JERSEY is at risk of becoming a “very boring and mundane place” for young Islanders if nothing is done to make putting on cultural events easier, an organiser has warned.
J-P Anquetil highlighted the barriers that events organisers face in an interview with the JEP, ahead of Wonky Town Festival which takes place next month.
Dance-music-loving Islanders are likely to have gone to one of J-P Anquetil’s events in the 1990s and 2000s.
“Music events have been part of my life the whole way through; it’s a bit of a bug or an addiction. I’ve just always wanted to continue it,” he said.
The organiser and creative director of Wonky Factory has been hosting events in recent years through his events company, most notably Wonky Town Festival alongside Wonky club nights during his time at the helm of ROJO nightclub, which closed in 2023.
Mr Anquetil said he had taken specific inspiration from the Block 9 and Shangri-La stages at Glastonbury Festival when curating his events.
“I thought that it would be great to have something like that in Jersey, where it wasn’t focused on the artist line-up, but more on the experience.”
But hosting music events has not been smooth sailing in Jersey, Mr Anquetil noted.
“Generally, when you go to do anything, the default answer is no,” he said. “There are so many barriers along the way where people can say no to something, but it’s about getting the parish on board and proving that you know what you’re doing.”
Mr Anquetil feels all the hard work, uphill battles and “long slogs” are worth it given what events such as Wonky Town Festival do for the community.
“Jersey has always been a really conservative place, but I think there’s a slow realisation from those conservative people that if they don’t do something, Jersey is becoming a very, very boring and mundane place for young people,” he argued.
“People need cultural things to attend to get away from the nine-to-five life,” he added. “It’s great that you can get out, swim in the sea and go running, but people need other things to do, so I think we provide a service.”
