Board represents a cross-section of young people from across our provision, all interested in shaping the direction of projects and aspects of Jack Drum Arts relating to the empowerment of young people. The Youth Board model their approach on 5 core values agreed upon by the group.

Collaboration, Equity, Creating a safe and stable environment, Having fun and enjoying yourself, Social Action and have a keen interest in campaigning about the Climate Emergency.

This project successfully funded on 30th June 2023