Information for Festival Hosts, Participants & Performers

Taking part in the Children's Book Festival, whether as an event host, participant or performer, is a fun, rewarding and inspiring experience for all concerned.

The guidelines below offer useful information on how you can get involved yourself, whether you are a librarian preparing to run activities in your local branch, a teacher taking a class to a reading or an author, illustrator, publisher or workshop-leader interested in staging a CBF event.

Please feel free to print and redistribute these guidelines.

If you have any further queries relating to festival involvement please email the CBI Programme Officer This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call the CBI on +353 (0)1 8727475.

GUIDELINES FOR CBF EVENT HOSTS 2009

Below are some helpful tips to aid you when preparing for and hosting an event in your library this October. Please feel free to adapt them to your event.

1. Time & Audience

School groups should attend events held during school hours. It will help you to ensure the right numbers and ages are at each event. To invite school groups simply call up the school and speak to the head teacher.

Schools should be made to feel that it is a privilege to go to a CBF event in your library. The special opportunity to see an artist perform live and at no cost to them should be highlighted to the school. It may be worth ringing or writing to schools before the CBF to see if they would like to be "considered" as possible invitees to your library during the CBF. This should generate anticipation and also commitment from the school.

Please ensure that there are supervisors appointed to look after the children. Right from the start, there should be communication between you and the relevant class teacher to make sure the appropriate class is coming and has prepared for the event.

2. Contacting the Performer

It is important for contact to be made with the performer or their representation/ publisher prior to the event. Please find out how they are getting to and from your library, as occasionally local transport may need to be arranged. It is also very important to ask the author what audience preferences they have with regard to age, size and gender. Inappropriate age range will make it a difficult event.

Upon request, the CBI office will provide you with contact details for any of the authors or illustrators visiting your library.

3. Preparing for the Event

In the case of an author visit, when talking to the schools please ask the teachers to make sure the children are familiar with the author's work. This should be stressed to teachers as it is of great benefit to the event. Ask the teacher to make sure they have read at least two or three chapters, and ideally much more, so they have an idea of what the author's writing and style is like. Provide classes with copies of the artist's work if available.

Please ensure, as much as is possible, that classes arrive on time. If possible, suggest they come 10-15 minutes early.

As mentioned above, it is essential to get the right audience for the right performer. Making contact with the performer or their representation/ publisher ensures getting this correct.

In the case of author or illustrator events, it is a good idea to have the performer's books (those of theirs you have) on display so that the children can look at them before or after the event. In cases in which books are there for the children to buy, please ensure that the children and their parents have been made aware of this opportunity.

Authors are always willing to sign their own books but not so eager to sign scrap bits of paper in autograph style. Please ask the teachers to make the children aware of this.

4. Making the Event Feel Special

If possible, decorate the space where the event is taking place with Children's Book Festival posters, balloons, flyers, the performer's work and any other material that will make the space stand out. The event should have its own space away from any noise or other library activity.

5. Performer Sustenance

Performers very often will have travelled to get to your library. It is good practice to offer a sandwich before or after the event and to provide water during the event.

6. Publicise Your Event

You should contact the local press, radio stations and newspapers to let them know about the event and invite them along. The media are always interested in young people's activities and any coverage will help raise the profile of your library and the CBF. However, media (such as photographers) should not be allowed take over the event or dictate its schedule- they are there by your invitation only and should act accordingly.

7. Record the Event

Take a camera and get some photos. Use a guest book for the performer and the children to sign in or out with space for them to write comments. Have a suggestion box for children to recommend their own event ideas.

Recording the event will be great for future reference and can be used on the CBF website or in leaflets and circulars. Last year a number of libraries sent in some wonderful images for the CBF's printed material.

GUIDELINES FOR SCHOOLS ATTENDING CBF 2009 EVENTS

The 2009 Children's Book Festival will run for the entire month of October (1st-31st). Hundreds of events will take place in schools, libraries, arts centres and theatres nationwide. School classes are usually invited to attend suitable events by the festival co-ordinator in their local library. If you wish to attend an event during October please contact your local library to register your interest asap (co-ordinators will usually begin booking classes from the beginning of September). Pre-booking is essential as events are always in great demand. Below are some helpful guidelines for schools to make sure their classes enjoy successful Children's Book Festival events.

Good preparation is key to a successful festival event, such as an author visit. The attending class should be familiar with at least one of the author's books. This gives the class a connection with the author's style. It allows them to participate in the event, and it stimulates an interest in the event.

Check with the library or venue beforehand to see if they can lend you copies of the author's work.

It is essential to find out the contact name and details of the librarian or venue host setting the event up. Schools also need the contact details of the librarian or venue host who will be looking after their group on the day of the event. Check with them before the event that everything is in order for the day.

Only bring the appropriate class to an event as agreed with the librarian or venue host. Performers plan for a certain audience in mind so there is no point bringing 1st class girls to see an author of 10+ boy's fiction. The event will not be a success for either the children or the performer if an inappropriate class is brought on the day.

Most CBF events take between 45 minutes to 1.5 hours. Please ensure sure the appropriate class is free for this time period, including any travelling time to the venue.

Classes must arrive at the event with an adequate amount of supervision. Children must remain supervised throughout the event.

Ask if books will be on sale at the events. Children should be reminded to bring any books they own so they can be signed.

GUIDELINES FOR PARTICPATING ARTISTS AND PERFORMERS

Below are some helpful tips to aid you when preparing for taking part in a library or school visit this October:

From the start, there should be regular contact between the performer and the library/ school/ venue hosting the event. Confirm the event co-ordinator's name, email and number from the outset.

Confirm who will be in charge at the event itself, in case your regular contact is off. Also, confirm time, date and length of the event, as well as the location of the venue.

Clarify your event and audience preferences with the venue contact. These include audience size and age-range and if you require additional materials such as paints, laptop and screen or a flipchart.

Although there is no 'set rate' for CBF events, CBI suggest that where payment is required the minimum fee should be €300 per day plus travel and accommodation where required (in line with Writer's Union recommendations). It is important to establish these arrangements from the outset, as well as travel expenses and accommodation needs if required. Library authorities and schools handle all invoicing and payment directly.

Have fun! The CBF is all about encouraging young people to have enjoyable engagement with books. Provided all the preparation is done right, the experience for both artist and audience is usually extremely positive, with authors, illustrators and performers returning year-after-year to take part!

For further information or to express your interest in participating in the CBF, contact CBI Programme Officer Tom Donegan.

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GUIDELINES FOR CBF EVENT HOSTS 2009

GUIDELINES FOR SCHOOLS ATTENDING CBF 2009 EVENTS

GUIDELINES FOR PARTICPATING ARTISTS AND PERFORMERS

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