Monthly Steampunk Gatherings?

We have the option on a venue in Nottingham which is perfect for holding monthly or bimonthly steampunk gatherings. The idea is to run on a Friday or Saturday night once a month. The venue can accomodate up to 350 people, has a stage, lighting, pa etc. It has a coffee bar and we have permission to bring our own alcohol for economies sake or we can have a pay bar if required.

We are looking at putting on bands, music halls, burlesques etc and having the events as steampunk parties. They would run 7.30 to 11 or 11.30.

The East Midlands Steampunk scene is growing very rapidly and the venue is perfectly located near to rail, tram and bus links in Nottingham as well as there being parking etc nearby. The venue can happily serve steampunks from Notts, Derbys, Lincs, South Yorks, Leics and further afield.

We can negotiate subsidised rates in nearby hotels too for people wanting to make more of a night of it and we can look at staging outings or meets during the day on Sundays (e.g. Wollaton, Papplewick, Steam Railways etc) so folks can make a weekend of it.

We are looking to promote a regular programme so that the steampunk scene can grow organically encouraging more people to come over to the steamy side.

If we are to go for this we want to move quickly since we would like to hold a first event in January.

Comments are cordially invited.... Monthly/Bimonthly? Bring our own/Pay bar? etc etc.

Sounds an excellent idea, monthly get togethers sound good to me; where abouts is the venue may I ask?

Wonderful!

I very much look forward to this!

We have the potential to create something quite unusual and special.

We are thinking along the lines of an hour or so early doors for socialising, chatting, taking tea etc and an opportunity for maker/traders to exhibit their wares.

This would be followed by the performance(s) of the night - this could be bands, comedians, dancers, etc.

We would then follow with dancing to steampunk tracks with a dj.

How do folks like this sort of lineup?

We are looking at a ticket price of around £5

We have the option to run a membership scheme whereby for say £6 you can become a member and future tickets would be £4 with non members admission being £6. This would generate an injection of funds at the beginning securing the event's future and repaying members by a net saving of £18 on the year.

I am inclined to stick with the tea shop serving and allowing folks to bring their own alcoholic beverages rather than have a pay bar since it also allows us the chance to do whiskey or port tastings, mix the perfect martini class etc.

Norman and I could also offer Baritsu classes if people are interested.

We have a blank canvas. We are ready to go ahead. Feedback and constructive ideas would be welcome.

Tink

membership sounds a good idea as it will help you initially with funds.

I am sure between the many talented people involved in steampunk, entertainment would be easy to come by

Just as The Asylum aims to take the best of WGW, SF Cons and Festivals we hope that this can be a truly unique blending of arts and performance and a good old night out. We would like to attract as wide an audience as possible by offering a range of "draws" thus encouraging more people to truly join the steampunk scene.

It should also be an excellent showcase for performers and we hope to have the premier DJ show in the UK playing only steampunk bands. Ambitious maybe but achieveable certainly.

This sounds wonderful! Please consider Ghostfire ready, willing and more than able to get involved!

I think the idea is a splendid one, The idea of membership and bring your own booze to be spot on.
Would the venue be available for the whole day or just the evening? My thoughts are that workshops can be done in the afternoon and music in the evening.

Grum

The venue could be available for during the day too but this increases the costs. As you guys know the VSS is run on a shoestring to promote steampunk and strives to ensure that prices are as affordable as possible. If we could be sure of how many people we will get along then we could expand the time slot.

I am currently favouring Saturday as the day with the standard slot being 7.30 to 11.30. Realistically we would need around 60 people to make this workable. This is having acts etc on a real shoestring - you will appreciate that £300 doesn't go very far especially when you have to take the venue hire out of that.

We could offer classes in a earlier slot. This would create a new question. Will we get say 120 people so can afford to include the afternoon too or should we charge a little extra for afternoon workshops etc?

The membership system would allow us a buffer so we could pay for the venue in advance each month and thus take the pressure off a little.

Are people OK with bring your own booze - it makes for a cheaper night - and the tea selection is absolutely amazing!

I am fine with the tea! I take a tea infuser to work, hence a bit of a tea fan!

I think a workshop would actually work as an evening event, along with other events- those thos want to take part, can, those who want tot watch, can and those who want to chat and drink tea/ booze can!

I can also see readings of stories and poetry being a sedate event alongside more active ones (my good husband does a good reading!).

I think to go for an afternoon might be nice for bi yearly perhaps? Giving lots of time to aquire enough people to pay for the event and keep people amused!

Anyone want to run a belly dnce workshop- I would love to try that!

Belly dancing is definitely on the menu.

Sign me up! Excellent news!

very much looking forward to this -a marvellous idea! I look foward to attending and flaunting my wares whilst drinking copious amounts of tea!

Nottingham is abit too far for someone like myself and partner to travel for 1 night sadly, seeing as i live in Cardiff and my partner lives in West Sussex.
I know an area had to be chosen and organising something close to where you live is of course obvious. I hope this event becomes as successful as all your others!
Hopefully a southern event will happen eventually. I know there is the brighton event, but it has a very very small location and is all about performance not much else.

Sorry but we chose Nottingham because it already has an active steampunk scene and is in the middle of the country so is more likely to be accessible than anywhere else. More importantly though is it has an ideal venue. Trouble with Cardiff and Bristol is they are out on limbs and their catchment area is largely sea.

Find us a suitable venue somewhere else and we are happy to promote into there. Indeed we were talking with The Men Who Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing about touring them and others next year or 2011.

Alas, the Bournemouth area is just as far from Nottingham for me as Cardiff is for Sakara, so its unlikely I will get to any of these events. However, on the bright side, we are trying to get local steampunks and goth cross-overs meeting in this area - starying with a museum meet on Sunday. All looks promising, so hopefully we can look forward to some regular meets and expeditions down here.

The ideas seemed to be crystalising into a potential form.

One night once per month - we are leaning towards Saturday.

Evening starts around 7pm with scope for people to show their wares for sale, bellydancing, dancing and bartitsu classes/workshops plus the tea bar supplying copious amounts of the stuff.

Around 8.30 the evening's performers begin their acts. This may be a combination of shorter acts or a band or two.

Around 10 we swap to a DJ playing only steampunk tracks for dancing socialising etc. People are free to bring their own alcohol.

This is the skeleton of the evening so its a combination type event/party. We can fit in readings, short film screenings etc so every evening is different but with a common format and style.

It means that we can nominate one or more of the evenings as a bit more burlesque or fetish allowing for a more adult party or other sorts of specialised variants.

There are several hotels within a short walk of the venue. We hope to negotiate some deals there so that one or two steampunk party nights become party weekends. The normal party night would take place but we would expand the trading/workshops etc earlier into the day, look at a feature for the Friday night and something for Sunday too. This makes it worthwhile for more distant friends to join us once in a while but also allows the (hopefully growing numbers of) local regulars to come along as normal.

So how does that sound? If we have general approval and encouragement we will go ahead and book the venue at which point we will give out full details, dates etc. We would like the first night to be at the end of January.

By having the structure of 12 nights for 2010 with dates published before the start of the year we can actually build on something and create a place for steampunk to grow and prosper.

I will reiterate that we would love to hear from people who have a potential venue with agreement in principal for us to look at setting up steampunk events or a similar series of events. We are still looking at doing a weekend or two too and of course The Asylum goes ahead full steam.

Sounds so good , might even make an effort to attend at least one! do a weekend in Nottingham sort of deal.

Do we have any new news regarding these meetings, or is it too early in the year ?? (If it is I'm sorry, I don't mean to pressure anyone)

Apologies for my tardiness in responding, but I'd actually forgotten that I'd registered on the forum here! Sounds a splendid idea! I might not be able to get to every meet, but I'd certainly try! I do hope this project comes to fruition - if I can be of help in some way, just let me know