The Great Get Together On Air 2020

February 2020: The preparation for The Great Get Together was officially afoot. Planning to host a massive party, taking over six streets of Central London, with over 12,000 guests and an abundance of live performance. Sadly, due to COVID-19 and the ban of mass gatherings, the Great Get Together 2020 (as we knew it) was formally cancelled. This would have been my second consecutive year working for Bankside Open Spaces Trust (BOST) as an Assistant Producer and the news of a potential vacant summer was a shock to the system.

Regardless of the current climate, every Monday morning we had a weekly zoom catch up, as the BOST team, to ensure everyone was healthy, safe, and COVID-free.

The sun was shining, I was daydreaming of festivals and someone asked, "So... what's happening with the Great Get Together this year then?". I had an idea, spur of the moment. "It's a strange time and I think we still need to connect people and get together. What about a radio show?". The tone of the meeting instantly changed; the faces of the team were a picture I wish I had saved. Confusion, delight, anxiety, passion. There was a spectrum of emotion, all in one moment. As an experienced radio host/producer, excitement instantly cleansed my soul.

I made a few phone calls. First, my Studio Manager from K2K, Chris Jones, to ensure this would be possible to achieve in light of the lockdown. After receiving a mildly green light, I reached out to an old friend and soon to be co-host, Mireilla Kumbi By the next morning, we had recorded and edited a 15-minute sample to push out for funds/sponsors and to get general feedback from my team.

The feedback came in strong, we were joined by many funders and The Great Get Together 'On Air' was a go. The idea was to still give the local community a platform as well as the artists that would have performed on the day. The connection that BOST held with its community was very important to all, this was evident after last year's GGT.

Originally on a team of only two people, Nicola Desmond and I worked on creating the whole concept, from scratch, within 6 weeks. Nicola is a Senior Member of the permanent team behind BOST and a brilliant person to work with. I am really proud of the work we put out together and hope there will be many more opportunities for collaboration in the future.

K2K Radio, being my home station and tribe; was automatically on board. With the additional support from Resonance 104.4FM and SOAS Radio, we were able to access a huge virtual community, connecting the nation through FM and DAB radio and multiple online platforms.

Submission forms were sent, and recording began. We did not expect the response we received. So many people had something to share, say, or just show off. The lockdown period gave a lot of people time to reflect and get creative (including myself). The Radio Show gave me a creative output to keep my focus on, during a very difficult time for all.

Starting as a six-hour programme, the GGTOA quickly developed into a 12-hour show with Special Guests: Ben Lovett (Mumford and Sons), Tom Daley, Martha Kearney from BBC Radio 4.

I had the honor of presenting/hosting the show with Mireilla Kumbi, a great friend from K2K, who is also in the midst of launching her solo music career.

BOST’s Great Get Together ‘On Air’ celebrated what the community had to offer, and trust me (or don't), it boasted BOSTs diversity of our history and contemporary life whilst bringing together a wider-scale community than ever before.

I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone involved, it was truly inspirational conversing with so many interesting people. The team, behind the scenes, acted as the glue that held the show together (especially Nicola). It really could not have been accomplished without all involved. Thanks to The Arts Council England for funding and The Jo Cox Foundation and, of course, all the Partners - All Dogs Matter, Bankside Residents’ Forum, Barking Hour, Better Bankside, Borough Market, Bunker, Coin Street Community Builders, Corsica Studios, Corporate Security Solutions, Gentlemen Baristas, Hilton Bankside, Illuminate Productions, Migration Museum Project, The Cinema Museum, The Bridge, Blackfriars Settlement, Southwark News,Southwark Playhouse, The Rose Theatre, The Globe Theatre, The Old Operating Theatre & Herb Garrett, Tate Modern, The Bridge, Tate Modern, Team London Bridge, and many others… you guys rock!

A special shout goes to my original Studio Manager from K2K, Chris Jones. You've guided me along the way whilst being my tech guru during the copious problems faced. Thank you so much for your help. I don't actually know where I'd be in life without you.

George Allowit 

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