Hi all,

I just thought that I would update you on the situation with the Performing Rights Society (PRS).

Their licencing department have been through the programme for last year's festival and have come up with a bill for £266.94 which the Trust has of course now paid. This fee (or tax!) is based on a minimum fee of £25 per concert and folk club, £6.62 per free sing-a-round, session, etc. even those on the trains and in the Church, £1.67 per workshop with any musical content, etc. etc., plus VAT, which we are unable to recover.

This fee will now go through the PRS's normal system and, after they have covered their administration cost, the money will be paid out to their members as royalties. Most of the music paid at the festival was traditional and out of copyright, most was arranged by the performers themselves such as Tim Laycock, Pete Castle or Safron Summerfield, and some was actually written by the performers themselves such as Bob Kenward. I would be very interested to know if any of the money collected from us and other folk festivals ever finds it's way back to folk musicians or does it end up in the pockets of rather more well known and already rich "pop" song writers?

In view of this additional cost, we will be forced to reconsider our budget for future Tenterden Folk Festivals and have to make an appropriate adjustment to the programme and/or bookings policy,

OR the number of free events,

OR the ticket price for concerts, etc.

OR raise more money from sponsors,

OR ..........................................................

THE FESTIVAL WILL CONTINUE AND DEVELOP AND ALL BOOKINGS WILL BE HONOURED but, as a registered charity formed to promote folk music, we cannot afford to loose money.

What with this on top of the proposed public entertainment licence changes, I do not know what the long term future for live music is in say five or ten years.

The latest details of the Festival will be posted on our web page at www.folkspots.btinternet.co.uk

To receive our regular email updates send an email to tff@Folkspots.btinternet.co.uk with "add to festival news list" in the subject box.

Alan Castle, Tenterden Folk Day Trust, 15 Repton Manor Road, Ashford, Kent, TN23 3HA

Press release - March 2003

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