Why dress up when you can dress down?
With lives as busy as many of us lead, the thought of a dressy evening out might not appeal. But a mug of hot chocolate and a good story shared with friends might be a more
attractive thought.
In which case, an anti-gala might be just the ticket.
Fundraisers often turn to fancy events to raise money. However, lavish evenings of this kind cost a large amount to host and take a whole team to prepare and execute.
A way around this is to focus on an ‘Anti-Gala’. This deliberately informal gathering has guests pitching in to become co-hosts.
A good example would be a Storytellers’ picnic, in which guests exchange stories, share the catering and use an outdoor space, or a public inside space to congregate. Another is a pyjama party, where children come with their favourite toys to listen to bedtime stories and have an early-evening ‘midnight’ feast or a cup of hot chocolate.
Like the sound of an Anti-Gala?
Here are our top tips:
- Plan your date, venue and theme.
- Consider the logistics.
- Will the date clash with another popular event?
- Decide whether participants will bring food to share.
- If guests are bringing food choose someone to manage the dishes.
- Decide on your storytellers and readers (is it open to all or by invite only)?
- Ask them to co-ordinate so as to prepare different stories.
- Who will set-up before and clean up after the event?
- Will you decorate the venue?
- If you will have crafting as well as stories, collect materials in advance
- Can you increase your takings by offering hot drinks such as hot chocolate?
- Be prepared for people who can’t attend to contribute another way.
Why stop there?
If you have a suitable space, you could have an overnight camp out (in a garden, or park if you have permission). Or have a camp-in. Schools, community centres or sports venues might have a room you could use to put up tents.
During whole-night gatherings, children might have time to put on a puppet show, take turns acting out parts of a story, or engage in crafts linked to the stories.
Spread the word! Social media will help you appeal to would-be storytellers. Community pages, town pages, and parent’s groups, are the perfect place to advertise gathering. Get creative with your posts, tell people you are raising money for storybooks for children in need and ask them to share your post. Remember to include the date, time, and venue and a link to Kashfi’s Children.
