Overview

This was my first time at the four-day festival Womad (World of Music, Arts and Dance) and I absolutely loved it; It truly is an event for all people in all senses from the music to the diverse audience attending. There was a kind of welcoming, laid-back feel to the festival with music from many countries and people of all ages and cultures and by the end of it it felt as if I'd been abroad without actually having been abroad. I really enjoyed all the acts I saw but I especially loved Dudu Tassa and the Kuwaitis; they played music originally composed by Dudu’s grandfather which they updated and modernised with electric guitar etc. The mix of traditional and modern music was transportive! There was also poetry, literature, dance, science, food, well-being, chill-out and a children and families section, plus much more. One of the things I noticed about the laid-back atmosphere was that it was a bit too laid back for me on occasion particularly with regard to things that I could have accessed had I known about them in advance, for example, charging points for medical equipment such as ventilators, chill-out areas where I could have stretched out for a while, a mobiloo, the charity Festival Spirit who may or may not have been on-site depending upon who you asked! When asking for directions out of the site in the dark late at night 'Oh it's over there' with a vague arm flourish led to 3 nights comedy moments for us driving around a field in the pitch dark, but I did love it and took it as part of the overall charm and eccentricity! In short, please don't lose Womad's beautiful, accepting ethos, you just need a bit more structure and communication for people with disabilities! I've given 5 stars for the overall experience even although there were a few issues for me as I had such a fantastic time.

Transport & Parking

There was a dedicated disabled parking area available on-site. Parking was ok for me as I’m in a powerchair, however, the disabled parking area was too far away from the stages and over very uneven ground for most people with mobility issues. This was also an issue for us as having a wheelchair- adapted vehicle with a lowered floor, there were times when the exhaust took a battering and some of us had to jump out to minimise the damage. Having said that, the staff were as helpful as they could be and did their best; there also seems to have been an assumption that most people would be staying in the disabled campsite which was closer to the stages and perhaps less bumpy. As it was in the lush Wiltshire countryside, the nearest train station is at Chippenham, about 10 miles away, however, the festival ran frequent shuttle buses from the station but I don’t know how or if the buses were accessible. The festival was also very eco conscious so encouraged attendees to use bikes, car-sharing schemes and electric charging points close by.

Access

As indicated above, there were some access issues for me and I would imagine for most people with mobility issues due to the rough terrain, however, I have written to Womad with suggestions such as having connecting tracking similar to the tracking used for behind the scenes vehicle transportation throughout the park. This would make it so much easier, smoother, more comfortable and faster for wheelchairs and buggies to travel around and also other people with mobility issues would be less at risk . I was really impressed that the Disabled Access Manager got back to me within hours and said that he would ‘take onboard my observations as he thought that they were absolutely crucial to keeping the festival at the top of the tree regarding accessibility for all folk’ There were a few pathways which were tarmacked; it would have been brilliant if there had been more of them. The viewing platforms were great for me with an amazing view of the stage and I really felt part of the crowd, the only issue I had with them was that they were too small and I couldn’t access them a couple of times as there were too many people on them at one time. There were no side screens for main stages so I couldn’t see the stage at all at these times, only people's backs, so that was a bit disappointing. Although it wasn’t an issue for me, the platform ramp was a bit difficult to negotiate for mobility scooters as there was a tight corner to come on and off; the ramp might have been better placed in the centre for them. There were charging points for disability equipment and chairs provided in the disabled campsite, plus mobility scooters are also available. Another issue I had was also that there was a lack of signage indicating who was playing where or when, there was supposed to be signage at the stages according to the Info tent but I couldn't find it and nobody we asked could find it either. We downloaded the app which had the programme, however, I couldn't get a signal so it didn't work. I did love seeing how access was embedded in a couple of performances I saw and I wondered if Womad could push this further and use it in all performances along with side screens? The Creative Captions used by The Flaming Lips and the BSL interpretation used by ADG7 really added a lot more visual impact for all people whether disabled or not.

Toilets

There were accessible toilets but they weren't always clean due to a shortage of staff, however, the staff we spoke to got on the case straight away when we told them. It was also possible to access the facilities if you were disabled but weren't staying on the disabled camp-site (you pay for this in the ticket price whether you use them or not). The toilets were very basic festival standard with not a lot of room, no lights, no frills and unlocked. There was one Mobiloo on site that I could see which was accessed with a key, it had a hoist inside and was fairly basic but clean enough, however, Changing Places toilets are far more comfortable and would be more suitable in my opinion for an event of this size.

Staff

My experience was made even better by all the incredible staff, particularly Mark, the Disabled Access Manager and those on the viewing platforms; they really went the extra mile to make it as amazing and accessible as possible, providing us with charging points for equipment and making sure they were safe in all weathers. They policed the viewing platforms fairly and I felt safe. Nothing was too much trouble for them and they were all just SO lovely.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

This event was mostly outdoor or in airy marquees so I did feel Covid confident; there were also hand sanitisers dotted around the site and outside all toilets. Sometimes it was inevitable that you come into close contact with people, for example when the viewing platforms got crowded but for me, the risk was worth it. I find I’m coming to a place where I have to balance Covid risk with quality of life now so it may not have been worth it for other people. It was a bit of a boorach at times but in the best possible way; it felt safe, diverse and welcoming and I'd love to come back, thank you Team Womad!

Photos