Polegate Scarecrow Festival 2018 Information Pack 14 th -28 th July The Polegate Scarecrow festival 2018 is proudly supporting You Raise Me Up and St Wilfrid s Hospice and we do ask for a 5 entry fee* to raise money for the two charities. Create your Scarecrow today and enter the Competition! The 2018 Theme As it is the first year of the Polegate Scarecrow Festival we don t have a set theme. Therefore it is an Open Themed Event and you can think outside the box when designing your scarecrow. The 2018 Charities You Raise Me Up Polegate St Wilfrid s Hospice
(* - Please see Entry Fees) Please note that the organisers of this festival are all volunteers and no proceeds, profits or entry costs will be given to the organisers. All volunteers are giving their time and effort to make this festival possible. So we would just like to thank everybody who has helped for their considerable efforts to enable the Polegate Scarecrow Festival to happen. The 2018 Sponsor Home and Castle HOW TO ENTER YOUR SCARECROW It really couldn t be easier STEP 1 To get your scarecrow number for this year s festival (If you are planning to enter up to 3 individual scarecrows, or a display of scarecrows please let us know when you request your scarecrow number(s)) Email: polegatescarecrows@outlook.com YOU WILL RECEIVE YOUR SCARECROW NUMBER, INFORMATION PACK AND ENTRY FORM (these are all electronic copies and if you would like printed copies a small charge will apply). Entry forms are much easier to view if are sent back to us as a.pdf file, but please do not worry too much about this. STEP 2
When you have made your scarecrow. Email a photo of him/her to the above email. If you are making a scarecrow for the competition, send us a photo of the real person too. You must tell us where the scarecrow is sited, your name, contact details, address and any other information using the entry form. PLEASE put your scarecrow number in the subject box and attach the photos. Your Scarecrow will then be posted on our website gallery. www.polegatescarecrows.org Judging will take place between 15th and 24th July These will be different stages of the judging process so make sure your scarecrow is always looking its best. PLEASE NOTE Many of you may choose not to actually enter the competition but to simply join in the fun and make a scarecrow anyway. It s still nice that people see your scarecrows so please send us a photo so that your scarecrow can be in the gallery too. We also recommend the 5 entry fee to people who are making one just for fun because we want to raise as much money as we can for charity. Also you must still complete the entry form. THE RULES 2018
Please note that the rules apply to everyone who makes a scarecrow whether it is entered in the competition or is just for fun. We need to have rules in place to make our festival safe for everyone taking part and for those coming to see the scarecrows. RULES 1. Your scarecrow should be constructed of materials resilient to all weathers. 2. The use of any sharp objects is strictly not allowed. 3. Recycled materials with no great cost are recommended. 4. Scarecrows should be positioned carefully and securely. They must not fall over with both road and pedestrian safety in mind, and the organisers reserve the right to re-position any scarecrow that is likely to cause danger to third parties, and move any on public land when necessary. 5. Strictly no Obscene Scarecrows. 6. You are responsible for your own safety when positioning your scarecrow. The organisers can take no responsibility. 7. Scarecrows must be fully dressed and in place on July 14th for entry into the competition. (You are welcome to make a scarecrow after this but it will not be judged). 8. Scarecrows will not be judged unless their number is clearly attached and is clearly visible. 9. The judges decision will be final. 10. The organisers will not be responsible for any damage to scarecrows while they are in position. 11. The rules apply to both entries of the competition and the just for fun scarecrows. 12. You must pay the 5 entry fee (per scarecrow) by July 13 th to be able to take part. 13. A maximum of 3 scarecrows can be entered per household. 14. All areas in the Polegate boundary can be judged but you must be a resident of Polegate. 15. We do urge you to place your scarecrow in your garden to keep it safe and out of the public s way. 16. You have to have completed the Entry Form by July 13 th otherwise organisers have permission to take your scarecrow down if it is on Public land.
Notes Please position your scarecrow where it can be clearly seen. The main roads through the town provide best viewing points but remember all the rules. Please email us and we will put you in touch with residents who would like to have a scarecrow in their garden if they haven t made one themselves. MAKING A TRADITIONAL SCARECROW With many thanks to Pevensey Villages for supplying us with the Making a Traditional Scarecrow Page www.pevenseyvillages.org/making-a-traditional-scarecrow It s actually quite easy once you know how! You might like some help/suggestions. Or you might have some experience to offer? Either way we thought it would be fun to get together join our workshops watch our video WHAT WILL I NEED? One of the buzzwords these days is recycling and all manner of things can be recycled in the making of a scarecrow. Old hats, jumpers, trousers, gloves, shoes, scarves, balls, newspaper and plastic bags. Old broom
handles and bits of wood, cable ties and string can be used to make the frame to hold your scarecrow up. Here you see a happie chappie supported on a frame of wood. It couldn t be easier to make a simple soul like him. Scarecrows do need to be weatherproof well we all know about English summers! Stuffing with straw is good, or newspapers stuffed inside plastic bags to keep the paper dry. Wood can be used to make your scarecrow stay a particular shape. It is sensible to use materials that can be burnt to make disposal easy at the end of the festival. If your scarecrow is going to be free standing it would be sensible to have guy lines as well as putting the stake in the ground we do get a lot of wind and it will better prevent it from falling over. If you decide to have a sitting scarecrow secure the chair in a similar way. Be sure there is no tripping hazard. WHERE WILL MY SCARECROW BE? For our Scarecrow Festival to be a success we need it to be a true SPECTACLE, so we need as many as possible on the main roads of our town. They need to be seen by people driving through. People need and like to be able to walk around to see them properly. People came from far and wide last year to see the Pevensey Scarecrow Festival and they simply didn t know where all the scarecrows were. Most festivals produce a map, and while this is impossible for us to do, we can list the main road sites in all our advertising. There are plenty of verges, lampposts, fences and even host families who would love a scarecrow in their garden we can put you in touch.
ESSENTIAL you must make your Scarecrow secure so that it cannot fall over the pavement or into the road. If attaching it to a fence ask the owner s permission. Do NOT obscure any road signs. Use cable ties and do not damage wooden fences by using nails. YOU MUST FOLLOW ALL THE RULES With many thanks to Pevensey Villages for supplying us with the Making a Traditional Scarecrow Page JUDGING The judging process will take part in a few different stages. The final panel will be made up of 3 Polegate Town Councillors (TBC) and 3 members of the organising team. Please note some stages of judging may be judged by your entry photograph (by emailing/or hard copy with entry form) and then final stages of judging will take place with the judges going around (this date will not be announced). Feel free to email any questions to polegatescarecrows@outlook.com Categories / Entry Fees 1x Normal Scarecrow - 5 (Category A) Display of Scarecrows (e.g. Collection of Scarecrows) - 10 (Category B) Under 12 s Scarecrow (Pupils of Polegate School Only) - 3.50 (Category C) Just for Fun - 5 (suggested donation to charity) (Category D) Prizes Overall Best Scarecrow - 40 Cash Prize
Best Display of Scarecrows - 30 Cash Prize Best Scarecrow from Under 18 s - 10 Cash Prize Best Scarecrow from Under 12 s (Pupils of Polegate School Only) - 10 Cash Prize Highly Commended Scarecrows - 15x4 One4All Vouchers With Many Thanks to Cllr Ms Angela Snell (Polegate Town Mayor May 2017-18) for providing the Prize Money to Support her chosen Charities. With many thanks to Pevensey Villages Partnership for suppling their information to us to make this information pack useful to Polegate Residents as well. Please Visit our Website www.polegatescarecrows.org Find Us on Facebook - @plgscarecrowfestival Follow Us on Twitter - @plgscarecrows Share using #PlgScarecrows Email Us - polegatescarecrows@outlook.com