The Point needs a new structure
Nest Community Circle
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Helps us decide and source a new structure for our beloved community venue at Nest: The Point.
The situation:
The current structure that has been used for The Point for the last few years has holes, is not waterproof anymore and is generally very run down. Last year, we struggled a lot to keep the space dry and usable for the activities during the rainy days (which were a lot during the event). Potentially, the structure is even more moldy after being stored with other damp things in the container after Nest '24.
The current structure:
It is owned by Nest and its measures are 12m x 12m. It looks like a circus tent.
The discussion:
The current structure has served us well, but as we have grown over the last few years, we are looking for something that serves our current needs and can evolve with us. We have been talking about having something that is large (so it can host big events like the Cabaret and the Ceilidh that we had last year), but also flexible, ideally something that can be split into smaller rooms for the activities that require less space and more cosiness. We think something more versatile would fit our needs better, but we would like to hear from the community:
What kind of structure for The Point do you think would serve the Community best?
We are also looking for help to source it for Nest'25. Before we buy a different structure, we ideally want to try out different things so we can better understand what works for us.
Do you have experience or a relationship with a marquee hire company? Or perhaps have suggestions on where we can look? Or do you know of anyone who has a structure we could use this year (we're open to sharing, renting or other sorts of collaborative deals)?
Any leads or connections you can share would be deeply appreciated!
Who's facilitating the discussion?
Tish - The Point's Co-lead
Nest Community Circle · Wed 5 Feb 2025 1:26AM
@Candy Cox thank you for your invitation to think whether we really need it or not. It's always worth questioning before committing to the cost and work that running The Point involves.
I can only speak to my experience as The Point's co-lead last year, I don't know how it was in previous years.
Last year we opened the venue for the community to use it to run their activities and workshops and we had 29 different things happening in the space, apart from the cabaret. Even though a few of then didn't actually happen (as it usually goes at Burns), still it's safe to say that there was a lot of use for it.
I think how much use it has will really depend on the approach we have every year. This year we (The Point's co-leads) have a few ideas to make it even more alive and community-centred, which will give us more insights on how much it will be used.
Thanks again for starting this conversation! I think it's something to keep paying attention to as we move forward in next events and keep looking for optional structures.