oreouk: Thanking the volunteers

Lissa (

oreouk) wrote,
@ 2005-12-08 23:22:00

Current mood:

happy

Thanking the volunteers
Many of you will have seen Annie's post encouraging people in the UK filk fannish community to volunteer, stand up and take part in their community, enfranchise themselves and so on. Much debate has been sparked, which is cool. It sparked a thought in me to investigate how much of UK filk fandom was involved on the running side of thigs. For this purpose I have excluded performers for no valid reason other than that if I did the list would have taken me even longer and I'd have left out way more people. As it is I know that there are credits I have not given and almost certainly people who should be on there but aren't (especially people who work the cons and/or do tech) - please feel free to add them in comments. Perhaps when we're done Rafe can out it up on http://www.Filk.co.uk/ as a monument to our involvement.

This lists 64 people, of whom I count 42 (ish - it gets fluffy with the Americans) as being current active members of UK filk fandom. Given we're a community of about 140 (or if you want to count the total number of people who have been involved over time including those who've moved on to other things, perhaps about 200) that a pretty good proportion.

People who have put a lot into UK Filk Fandom and what they have done – post additions and corrections below (I have a faulty memory)

Phil Allcock – committee for Contabile, Con2bile, Obliter-8, Didgeri-douze, Sixteen Tones, Worldcon in 95 (uncredited), creator/launcher and original administrator of the Sams, now the ongoing UK filk awards.
Mike Whitaker - committee for Contabile, Transept, XIlophone, Contabile Fortean, Worldcon in 95. Hosting of various filkers' websites plus the UK server for FilkHaven.
Anne Rundle/Whitaker – committee for Con2bile, Transept.
Rhodri James – committee for Contabile, Transept.
Rafe Culpin – committee for Contabile, HarmUni, produces the Wiggle newsletter, maintains contact lists for UK filk fandom that want to be listed, organiser of much filk at Eastercons. Creator of filk.co.uk website, with lots of useful/interesting information about the history of UK filk.
Steve Linton – committee for Contabile.
Valerie Housden – committee for Contabile, Con2bile, Vibraphone, Worldcon in 95.
Gytha North – committee for Contabile, Treble. Instigator of filk (and then of filk cons) in the UK to begin with, responsible for production of original UK filk tapes, launcher of the original filk fund (the Flying Fish Fund, which then became the Flying Filk Fund), editor of original UK songbooks.
Ben Brown – committee for Con2bile, Treble.
Bill Longley – committee for Con2bile.
Chris O’Shea – committee for Con2bile.
Richard the Rampant – committee for Treble. Much tech.
Andy Morris – committee for Treble. Much tech.
Harry Payne – committee for Treble.
Pat Brown/Silver – committee for Treble. Much tech.
Alison Scott – committee for FourPlay.
Mike Scott – committee for FourPlay.
Sue Mason – committee for FourPlay. Much artwork for filk publications various.
Steve Davies – committee for FourPlay.
Giulia De Cesare – committee for FourPlay.
Zander Nyrond – committee for Pentatonic, HarmonIX, Conthirteena. Artwork for various filk publications. Founder and host of Nycons.
Chris Bell – committee for Pentatonic, HarmonIX.
Janet Waite – committee for Pentatonic, HarmonIX, Conthirteena. Artwork for various filk publications. Founder and host of Nycons.
Dave Holladay – committee for Pentatonic.
Clement Nyrond – committee for Pentatonic.
Smitty - committee for Vibraphone, Didgeri-douze, Worldcon in 95. Creator of Filklore zine. Artwork for various filk publications.
Minstrel - committee for Vibraphone. Creator of Filklore zine, creator of UK filk BBS, now the FilkUK newsgroup. Creator and administrator of the Filklore award for the most memorable lyrics posted to FilkUK each year. Owns and runs the Filklore online filk music store (mostly CDs but also some hymnals).
Martin GK - committee for Vibraphone, XIlophone, 1812 Tone. Much tech (or possibly much much tech). Creator and host of the Filk Archive.
John English - committee for Vibraphone.
Sue Edwards – committee for Transept.
Robert Maughan – committee for Obliter-8, Contabile Fortean. Filk Fund administrator (past). Creator of the new Filk Fund, including original author of the rules governing it.
Lissa Allcock – committee for Obliter-8, Didgeri-douze, HarmUni, Sixteen Tones, Worldcon in 95 (including songbook). Filk Fund Administrator (current). Sams award creator and decorator (past).
Teddy – committee for Obliter-8. Artwork for various filk publications. Childminder extraordinaire.
FanTom – committee for Obliter-8. Artwork for various filk publications.
Ken Shinn – committee for HarmonIX.
Tom Abba – committee for HarmonIX.
Colin Tuckley – committee for Decadence. Much tech.
Paul Bristow – committee for Decadence, Quinze Filk Festival.
Miki Dennis – committee for Decadence, Conthirteena, DixSeption, Worldcon in 2005. Much artwork for filk publications various.
Erica Neely – committee for Decadence (administered UK FilkAwards which spawned the Sams), Contabile Fortean.
Mike Richards – committee for Decadence, Conthirteena, DixSeption, HarmUni2.
Dan Bennett – committee for XIlophone.
Andy GK – committee for Xilophone. Much tech.
Annie Walker – committee for Didgeri-douze, Sixteen Tones.
Tim Walker – committee for Didgeri-douze, Sixteen Tones, 1812 Tone.
Janet Maughan – committee for Contabile Fortean, 1812 Tone.
Rika Koerte – committee for Contabile Fortean.
David Peek – committee for Contabile Fortean. Much tech.
Keris/Chris Croughton - committee for Quinze Filk Festival, Worldcon in 95. Much tech.
Hilary Croughton - committee for Quinze Filk Festival.
Alison Richards – committee for DixSeption, HarmUni2 (uncredited), Conthirteena (uncredited) songbook for Conthirteena & Worldcon in 2005.
Dawn Everett Biddle – committee for DixSeption.
Brian Biddle – committee for DixSeption.
Bill Sutton – committee for 1812 Tone, Worldcon in 2005.
Brenda Sutton – committee for 1812 Tone.
Seanan McGuire – committee for 1812 Tone.
Rob Wynne – committee for 1812 Tone.
Joe Raftery - committee for HarmUni2.
Emily Raftery - committee for HarmUni2, HarmUni3
Anna Raftery - committee for HarmUni2.
Rick Hewett - committee for HarmUni2. Much tech.
Gwen Knighton - committee for HarmUni3.
Mich Sampson - committee for HarmUni3.
Marion Beet – organiser of the Swiggles – first to arrive, last to leave.
Peter Wareham & Gwen Funnell – organisers of silly games at cons in years past.
Omega - Sams award creator and decorator (current).
Melusine - Sams administrator and ceremony organiser (current), bringing class to the role.
Simon Fairbourn - tech and other background work.
Roger Robinson - Founder of Beccon Publications, publisher of the UK filk hymnals. Auctioneer for Filk Fund auctions.
Richard & Marion van der Voort - for many years the only importers of non-UK filk tapes & other materials. Attended most UK filkcons as vendors. Hosted many singing gatherings at their apartment in South London.

Wow!

(Post a new comment)

	smoooom 2005-12-08 11:35 pm UTC (link)
	Holy cow! That's an amazing list. Truly. (Reply to this)(Thread)

oreouk
2005-12-08 11:50 pm UTC (link)

Isn't it though? Especially when you think it leaves off people who are also involved in tech or other aspects of at-con work but who are not documented and who my brain is too frazzled from putting that together to bring to mind right now. Also many of those people could have extra achievments tacked on to their names I'm sure. We're a very involved community, and I hope the newercomers to UK filk fandom get to see that and are thusly encouraged to join the happy throng :-)

It really needs to go somewhere other than just my blog, so I'll probably cross post it to FilkUK once people have told me all the things and people I forgot :-)

(Reply to this)(Parent)

	catalana 2005-12-08 11:47 pm UTC (link)
	Minstrel also started his filk BBS, which is now the filk_uk list, as well as his online music store. GK has the Filk Archive. There's nothing on there about the Sams. I administered them at Decadence; I don't know who has done the other years. And I believe someone has taken it upon herself to supply the actual awards lately...perhaps she should have credit too? grin (Reply to this)(Thread)

	oreouk 2005-12-09 12:01 am UTC (link)
	Thanks - added. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	pbristow 2005-12-09 12:04 am UTC (link)
	Thankyou! That's a very nifty list. I can see a few omissions of particular things people have done, but it seems churlish to start nit-picking when you've already made the point wonderfully... Aw heck. Miki: Artwork beyond the call of duty, numerous publications. =;o} [RUNS AWAY FROM A PROBABLE SLAPPING] (Reply to this)(Thread)

	pbristow 2005-12-09 12:08 am UTC (link)
	[RUNS BACK] ...And Simon/Vaurien/Chiefy, for tech and other quiet backgroundy things... [DUCKS UNDER AN ARM AND RUNS OFF IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION] (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	oreouk 2005-12-09 12:11 am UTC (link)
	Added and added. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	ci5rod 2005-12-09 01:04 am UTC (link)
	I'm not sure how reasonable it is to list people like Steve Linton (who isn't all that active as a fan any more) or me (who hasn't done any organising for years and is actively avoiding getting involved right now). It's still an impressive list, though. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	oreouk 2005-12-09 11:04 am UTC (link)
	I listed everyone who was listed on Filk.co.uk as having been on a concom. Some of them came and went quite fast (or even slower but are still not a part of things any more), hence the bit at the end about how many of our volunteers are still active in filk. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	timill 2005-12-09 07:16 am UTC (link)
	Roger Robinson, for Beccon Publications, and no doubt other things (Reply to this)(Thread)

	oreouk 2005-12-09 11:11 am UTC (link)
	Thanks! (Reply to this)(Parent)

	rinioth 2005-12-09 08:17 am UTC (link)
	Mike Whitaker for hosting inumerable Filk related web sites and of course the UK server for Filkhaven! (Reply to this)(Thread)

	oreouk 2005-12-09 11:12 am UTC (link)
	Cheers - I do tend to forget that as I don't grace Filkhaven. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	little_cinnamon 2005-12-09 10:35 am UTC (link)
	Not so much an official filk thing, but might it be worth adding Zander and Jan's running of the Nycons for so many years? (Reply to this)(Thread)

	oreouk 2005-12-09 11:12 am UTC (link)
	Thanks! (Reply to this)(Parent)

occams_pyramid
2005-12-09 11:07 am UTC (link)

Rafe Culpin – committee for Contabile, HarmUni, produces the Wiggle newsletter, maintains contact lists for UK filk fandom that want to be listed, organiser of much filk at Eastercons

And some little website, that's going to have this really neat database of UK filk Real Soon Now :-)

Gytha North – committee for Contabile, Treble. Instigator of filk cons in the UK to begin with, responsible for production of original UK filk tapes, launcher of the original filk fund, editor of original UK songbooks

Also instigator of filk in the UK to begin with! Founding Mother.

Minstrel- committee for Vibraphone. Creator of Filklore zine, creator of UK filk BBS, now the FilkUK newsgroup. Creator and administrator of the Filklore award for the most memorable lyrics posted to FilkUK each year.

Also operates the Filklore online music store.

Richard and Marion van der Voort - for a long time the only importers of US filk tapes. Making these available had a major impact on the early development of UK filk. Hosts of several early singing meetings at their shop.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

	oreouk 2005-12-09 11:19 am UTC (link)
	Thanks! (Reply to this)(Parent)

	rdmaughan 2005-12-09 11:13 am UTC (link)
	To be historically accurate Gytha ran the Flying Fish Fund which became the Flying Filk Fund. Any similarity between either of these and the current filk Fund are purely coincidental. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	oreouk 2005-12-09 11:21 am UTC (link)
	Thusly edited, including extra info on your entry. (Reply to this)(Parent)

keristor
2005-12-09 11:48 am UTC (link)

Heh. I went through the list of filkcon committees on Rafe's site (which doesn't include Harmuni3 and 1812 of course -- and I just noticed that it doesn't include HarmUni 1 or 2 either) and I made it 52 people who have served on a UK filkcon concom in the last 17 years. Of those, 8 now have children (this is probably not cause and effect *g*), two have moved to the US (again, probably not causal), 18 are now no longer involved with filk fandom (some are still involved with mainstream fandom) and I know at least 5 who have sworn "never again" about running filkcons but are still active in other ways.

(I did that research last night when thinking about posting to FILK_UK about it, but decided that I couldn't phrase it in a sensible way so left it lying in a disk filk in case it came in useful, I'll leave the posting to people who are good with words -- as opposed to being good at using lots of words *g* -- like you and Annie...)

BTW, I wasn't actually on the committee for Dixseption, I was head of tech (for a larger con like an Eastercon it would have been "department head"). Myself and Alison were listed as NCOs ("Not Committee 'Onest") in PR2. But don't believe everything you read in the bios there, there are a few facts which are not quite accurate...

(Reply to this)

	occams_pyramid 2005-12-09 12:11 pm UTC (link)
	HarmUni details will be added to the past conventions list in the big reorganisation which is due Really Really Soon Now. Also details for Muse, the one-off con in Birmingham. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	keristor 2005-12-09 04:45 pm UTC (link)
	It wasn't a complaint, I didn't expect them there, it was only when Lissa's list mentioned them that I thought about it. The list as it is is very useful (I can never remember who was on what concom or who the guests were even for the ones I attended)... (Reply to this)(Parent)

	hrrunka 2005-12-09 04:01 pm UTC (link)
	Alison Richards – committee for DixSeption, HarmUni2 (uncredited), songbook for Worldcon in 2005 ...also the ConThirteena songbook and other stuff for the concom. (Reply to this)

	bedlamhouse 2005-12-09 08:22 pm UTC (link)
	Don't know that I'd have Tim, GK, and Janet listed only as "sort of" for UK18 - they are all putting in major work with treasury/registry and hotel liaison activities. It's only the fiendish and damaging rumours that they have ties to being Americans that could be interpreted as "sort of"... (Reply to this)(Thread)

	oreouk 2005-12-09 08:46 pm UTC (link)
	In which case perhaps you should credit GK and Janet on your website on the concom page! I listed those to as 'sort of' on the strength of me knowing they're doing at least something, and Tim on the strength of a discussion with Annie. In any case I shall amend it duly. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

bedlamhouse
2005-12-09 09:02 pm UTC (link)

Oops - you're absolutely right - they aren't there!

I will have the webmistress beaten when she returns from Puerto Rico.

Janet is Most Definitely Treasurer, qualifying due to her US roots.
Tim and GK are Hotel Liaisons, Tim being the son Brenda had then got amnesia and forgot about for many years (ahh, these fannish families). We haven't figured out GK's connection yet, but we'll ~~make one up~~ do the research soon.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

	pola_bear 2005-12-11 01:21 pm UTC (link)
	Wow! That is a very impressive list. It's realy nice thought to just have something showing just how much people do. Great idea to do it. (Reply to this)

Mini Sitemap:

Username:		Create an Account Forgot your login? Login w/ OpenID
Password:
	Remember Me
	English • Español • Deutsch • Русский…