Robin Foale
What is your background?
I was a club DJ for many years and was one of the founders of Bude Surf and Rock. Music has been a passion of mine for so many years. I worked for Barclays Bank and most recently Santander. I was the managing director for business banking nationally and I had a close affinity with lots of businesses up and down the country. A big part of the music festival is its link to the businesses in Dartmouth so my role as chairman has combined a lot of what I had done professionally with my personal passions.
What brought you to Dartmouth?
My grandfather, Douglas, farmed here and my father, Graham, was a chartered accountant for Bishop Fleming in Dartmouth. I’ve been back for five or six years now and it’s wonderful to be here. I now live just a few miles from where my grandfather’s farm was. Dartmouth has been in our blood all of our lives and I feel so privileged to live here.
How did you become involved with the organisation of the music festival?
I semi-retired about 18 months ago and I was thinking about what I wanted to do to link into music when I saw an advert in the Chronicle that Pam Braakenburg, who is my predecessor, put in to say she was moving on after ten years and was looking for a new festival chair. I joined as the vice chair to see how I felt about it and took it on from there.
How much does it cost to stage the festival?
It costs £70,000, every year.
How do you raise the money?
We have lots of private and business sponsors and some charitable trusts who all donate because they like the educational element of the festival, the fact that it’s free and that is all about “Music for All”. We also run a couple of fundraisers every year and sell merchandise, but the biggest fundraiser is the collection tins. We are so reliant on volunteers helping us to shake the tins around the town but more importantly the locals and visitors generously putting some money into the pot.
Are there any changes planned for this year’s festival?
We are doing a new feature at the Anchorstone Cafe on Coronation Park, an acoustic café for some of the local artists we have supported through the festival’s foundation. We are also doing something to complement the food festival’s mission to remove plastics from their event. Devon Contract Waste will recycle the waste they collect from Royal Avenue Gardens and the Market Square so none of it goes into landfill. We are also working with the local pubs and venues to trial the use of 100 percent recyclable plastic glasses on a deposit scheme.
Are there any other changes?
We will have an online programme as well and we will also be testing a festival app. A local businessman is designing it for us and 100 people will use it to find out what they like, what they don’t like, what’s missing and whether it works.
What does your job as Chairman involve?
All sorts! Firstly, assembling a committee, a group of willing volunteers who bring a real variety of skills to the festival and motivation. I ensure everybody on the committee knows what each other is doing. There is a big team of 20 on the committee and a big part of it is leading and helping that team along the way. In my first year, I’ve also rolled my sleeves up because I don’t know what I don’t know, so I’ve mucked in on all of it. I’ve sat in on listening events of bands which was fantastic and reminds me why we do it!
Do bands send in their music?
Yes, we have 700 applicants each year, minimum, for about 100 slots. We also approach a number of artists and bands ourselves so that we can make sure that blend is there. This year’s line up is probably one of the best we have been able to put together from what we have heard and the blend of artists we’ve got - we’re really excited about our headline act Dodgy.
How much of your time does being Chairman take up?
At the moment it’s probably a good two days a week, maybe more, and I’ve really enjoyed it.
Do you have time for other interests?
All sorts, yes. I’m a big supporter of the Exeter Chiefs so I go and see them a lot more. I use the gym a lot and enjoy cooking. I also have a small boat on the Dart. Professionally and workwise I work for a company that deals with accreditation of business schools around the world, I’m an investor and advisory board member for a couple of small technology start-up companies in London, I chair the advisory board for the Nottingham Business School and I lecture at Nottingham Trent University.
Why is the music festival so successful?
The number of willing volunteers who put it together in the first place, and the huge following and support we get from the local community, businesses and people months beforehand offering their support, signing up as sponsors and getting involved. Also, the incredible hard work and support we get from local councils, the army of people who help us during the days of the festival and the bands who come in and, in many cases, for reduced fees. It’s a free festival and anybody can come and listen to the widest variety of music that I think I’ve ever seen, completely for free in some of the most joyful venues that there are.
What does the future hold for the festival?
I think we have a winning formula. It won’t be bigger in the future but it might be better in terms of the variety of acts we get, and the success of people who have been helped by the foundation coming back to playing at the festival. It might be better because businesses are reporting their turnover has gone up considerably, because all of the hotels and restaurants are full and because people are enjoying it even more.
Do you play any instruments?
No, I’m terrible. But I will never replace the feeling I had when I was a DJ when I played to 7,000 people in that field in Bude as the sun was setting - it was very emotional! To see that many people having the most wonderful time and dancing came close to what I think the feeling might be when actually playing that music yourself.
First published By The Dart magazine March 2018
