The aim of this survey is to create a comprehensive view of the current state of brass band contesting, to collate thoughts and ideas to improve contesting and gauge the appetite (or otherwise) for change in what we do as a community. It is intended that event organisers will be able to use this information to inform, develop and, ultimately, improve their events in the future.
The survey has been created via a consultation process, which has been open to anyone in the brass band community. This has resulted in a large volume of questions submitted by the community and, as such, BBE has split the survey in to several smaller surveys to make the process of completing them all less arduous. These questions will be issued to participants on a weekly basis as part of a 'survey club'. After each survey, there will be name drawn randomly from the participants and each winner will receive a year's free individual membership of Brass Bands England.
We are aware that this is a long survey as it touches onto almost everything we do as a community. However, there is no requirement to answer every question (although the more you answer the more we can learn) so there are very few 'required' questions. You will be asked to log in with a Google account so that you have the option to go and submit your answers by submitting the form. This saves your answers. Using your email, you are then able to return to complete your submission anytime before the closing date.
Please use the following links to take part in the different survey elements
Part 2: Purpose and Public Perception
Part 7: Training and Rules, Youth and University Bands and Final Questions
Why is Brass Bands England involved in a survey on band contests?
BBE's Arts Council England funding is there to promote and encourage ALL of brass banding. This includes contesting, which we are well aware takes up a very large proportion of our member organisations' time and resources. At the 2019 Brass Band Conference, an overwhelming show of hands from the delegates indicated an appetite for some form of change in the structure of brass band contesting. This survey has been launched in response to this motion and its intention is to investigate what changes might be possible.
By providing feedback to contest organisers - the mood of the nation on the matters they would like to find out about, and what the banding public wants to tell them - then we will help to build the foundation for exactly the type of change that the community desires, whatever that may be.
In addition to making the resulting report available to all, BBE will use the information to inform its strategic direction in the years to come.