THE IPSWICH MAY DAY FESTIVAL – A CELEBRATION OF INTERNATIONAL WORKERS DAY.
The Festival has been held every year since 1978 and is so popular locally that there are, no doubt, enough people around to have been to every single one of them! For many people this Festival marks the start of the outdoor season – certainly it is the first major musical outdoor event in the region.
What is the May Day Festival all about?
The idea of the Festival is to give working people in Ipswich the opportunity to join in the worldwide traditional celebrations of International Workers Day, which was the intention of the Labour Government in 1978, when they put this holiday on the statute books. Many countries have celebrated this day for many years on 1st May and continue to do so. As ever, the UK has to be different and so the nearest Monday on or after the 1st May is our official Bank Holiday. Just to complicate things a bit more, back in the 80’s, in Ipswich, it was decided to hold the celebration on the Sunday of the Bank Holiday weekend. This was to give those people who put the show on, a bit of a breather on the Monday, before going back to work on Tuesday!Who puts on the Festival?
In Ipswich the Trades Union Council, which is an organisation comprised of local affiliated Trades Union branches. They put the running of the Festival in the hands of a May Day Committee.Where did the idea of May Day Festivals begin?
Back in the 19th century the Trades Union movement took note of the Spring Festivals which had been celebrated for centuries and at that time the idea of ‘new beginnings’ allied to campaigns for trades union recognition, for better working conditions and against exploitation and low pay found a place for such expression in a May Day Festival.In the 1840’s and ‘50’s, some city authorities had begun instituting annual Labour Days in the autumn, basically to keep local authority workers sweet, with another holiday. Other cities followed suit, but in the 1880’s a huge worker’s movement spread across the USA, demanding an ‘Eight Hour Day’ in response to the 12 and 14 hour days many workers had to put up with.
In 1886, following negotiations between trades unions and workers’ political parties, a strike was called across the US for 1st May and successfully took place in all the major US cities and many smaller towns, as well.
Why is it an International celebration?
The ‘Eight Hour Day’ movement spread to Europe, Australia and beyond and May 1st became a symbolic date for the worker’s movement internationally as the common interests of workers in all countries became recognised. Significantly, the new Soviet Union instituted 1st May as a national holiday, not just to put forward demands , but to recognise the contributions made by working people in the historical development of society. It doesn’t take a lot to work out that all the plans, all the designs and all the aspirations of a modern society don’t take place unless there are people to do the spade work and the hard graft of production, service and maintenance.Now, practically every country in the world has a public holiday on or around 1st May.
Who pays for the Festival?
The finances come basically from four sources;a) The Trades Unions – most local branches give a donation and some regional TU organisations to likewise. Eg, SERTUC (South Eastern Region Trades Union Council). However, these donations, generous and welcome as they are, would not be enough.
b) The caterers, beer tent, children’s rides organisers etc pay for the ‘plot’ they operate from;
c) Sponsorship – usually in kind. Eg. P&O Ferrymasters have for many years given us free use of their trailers and drivers
d) This is not so much money, as not having to pay it! All the organisers and performers, do it for free – and don’t take a penny in wages. All the planning, preparation, organisation and indeed, musical performances on the day, are all done by volunteers, inspired by the original intention of May Day entertainers – workers performing for workers, no charge involved.
That is why we able to make the day a free family Festival. We encourage local talent, for which in this area, we are extremely fortunate!
What does the money pay for?
With all the essential Health and Safety regulations in today’s world and environmental issues, the cost of the Festival has soared in recent years. Where services are required to ensure the safe and efficient running of the Festival, we expect to pay the appropriate fees – so this includes the provision and monitoring of power, additional toilets, security, fencing, advertising and other publicity.What happens to any money left over at the end?
It always goes into the next year’s account, so we have something to start with. Some years it can be fairly desperate – we began with £37 in the pot one year!
The May Day Committee always has to present a Statement of Accounts to the Ipswich TUC each year, and these in turn go to the national TUC in London.